The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-16 00:00:00

011 Th CONTEMPOIL&RIES.
(1:1413 DAY.;

• 1

'THE PEURINAINB IN HANOVER AND 81101/T. •
The war, says the Times, has now begun. in
earnest. Count Bismarck knows the value of prompti-
tude, and, through the entry of troops into Saxony and
Hanover, the resources of the northern states of Germany
may be said to be from this time in Prussian
hands. Roughly spealdag, the strength of North-
ern Germany is matched against that of the south.
Leipeic and the northern part of the Saxon king-
dom will no doubt be seised at once by the Prussians,
but the Austrians, having but a few miles to advance and
the railway at their service, will establish themselves at
Dresden. In Germany itself Prussia Boerne over-matched,
and the late vote in the Diet shows a great disparity of
strength. But on the other hand, in Hanover and Cassel
the people seem likely to refuse their support to the
policy of their governments. Should this example
be followed in other of the minor states,
the conclusions to be deduced from the vote of Thursday
last must be worthless. But, assuming that these States,
or the more powerful of them, enter seriously into the
war, Prussia must prepare to drain every nerve in the
strife. For the present all hangs on the chance of a ram-

Plagn-
In another leading article the Tines discusses the
propositions of Italy, especially congratulating that coun-
try that in such a crisis her premier should be Ricasoli,
whose long-continued absence from his Sovereign's council
is supposed to have arisen from antipathies harboured
against him by high powers, whom every man in Italy was
anxious to propitiate. La Marmon" is at last in his own
sphere, at the head of the army, and if he be the man to
create an army, Ciahlini is the one to handle it. The
hero of Marsala has nobly requested that Pallavicini,
whose dashing spirit he appreciates, may take the com-
mand of some corps that would co-operate with him on
the Alps. Of the look and mein of the discipline and
training of the Italian army, the Times hears satisfactory
accounts, but in the meantime it is greatly to be regretted
that even one word of encouragement should have been
held out to the Italians of eventual foreign aid. The mo-
ment Italy relies upon any other forces than her own she
is lost. " From my friends defend me, 0 Lord," says the
Italian adage; "against my enemies I will defend
myself."
It is in such signs as the repudiation by the Hanoverian
and Hesse Chambers of the action of their government,
observes the Daily News, that we may read the dissolution
of the German Confederation. But Prussia has not waited
for the result of the motion of the Hanoverian president,
and either Count Bismarck has miscalculated or
H mover has already lad her independence. Now
is the time for Austria and her allies to act.
The Emperor cannot leave the King of Hanover to feel
the whole weight of Prussian power, after receiving his
assistance in the Diet. He must march out, fall upon the
Prussians in his front, and achieve some important success
before Germany is dismayed by the boldness of his ad-
versary's initiative. And whenever he does that, it will
be time for the Italians to try what they can do for their
country.