The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-18 00:00:00

Elie erpreoo.

DRURY-LANE.
TM' Swimmer, NINE 1111 N 1$ THE LAW.—KING
Kolb. Mr. Phelps, Addison, Irving, Rouse, he.
Xesdiunes Hach,tituart, Irian Matthews.te.—And Grand
Bahl d'Aot mu entitled BEDA.

nAvmAtucrr.
Tim EN'IMIWO, AN ALARM ISO SACRIFICE. llcan.a. F.
Ruckat+4,... Ultra, he. ; )lu+ ncht.—FIETEA. Meow. Liawr,
ChipprzsiAle, bonito's. and Kendal; Yeadsmes Bateman and
}'ita•ritiam. And RURAL FELICITY. Means. Buckatonr,
8010% k,'•

Tins Brum, THE ;AA lIIR DARK: • TALK
OF LONDON 1.1.11. Kr. Vika, Mum. W. Lam Dominick
Mum, Harcourt, Sham as. • Mani 1. Barnett and Rowe Ger
dann.—And Duey= FORBIN RIRTZDAT.

THRBIII.3. LOINI4IOIII.
Tau Romano*. at f. TAX LaROMIRIaI LAM Kama.
R. loving. S. Roomy, L. Broagb..J. per. C. Iffiadlasat. sad
R. IL Tenet; Mama N. Kean and S Rakfam.—To condo&
with R. Reece, Raq.'s Piece of Ratomampasa. mulled. TILL
emu/oak lIITRANOER THAN RIM. Neanc L.
itssecas. sad Linton; aad Miro Roams. Rverard. aad Rate
.

IFFELND.
TIM irainre, at 7, A WIDOW HUNT. Mom Clarks,
&Wad. and J ,• UM. Button and Kattland.—Fllll MILD
OF TAB 01 001.D.-11esora. Thema, James, Robson,
and Fenton ; Mks Goodall. to.—And A COMICAL COUNTISd.

OLOBE THEATRE ROYAL
Tina IP:TIMM). at 7, GOOD POE NOTHING.—At • f to 71,
H. J. Byrou'a original Comely, in Moe Acni, CYRIL'S SUC-
COR. Moors. E. Marshall, Worms, Tama Inbar, Newborn,
Barlataos, and J. Make, Sc.; Madams Thorns, Hughes, to.

!tea Swami, LION LlMit, KENO OP Till POUTH REA
HilLalibt, Messrs. Reynolds, Pitt, Bell, and linrwold ;
Iliendium+ Ooveney, M. Booth, and Haroonrt.—ltias Short•ot-
ton and Yr. P. li'llaide.—And THE OCARLRT 1L JtK Mrs.
Lane

WON WATIM AT LONDON IRMO.
To-LAT —Yarning, 01. Via.
—Narsiag, 6h. em.. •M M. 3(5%

grOTIONII Cil lLaiLl;s6,--ael DRAM. an weedirel
satil 11 o' clouthaiertios Ism mobs. Pram la Ild.

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LONDON, FRIDAY, DEC. 18.

TURKEY .d3W GREECE.

TIM black cloud in the East has burst, but for
the present the thunder is not very loud, and there
is still reason to hope that a grand display of
diplomatic sheet-lightning will frighten the
Bourses more than it will hurt mankind. It seems
impossible for the most ardent sentimental Phil-
hellene to pretend to deny the perfect right and
justice, according to the elementary prin-
ciples of international obligation, of the posi-
tion which the Turkish Government has assumed
towards what is called by courtesy the Govern-
ment of Greece. The " case" of the Porte, as con-
tained in the ultimatum which was presented by
the Turkish minister at Athens was limited to
the following very moderate and reasonable de-
mands : That the Greek Government should pre-
vent the enlistment of volunteers and the trips
of the• blockade runners to Crete ; should
publicly disavow all sympathy with the
Cretan insurgents ; exert itself to prevent
further violations of its neutrality ; and permit the
free embarkation of the refugees waiting at dEgina
and the. Piraeus to be reconveyed to Crete. The
Athenian Ministry was not, it would seem,
unwilling to consent, under moral pres-
sure, to so much of these demands as
concerned positive and active infractions of
neutrality and of strict international duty,
but would not, because on its showing, it could
not, publicly disavow the sympathy which, in com-
mon with the whole Greek people, it felt for the
cause of the Cretan insurgents. This unsatis-
factory reply, amounting to a partial rejection of
the Turkish ultimatum, which, in deference
to the wishes of the Great Powers, had been
twice held back by the government at Constanti-
nople, has, after two reprieves, been followed by
summary and decisive measures on the part of the
Porte—measures which no Government calling
itself responsible end independent would not be
entirely justified in adopting in self-defence,
and even to convince the world of its exist-
ence us a self-possessing, self-respecting
power. Dismissing for the moment all the
loose teed idle jargon of political charlatans
and intriguers, we cannot conceive that the
protecting Powers will suffer these Athenian
gaMiTIA to set Europe ablaze for the
sake of boiling their little addled egg of
an " idea." It is enough for the Greek Go-
vernment to be insolvent, and a model of the most
fantastic misrule. The Protecting Powers have
both the right and the means to insist on the
compliance of the Greek Government with
thee just demands of the Porte. In oon-
sideration of what is due to the lute-
Testa of the general peace they are bound
either to take upon themselves the satisfaction of
the Turkish demands, or to let the military
and naval forces of the Porte obtain it on their
own account, Prescribing of course in the
character and capacity of peacemakers, certain
limits to they reprisals. Unfortunately the
Greek business is but a corner of that vast, ob-
scure, and incalculable Eastern question. The
statesmen at Athens are mere puppets. Although
all the great continental Powers are anxiously pro-
testing their determination not to allow the
general peace to be broken up, it is no
secret that more than one of them is
playing a game of its own. Greece be
pawn on the Russian board. As to the French
Government, the Eastern question, liko the Roman,
may be used as a diversion from its domestic
difficulties, and the Cabinet of Vienna has
lately lssn disposed to follow the load of
its magnanimous ally, from jealousy of
Prussia. Nor has the policy of Prussia
in the direction of the Danube been without am-
biguity. That of the British Government, at
all evade. is dear enough. Ifinland did sok