The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-04 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS,

of Colleges whose choice of Professors is unre-
stricted by dogmatic considerations. It is not the
fault of the Irish Catholics, it is the necessary
consequence of their social position, and of English
.nestle, that the highest scholarship and cultiva-
tion are rare among them. If the rising gene-
ration is to be taught by the compara-
tively untaught, the time of their elevation
to their proper intellectual position will be
delayed. But this is not all. Assuming
President BERWICK to be correct in his inter-
pretation of the discouraging facts which he
recites, a diminution of the quantity, as well as of
the quality, of education in Ireland will be
the consequence of the recognition by the Govern-
ment of the sectarian principle, and of the attempt
to graft it upon the Queen's University. It may
effect, not a transfer of students from an open to a
denominational institution, but a decrease of
the number of students receiving academic educa-
tion of any kind in Ireland. A course of conduct
which seems fraught with so many and such grave
consequences, should at least not be rashly entered
upon, nor obstinately persisted in. Mr. GLAD-
sToNE, it is true, maintains that the policy an-
nounced and partially carried out by the late Co-
vernment is an essential corollary from the prin-
ciples of civil and religious liberty. Though lie
knows that many sincere Liberals differ from him
on this point, he is at a loss, he says, to under-
stand how they can differ from him. If civil or
religious liberty were really at stake, we should not
care to press the argument from consequences. Our
love of justice is, we trust, stronger than our
distrust of Ultramontanism. But we require some-
thing more conclusive on an issue of this kind
than Mr. GLanwross's assertion. On matters
academical, he has yet to earn the confidence
which the Liberal party concedes to nas a
finarcier and a Parliamentrry reformer. Recoi-
l. zting his votes and speeches on questions affect-
ing the English Universities, we cannot b'indly
follow his guidance with respect to the Irish U3l-
verity system.

THE settlement of the quarrel between Prussia
and Austria promises to irclude a partial redress
of tie wrongs they combined to inflict on Den-
mark two years ago. The separation from the
Danish monarchy of Northern Schleswig, which
had been thoroughly Danish throughout its entire
history, and earnestly desired to re.artin under
the Danish crown, was naturally regarded
with indi3natien throughout Europe as an
extreme act of international N.olence on
the part of the conquering Powers. It
is satisfactory to find that these Powers a: leng:h
recognise the substantial justice o 7 this adverse
judgment, and are anxious to remove from them-
selves the stigma it involves. No article in
the Treaty of Peace just concluded between
Austria and Prussia will be more favourably
regarded than that which provides for the
restoration of Northern Schleswig to Den-
mark. According to this article the Emperor of
At-sritia transfers to the King of Pitessia all his
rights to the Dachies of Holstein and &log :wig
acquired by the Vienna Treaty of Octocsr, 1864,
" with the underwianding that if the populat:ons
"of the northern districts of Schleswig shall
" manifest by free voting the wish to be
"united to Denmark, the districts in question
" shall be ceded to Denmark." During the pro-
gresa of the peace negotiations it has more than
once been reported that the restoration of Northern I
Sehleswil to Denmark would be included amongst
its terms. But there were no sufficient groan& for
riauming the correctness of the report, Pi ussia
having shown litt'e regard for international r':ht,
and Austria having no direct interest in the prin-
ciple of nationality. The concession to this prin-
ciple, included in the conditional ceding of
Northern Schleswig to Denmark, am -at how -
ever, to have been primarily made by Austria ;
and, if so, it is highly creditable to her. But if
Austria has taken the initiative in doing this
act of international justice to Denmark, it is im-
possible not to see that Prussia has the largest
interest in recognisinl fully the principle on which

the restoration is made. The avowed aim of Prussian
policy is to secure a united Germany, and the
animating principle of that policy is of course the
princip'e of nationaliti. By maturing, however,
Schleswig to Dennia.rk, Prussia relieves herself,
ou comparatively easy terms, from the charge of
having flagr►ntly violated that principle, and pr. •
pares the way for its extended future application
in her own interest. 'While the article of the
Treaty re:erring to Schleswig may be fairly re-
garded, therefore, as a concession to national
claims supported by the public opinion of Europe,
the principle on which it is founded is at the same
time one which Prussia is peculiarly interested in
maintaining as a cardinal principle of Europ3an
policy.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.

(THIS DAY.)

once sash a rotten inheritance &albeit oil the Papal poveru-
'
merit, sad to be encumbered with another civil list of two
millions sterling, to set against an manual revenue of
searoely one million. The Italians may well trust to me-
diatise the Pope ere long asPrussia has inediatised Saxony,
nourishing, perhaps, the hope that the ranch-tried son of
Kastai Ferreti may prove, when he dies, to have been
the last of the Pope-Kings.
The Telegraph observes that the marvellous occurrences
of the last few months have all been adverse to the policy
which If. Drouyn de Lbuys has supported. He was an
advocate of Austria ; he wan jealous of Ita"an indepen-
dence; and he defended the temporal power of the Pope.
And naturally his resignation is ref ei.ed to the new aspect
of Roman affairs. The surrender of Venetia, the Telegraph
' eonsiders, must lead to communications tend;ng to bring
' about a reconciliation between the King of Italy and Pius
the Ninth. The domain will have to be surrendered to
the authority chosen or accepted by the people ; but it does
not follow that the sacrifice would be the slightest deb:-
mat to the comfort or to the substantial influence of the
Pontiff as spiritual ruler.