The Express.
London, England, 1866-06-19 00:00:00

IT INTELLI

LATES'

FENCE.

•
TSB WAR.
The telegraphic news which has arrived to-day
dissipates the little doubt that may have still
existed as to the reality of war. On the 18th of
June, 1866, the filst anniversary of the battle of
Waterloo, warhas been officiallyproclaime, bothby
Prussia and Italy against Austria. The coincidence,
though probably incidental, is still remarkable and
suggestive. The victory of the 18th of June, 1815,
was the crowning blow which terminated a
European war of twenty-five years' duration and
led to an order of things which was supposed to have
definitively established the peace of Europe. The
ruin produced by that great war is a matter of
history ; the debt which it accumulated remains a
bitter reality, whilst the principles, the suppression
of which was one of its main objects, have
gained strength and extent during the half a cen-
tury that has elapsed since the treaty of
Vienna. Who can say where the present
war may end 4 At the smallest computation
there are already 1,600,000 men in hostile
array, and the probabilities are, that before many
months, perhaps weeks, have passed as many more
will be drawn into the conflict. The Berlin polcians
areal ready discussing the attitude which England will
assume in regard to the occupation, and possibly
the annexation, of Hanover to Prussia ; and the
French press continues to discuss the Em-
peror's speech—interpreting it generally in a sense
which will make France a party to the

conflict eventually, whilst the telegrams announce
the advance of Russian troops to the West, and the
warlike activity of Turkey. In one respect the
present mutest opens very differently from that
of the last European war. Instead of a Bruns-
wick manifesto against liberal principles, there is
an Austrian manifesto promising constitutional
freedom and guarantees to the estates of the
empire, whilst the princes of Germany are invited
to meet at Vienna in order to discuss the arrange-
ments for a new and more liberal constitution for
Germany. On the other hand, a liberal mani-
festo has been launched by Prussia (which will be
found elsewhere), in which the German peoples are
invited not merely to a German parliament, but to a
German National Assembly. The great German
powers are evidently bidding for the support of the
people, well assured that whichever of them shall
array on its side the intense feeling for
unity which pervades the German nations is
likely to be triumphant in the present contest.
It is very much in this sense that the
Austrian journals express the utmost satisfaction
with the Frankfort vote, which decided on the
mobilisation of the Federal troops. The Vienna
Gazette says :—" The cause of Germany has
obtained a signal victory by the vote of the Federal
Diet. In spite of the pressure and menaces of
Prussia, the majority of votes—the majority of the
German nation—has pronounced in favour of the
Austrian proposition." The vote of the Diet, it
estimates, will give 157,000 soldiers to Austria and
57,000 to Prussia, while it ranges on the Austrian
side 9,000,000 of Germans as against 2,000,000 on
the side of Prussia.

(lIECTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

DECLARATION OF WAR BETWEEN
PRUSSIA AND AUSTRIA.
BERLIN, Jong 19.
Prussia formally declared war against Austria
yesterday.

PARIS, JUNE 19.

The Moniteur of this morning confirms the
intelligence that Prussia only yesterday declared
war against Austria.

DECLARATION OF WAR BETWEEN ITALY
AND AUSTRIA.
FLORENCE, JUNK 19.
The Italian government formally declared war
against Austria yesterday. This is official.
The Italian ministry has been definitively reor-
ganised under Baron Ricasoli.
The persons attached to the King's household
have left Florence in order to join his Majesty at
the camp.
• .

The Senate yesterday evening almost unani
mouldy rejected the bill imposing a tax upon Italian
Rente.
Telegraphic communication with Venetia is in-
terrupted.