The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-04-03 00:00:00

ET COUNTY EXPRESS

within three or four days the ice will have
broken up on the Canadian lakes, and the
mud and aluah of the Canadian lauds will
have become impassable. Was it likely that
an officer like Sweeney, who has earned
some distinction in the late American
Campaigns, would plunge a set of
followers, even u deluded as his, into
such a mess P It strikes us that Sweeney has
got all he wanta ; he haa got money for him
self, for the threatened invasion seems to
have drawn forth the sinews of war plenti-
fully from his 11 iberno4l merican d u pep ; sod he
has been the cause of exciting not only alarm
but outlay upon British territory; for we
learn by the last arrivals that our West India
Squadron has been ordered to Halifax by Sir
Frederick Bruce, and that there the Nova
Scotian, are in momentary expectation of the
landing of 10,000 British troops. Whilst on
the subject of Fenianism, we feel inclined to
say that there may be considerable probability
in the allegation that so far from Stephens
having only just escaped to Paris, the man
could not have been more than 24 hours in
Ireland after his escape from Richmond Gaol.
This, therefore, looks very like another illus-
tration of Fenian humbug.

11.—PHI ADAGE that "when rogues cast
out honest people get their own again," is
very likely to be verified in the altercation,
culminating almost to the point of war, be-
twixt the two split crows of Prussia and
Austria. When the little German States
first coveted possession of the Danish Duchies,
their two big brothers Prussia and Austria
ostensibly seized upon the disputed territory,
on the plea that the minor rabble were
certain to abuse their opportuitiee, and so
after humbling poor Denmark, when there
were none to help, completely in the dust,
they divided the spoil betwixt themselves two.
This neat enough arrangement with her
lirperial "pal," does not, however, by any
means satisfy Prussia and her arrogant
minister, M. Bismarck—she will have all or
none. Austria is obstinate, and being in oc-
cupation of half the stolen property can very
well afford to drive Prussia either to the
alternative of retr-cting her demands, or
committing an act of war to demand them.
It is at this pass that matters have arrived.
Such a war would necessarily convulse all
Europe. Italy could not leave the 9uadri-
lateral alone on finding the attention of
Austria otherwise engaged, and the way open
to Venetia. The other States of the German
Confederation are already remonstrating with
their Prussian and Austrian brethren against
the risk of war. And the Great Powers of
Europe, it is said, are also about to present
"identical notes" at Berlin and Vienna,depre-
eating this disturbance of the peace of
Euroi e. But M. Bismarck will care little for
all that, so long as he fancies there may be a
vhence of bullying Austria into concessions
to which 'her poverty and not her will
consents."

111. 011aRRYANCI OF GOOD FRIDAY
which is growing in propriety throughout the
rest of the oountry ia • shame and a scandal to
oar great metropolis. The new, informs us
that betwixt 40,000 and 50,000 people visited
the Crystal Palace on that day. The following
remarks of our London Correspondent convey,
however, a far more universal uotion of the
desecration of the day :

The shop. are shut up even more generally than on
Sunday, with the exception of those Which minlatior to
the requirement. of holiday-Makers—such as °pains-
Winer*, fruiterer., tobsetioniste, ha. lOM MOTU to say
that London ham a bad pre-eminence in this respect over
reef, other eity in the United Kingdom; and it eon
warmly be wondered at, when one may he told by many
tradesmen that they take more money on the Sunday
than in all the rest of the week pot together. Good
Friday, this year, has been apparently thoroughly pro-
faned. Clerks, abopmen, mashanies. aranurs—profees-
Waal men and working men—well-to-do magi and poor
non—" old men and maidens, yottng men and children,"
all seem to hare had an "outing" scaneerbere. The
weather was delicious, earth, 'genial, and sonny, eith •
light rein-aline wind; and neither dust for rein. Revise
where the perks and pleasqre-grounif•—.ad it is liqe&
we should have to few iif them I—so full (If peotfin
Heaspilead Heath, Clapham Common. Peeklum Rye,
Blackheath. Greenwich Auk, Victoria Park, as well se
the more oriatooretie west-end park., all were filled
with promenaders and with roughs. Old Froneart, the
ehrooteler, long ago said the English take their plenum.
sadly; bet a modem chronicler moralising at any of oat
suburban commons on Good Friday would more truth-
fully say that the English take their pleasures roughly.
We have altered it seems, but it is questionehle if we have
improved in this respect. I seta not Inform yang
readers thaA it is not the Ife of tondos corNety that
Marmte Hemostat' Hettk Mid arldh plums, out
Good Friday—lt If to • very considerable extent the
London gamine and torrent-girls, the merchants of the
barrow and the basket, the Petry of tee short PiP• and
the knobby stick ; ..od the same rough (WINO that they
used to play at they indulge in still. Hi.. in the ring
Is • favourite pastime—the hobbledehoys all like it, and
the girls are nothing loth. Mooting for nuts and
three-shies-a-penny matinee lo be the prevailing attrac-
tions, in spite of their very illusive characder. Donkey-
riding, too, Is in fell tome, apd Id evidently more
eni,iyed by the IWO-loggia' than the fottr-legged animals,
whits reckless apprentice, go the entire unreal by
"'trine a hoes for arf-a.hoor" at the coat of sixpence,
and an occasional sprained ankle or bruised elbow, for
the equitation of them individuals is warmly eqoal to
that which may heretofore have delighted them at
A stley's or the Agriculture' Heil. Crowds, too, throng
the steamers up and down the river 1 4 eteratirs sot
where they go to, " anYihfire, anywhere oct of the
world" Of Loodbe. Groat im the exodus of women end
children, great is the temenec liar of isserable cigars
and frightfully adulterated bottled beer; enormous the
demand for hot mot and other bens, oranges, nuts
ahrimpa, whelks, "cremes," and, la fast, for every
cheap " !usury" that eon be eaten or drunk. It le
day of jollity and feasting—of ridding end gardening...—
perhaps the greatest gardening day in the year—bit I
am happy to add it is not • day of drunkenness. (10111
pleasing faaturc of rr bed id lye edwilectilyfi is deb deibidvd
decline of laotieunea ; and If churchmen bewail the
waht of ieligiolts feeling in the metropolis which has
smimilated Good-Friday to the Raster holidays, they
meat admit that the ill-timed recnatioe of the mood
is, oa the whole, of • harmless character in inielf.

What we say ia, that Good Friday, if there be
any meaning in religious observances ought
not to be aultollated *ith the SU* Holidayi
Rough 0i plain, gentle or simple, nobody
grudges either an Easter or a Whitsun holiday.
In the name of common decency then, let us
earn such indulgence by observing like Christiana
the days set apart for solemnity.