The Express.
London, England, 1866-04-14 00:00:00

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LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 14.

Tea political affairs of Germany become every
day more complicated. The difficulty of forecast-
ing the issue of the strife between Austria and
Prussia is increased by the fact that almost every
new occurrence reported has two upsets--one
looking towards peace, the other towards war.
The refusal of Prussia to disarm upon the requisi-
tion of Austria is, indeed, simple enough in its
significance. It is calculated to increase the
irritation of the latter Power as well as
justify its apprehensions, and it shows the
determination of Prussia to be prepared for
every event ; but then its importance is over-
shadowed by subsequent transactions of a much
more dubious character. Thus the extraordi-
nary proposal of Prussia for the convocation of a
German National Assembly to be elected on the
basis of universal suffrage may be and has been
interpreted in directly opposite senses. It may
be regarded either as a device for subvert-
ing the combinations of Austria and her
allies, throwing their counsels into confusion,
alienating from them that support of their people
which, at a crisis like this, is indispensable, and so
at least gaining time for Prussia to arm ; or as evi-
dence that Count Bisisacx shrinks from a trial of
military strength with Germany, and has chosen a
new field in which the weapons of popular agitation
will better serve him than generals and armies could
do. To be able to judge how far Count BISMARCK is
likely to succeed on either supposition, we
ought to know how his proposition affects
Prussian and German feeling. But at present
it is difficult to ascertain this fact, what little
we do know being rather calculated to mislead
than instruct, unless received with due allow-
ance. The Committee of 36 which sits at Frank-
fort, and which for many purposes very f►irly
represents the best Liberalism of the whole
Confederation, has spoken out in very deci-
sive terms. It scorns Count BISMARCK'S pre-
tended homage to the principle of popular repre-
sentation, and denounces his proposal as a snare.
Its members see that the statesman who treats the
constitutional representatives of Prussia with dis-
dain at Berlin, and makes them responsible for
their language in the courts of law, would only use
delegates assembled at Frankfort as his tools. This
judgment is conformable to experience and common
sense, and we are glad to find it repeated in lead-
ing German newspapers. But the question arises,
is it the practical judgment of Germany ; and if so,
will it be acted on with resoluteness and effect
Look at Prussia. Its Parliament is arrayed in
strong opposition to Count BISMARCK, and if it
were dissolved to-morrow a new Chamber would
be elected holding precisely the same sentiments ;
and yet Prussian feeling sustains that most anti-
constitutional Minister. He is resisted, but cau-
tiously, and only up to a certain point ; the truth
is, he is abetted by many who are loudest to con-
demn him. Travellers and correspondents assure
us that in the very districts where he is most
disliked it is thought that he is doing a useful
work, in which it would be most unpatriotic to
disturb him. Prussia needs enlargement, and he is
the man to satisfy that need. Bad as he is, he is
doing a good work : the nation can have constitu-
tionalism any day, but it must increase its territory
when the opportunity offers and when the man to
seize it presents himself. This is the language heard
in Prussia. As to the rest of Germany, it seems
unlikely that Count BISMARCK will impose on its
people by a show of Liberalism. The Southern
Governments, however, may find it difficult to re-
sist the convocation of an Assembly which tempts
their people with an offer of power ; and, if so, it
seems hardly possible that war can take place be-
fore the representatives of the nation have had time
to speak. Another equivocal element has just been
introduced into the question, if we may believe the
Vienna Morgen Post, when it states that the French
Ambassador at Berlin has notified to the Prussian
Government that France considers a radical recon-
struction of the Confederation to be not a purely Ger-
man affair, but one in which the Euiopeen Powers
that signed the Treaty of Vienna would be entitled
to intervene. There is nothing intrinsically impro-
bable in this statement. A similar notification was
made by France a few years ago, when the reor-
ganization of Germany was a matter of diplcenatic
discussion; and it is well known that the late Car
NICHOLAS was accustomed to set up the same claim,
by virtue of the same title. If Prussia were moved
more by patriotic German feeling and less by see-
tional and dynastic ambition, this new evidence
of the danger to which it is exposing the
country might be expected to have a salutary in-
fluence upon the policy of its governmeit. As it
is, Count Bismancs will probably peresive in it
nothing more than a notice that if Germany is to be