The Express.
London, England, 1866-07-24 00:00:00

1:4.01141V, JULY 24, 1866.

LIT INTELLI
•
THE WAR. , z
For the moment the interest of the wartliss
departed from the field of battle and entered es
the field of diplomacy. What may issue from the
conferences in the camp of the King of Prussia it
would be idle to speculate upon. At noon to-day
two out of the five days' armistice have passed, so that
the public will not have long to wait for the result
of the diplomatic deliberations, unless, indeed, in
the mean time a further extension of the armistice
should be agreed upon. With regard to the public
opinion of Vienna, it has been already stated that
a portion of the press was in favour of peace on
the conditions proposed by Prussia, but as the
following extracts show, that is not the opinion
of all.
The Vienna Neue Fremdenblatt says :

To hear the sighs of certain journals on the subject of
peace and an armistice, one would almost believe that our
grenades are rolls of bread, and our bayonets made of
straw. What ! are we to see a State of 18,000,000
dictating a humiliating and infamous peace to a State of
36,000,000! What would Austria have after this ? Debts
that mould not be paid and bank notes that would have no
value. It would be all over with Austri► sa a great
power. Italy and Prussia would surpass her for the
future. From a national economical point of view,
Austria, compared with the other states of Europe,
is far behind, and if she should be also left
behind from a military point of view she would cease to
be a great power. No one can foresee the fortune of war.
Austria, if completely beaten, will have to submit to the
terms of the conqueror. But Austria has lost only one
battle, and the very fact that the loss of one battle hail
brought the Prussians to the beaks of the Danube should
raise a hope that our success in a moon& battle would
oblige the enemy to abandon the country as
quickly, perhaps more quickly, than be entered it.
We possess a formidable army entrenched behind one of
the most impregnable lines of defence in the world—a line
of defence which cannot be turned. Hence we cannot
believe that Austria, in the midst of circumstances so
favourable, can dream of a peace which would give up the
object of the war, which would always render our enemy
imperious, after having aided him,by a deplorable alliance,
to become a dangerous power.
The Vothafreund contains remarks of a similar
tendency :

When we see the narrow and mean ideas promulgated in
the press of our country, and when we know that such
ideas would be uppermost in a parliament, if we had one,
we thank God that Austria is not at this moment under
parliamentary government. A great state has a great part
to play, and to do this it must not shrink from a certain
amount of inconvenience, and, if need be, from great sacrifices
and great dancers. Is it necessary that we should endea-
vour to prove that there must be great Powers, not to give
more splendour to a throne, but in the interest of the
destiny of nations ; and that a State, which is called on to
play the part of a great Power cannot retreat from its posi,
tion without completely extinguishing itself ? As true
Austrian patriots we should then desire above all
things the welfare and the integrity of Austria and
declare the union of Germany sad Austria as a condition
which must be maintained at any price.
The Feather Lloyd of the 18th says ;

The communications with Vienna, whether by nil or
steamboat, have been suspended from to-day. Travellers
and merchandise are carried only as far as Presburg.

THE ITALIAN FLEET.

We find the following in a French correspon-
dence relative to the Italian fleet :
This unfortunate feet wanted everything, coals, engi-
neers, and guns. A contract had been made with English
engineers, but the latter declared they were engaged only
for times of peace and not for times of war, and they
withdrew when hostilities were about to commence, that
is to say when they were most wanted. Engineers had to
be got anyhow, and even this required time. It was also
found out at the last moment that the guns cast in
England had not the desired range. This came quite un-
expectedly upon the authoritios. Depretis, the new
Minister of Marine, did all he could within the time to
rectify these deficiencies, and within a fortnight the Beet
put out to sea—with what result has been seen. A strict
inquiry into the facts will be instituted after the war.

THE SPANISH MINISTRY AFTER DEFEAT.
A Madrid letter of the 19th says :

The principal personages who formed part of the late
ministry, or who supported the policy of the Liberal Union,
have all abandoned Madrid and took leave of the Queen
before their departure. During those visits to her Ma-
jesty several interesting incidents occurred. Marshal
Concha convened for some time with the Queen respecting
the late ministerial crisis, which he considered was quite
unnecessary. He expressed himself with great energy and
opener, and is said to have used these words, " I deeply
regret the modification which the policy of the country
has just undergone ; your Majesty, in depriving yourself
of the services of the Duke de Tetuan at the present mo-
ment, has cast away your crown (ewers /Naiad Aa
tirade ass corono)." These last words are textual. General
Hogos said :—" Your Majesty knows that I am one of your
most ancient and faithful servants. lam ready to shed
my last drop of blood or to seer fiat my life in the streets of
Madrid in defence of the dynasty, but I consider the
change as a great peril. I regret the determination come
to, not only for your Majesty, but also for the young
Prince of the Asturias, who I foresee with profound sad.
ness will never be called to bear the crown of Castillo."
MM. Bermudez de Castro and Pala& Herrera have left,
the former for Biarritz, and the latter for the province of
Santander, after having taken leave of her Majesty to-
gether. The Queen said to them that in obedience to the
inspirations of public opinion she had been obliged to take
other counsellors, but that her feelings of affection and
esteem for Marshall O'Donnell and hie former colleagues
were still the same. M. Poeada Herrera replied, with
much coolness, and laying a particular etre= on his words,
" Madam, we have long been acquainted with the feelings
which your Majesty now deigns to again express ; we have
besides recently received proofs so significant that then is
no longer room to doubt their sincerity." I have obtained
no details of the interview between Marshal O'Donnell and
Marshal Serrano ; I am, however, informed that her Ma-
jesty appeared much affected after these two interviews.

(111UTX/e8 TZLZOIAIIB.)
THE WAR IN GERMANY.
FRANKFORT, Jur 23, Evitruco.

The town of Frankfort has not yet paid the con-
tribution demanded by the Prussian commandant.
The inhabitants have invoked the intercession of
England and France for their petition to the King
of Prussia to diminish the amount of the contri-
bution.

QUARANTINE AT MALTA.
MALTA, JULY 23.
A quarantine of 115 days is now imposed upon all
arrivals from Liverpool and Marseilles.
The public health in Malta is satisfactory.