The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-04 00:00:00

HIGH WATT." AT LONDON BILD9i,

Tim o;i77.iii;;;;;4 Oh. 17a.
TO.IIOYoW Morning. Oh. Attirsoos. lb. bra.

LONDON, MONDAY, APRIL 4.

GAIIIIW.DI is in England. At the port where
his coming was looked for, all the town was
astir in eager expectation to hail the man whom,
of all others, posterity will name the hero of a most
unheroic age. Southampton is famous for its his-
toric welcomes and partings, and it is due to its
energetic and enterprising citizens to acknowledge
that none know better how to do the honours of
their country. All England was present in spirit
yesterday at the West pier ; in spirit, all England
went out to meet the Ripon, bearing the martyr and
confessor of European freedom to our happy
shores ; all England stood on tiptoe to catch sight
of that battle-worn and weatherbesten face and
figure ; in spirit, all England thronged the streets
and g►thered on the housetops to salute the
actual living presence of ideal valour and virtue.
It is difficult for chroniclers of the passing moment
to seize the full significance of an event so simple
in itself as the visit to this country of an Italian
leader of volunteers. But there can be no doubt
that our posterity will recognise its importance as
contemporary opinion throughout the continent of
Europe recognises it now. The chief of the defenders
of Roman freedom, the leader of the " thousand"
of Marsala, the conqueror and dictator of a king-
dom, who in the early morning silently unmoored
his little boat, and withdrew—poor in all but the
priceless purity of his honour, and the
immortal inspiration of his example—unto the
silence and obscurity of a peasant's home—such
a man as this is something more than the repre-
sentative of his own country's cause ; he represents
the everlasting aspiration of mankind to a better
world here below than kings and priests have
tolerated yet. We live in a squeamish age, an
age of little deeds and little men ; and when a man
of so great a nature comes among us he scares the
effeminate cynicism and the mincing solemnity of
politicians who call impotence moderation, and
sum up all worldly wisdom in a barren sneer.
For rulers and "reviewers" of this order
there is something inexpressibly repugnant
in a public character which is neither stimu-
lated by selfish interest nor satisfied by con-
ventional rewards. A man who will not work in
the groove of ordinary professional and political
ambition, who has other aims than titles or riches,
and other motives than favour and patronage, is
(whatever lip-homage hypocrisy may pay) re-
garded by these rulers and reviewers as an im-
polite, an indiscreet disturber of the good order
and digestion of society. To flatter the simple
interests of the mob, they may condescend to
notice, and even try to tame the popular hero ;
but among themselves they peck him to pieces
as a " revolutionist." That is the terrible
substantive ! And if you add to it "democratic,"
you fill up the measure of disgust of all cul-
tivated, sensible, and superior noodledom.

Now for the profession of "revolutionist,"
as it has sometimes been understood and prac-
tised among our neighbours—for revolution as
an end instead of a means, a system of national
regeneration, instead of a people's act of
despair, we own as little sympathy, as a French
or Austrian statesman can feel for freedom. But if to
desire to rescue the people of Rome from a blighting
tyranny and an insulting foreign conquest, to
complete the independence of the Italian race and
country, to enable an emancipated Europe to draw
• long deep breath of peace and happiness—if this
be the policy of a revolutionist, why then'we re-
joice to believe and to know that the manhood and
the heart of the English people are at least as
" revolutionist " as GARIBALDI himself. GARI-
BALDI, as we have said, and we repeat it, comes to
England in no political capacity and for no political
purpose. lie comes to snatch an instant's quiet
and repose in an English home, and to clasp the
hands of English friends. But he comes, too, as
the leader of the forlorn hope of European liberty,
to salute, it may be for the last time, the first-
born of freedom—the great free people of England
—face to face. There are seasons when tho
walking gentlemen and light comedians of an
embassy are inadequate representatives of a
nation, if not of a government ; it is cer-
tainly not due to any genius or patriotism
of diplomatists accredited from Turin that
England has the cause of Italy at heart.
There are but two names which to the English
people at large represent the present and the
future of Italy, CAvora and GARIBALDI. Nor
would it appear altogether to the credit or ad-
vantage of the Government at Turin that no
official representative of VICTOR. EMMANUEL
went out to welcome a subject to whom
even a King might be grateful, if we did not re-
member that GARIBALDI is one of those who de-
serve but do not command royal gratitude, who give
but do not take royal favours, and who serve their
country and their cause best because they stand
alone.

PARLIAMENT re-assembles to-day after the recess,
to enter upon what generally proves the most im-
portant period of the Session. It is understood
that measures have been taken which will make its
debates very animated for the next few weeks,
if it should last so long. The Tory Opposition, it
is said, is mustering its utmost strength for a owl-

blued and well-organized attack on the Govern-
ment. if we are to credit prevalantreporta, the
French EMBEROS% name is once more to be em-
ployed for party purposes in the British Parliament.
Our Government has presumed to shape for itself
a foreign policy different from that of France. It
has declined various proposals of the EMPEROR. It
would not recognise the Slave Confederacy when
he was ready to so. More recently it has de-
clined to take part In a Congress for reconstruct-
ing the map of Europe upon principles which the
exalted Author of its proposal was not prepared
to communicate. Last and worst of all, it failed only
the other day to anticipate and gratify the EM-
PEROR'S wishes in a very delicate matter. It would
not swallow whole and entire the story of the GRECO
plot. There was only one way of entertaining this
difficult affair with any chance of giving satisfaction
at the Tuileries. To be willing to be convinced
by evidence of the Gazco-Tasercco conspiracy was
little better than to be • sceptic. Only the
spirit of implicit faith is wanted, and he
who hesitates is lost. The Tory Opposition how-
ever is only too happy to believe all that
the French police can suggest, and all that its
august Master can desire ; so the coming de-
bates are to be variegated with " particulars"
collected during weeks of painful labour from the
postmen and potboys in the back streets about
Thurloe-square.
if this is the Tory game, it does not matter how
soon it is played. If the orators of the Opposition
have anymore speeches in store from the mint which
turned out those of the week before Easter, Mi-
nisters must heartily desire that they may be
spoken. Let the country see the Dundrearies once
MOTE lecture Lord PALMERSTON and Mr. GLAD-
STONE on the honour of England, and worry "the
Brewer" who, in a brief official career, has done more
honest and efficient work for his country than the
whole pack of lisping baronets whom Mr. DISRAELI
holds in leash, will do In their lives Lastly—
and though we are sorry to see good acting ex-
changed for bad nature—let us, if it be necessary,
see Mr. Digs-situ for the second time in earnest,
revealing in the paroxysms of party greed, the
ferocity and bitterness of a character which men
bad been willing to think of as generous by nature
and as having learned magnanimity in the school
of the world. By all means let us be enabled to
contemplate on as many sides as possible the men
who are eager to represent the statesmanship, admi-
nister the policy, and guard the interests of this
great Empire.