The Express.
London, England, 1862-07-16 00:00:00

EXPELM3B FROM PARIS

(non on own oonwozoion.)
PARJB, Tolman Bram.
There can be no doubt that the low-expected

packet from Mexico, the Vera Cruz, has; at length
arrived. The Pays says that the Gannon of St.
Nazaire announced her arrival in the offing last
night, but that, owing to a thick fog, she only got
into port at seven this morning. The Pays Nays
that her despatches must have reached Paris at two
this afternoon, and that it can know nothing of
their contents till to-morrow. The Patric, how-
ever, seems to have seen through the fog, for it
takes upon itself to say that when the packet left
Mexico, on June 15, "the general state of affairs
was favourable," and that " thus fall to the
ground all the false rumours propagated by ilia
American press." :
A provincial journal, the Orleanais, baa received
a warning for an article in a late number on the re-
cognition of the kingdom of Italy by Russia,
which article, "in assailing in the most violent
manner the sovereigi of a state friendly to France,
excites indirectly to hatred and contempt of the
government of the Emperor of the French, which
has also recognised the kingdom of Italy." Ido
not remember so strong an instance as this of a
conviction for constructive sedition. This is a re-
rival with a vengeance of those proses de tefidatiee,
which, it might have been thought, bad been for
ever abandoned. According to the doctrine sanc-
tioned by this warning, no censure of any his-
torical fact, past or present, is lawful, if, in the
opinion of existing authorities, the Emperor has
done likewise.

M. Cremieux has made a very eloquent—and,
what is more to the purpose, convincing—defence
in favour of his client, IL Miot. He showed that
there was no evidence whatever against him except
from the tarnished source of police spies. As an
argument for judicious leniency in political cases,
M. Cremienx stated that he pleaded a ease as long
ago as 1818 on behalf of a man who was indicted
under the Restoration, for having cried " Viva
Napoleon le Grand " at a fete at the Pont du Gsrd.
His client was convicted in the first instance, but
acquitted on appeal.
M. Renault, the counsel for Vassal, made a happy
allusion to the Duke de Morny's assertion theother
day at Clermont, that during the reigns of Louis
XVIII. and Louis Philippe the inhabitants of
Auvergne met in the caverns of Vercingetorix to
celebrate the worship of the modern Clear, Napo-
leon. Would the present government, he said,
accuse those Auvergnate of being members of a
secret society 7 " No, they met in community of
worship, not as conspirators."
A few days ago a paragraph went the round of
' the papers, stating that M. Fontanillat, the re-
ceiver-general of the department of the Gironde,
had been permitted to retire from active service.
There was little in this announcement to attract

public attention, although in a limited circle there
must have been naturally much curiosity to know
who would succeed to one of the most luca4tive
places in the gift of the mown. The name of M.
Fontanillat (a considerable one, as I now learn, at
Bordeaux) would have left no trace at all in the
Parisian mind were it not that immediately after
the appearance of the paragraph in question he
wrote a letter to the journals, saying emphatically
that he was not " permitted to retire," but " dis-
missed," and that he wished this fact to be known.
Here was something to pique the curiosity of news-
paper readers, but that curiosity has not been gra-
tified, and is not likely to be by the Paris press.
The story belongs to that order of truths which can-
not be safely printed in France. It is simply this :
A young lady, the grandniece of the hate Duke Pas-
qnier, was hit upon by the court of the Tuileries as an
eligible match for one of the Empress's chamber-
lains. It seems to have been taken for granted
that there would be no difficulty in reviving on this
occasion the traditions of the first Empire, which
supply many precedents for ordering young ladies
to espouse court favourites, will-he Hill-he. Unfor-
tunately for the match-makers of the imperial
court of the present day, it turned out that the
patient to be operated upon had—what French
notions of propriety in matrimonial contracts
scarcely deem possible—a prior attachment. Her
affections were (and are) engaged to a young deputy
of the Corps Legislatif, who inherits one of the
most illustrious names in France. She re-

sisted not only the proposals made to bee by
accredited agents of the court, but the personal
solicitation of the Empress herself. Hoping to
take refuge from oppressive importunity, she sought
an asylum in the famous Convent des °immix, in
the Rue de Sevres. But the idea which prompted
her to go there was quasi aguem romasittens lupe.
The influence of the Empress enlisted in favour of
her chamberlain's pretensions not only the lady
superior of the convent, but a cardinal archbishop ;
and they made use against the orphan girl of
all the artillery which religious authority can
bring to bear upon those who venerate its juris-
diction. In this extremity she wrote to M.
Fontanilbit, the receiver-general of the Gironde,
who is her uncle, and claimed his protection. M.
Fontanillat came at once to Paris, and called
upon the Finance Minister, under whom he holds
(or rather held) his office. M. Fould was not at
home, but M. Fontanillat found that the first
secretary was already perfectly aware of the
merits of the caw, and learned from him that his
(M. Fontanillat'a) place depended upon his giving
his support to the marriage which had been
projected at court. Thereupon M. Fontanillat
expressed an opinion upon the whole transac-
tion and the parties to it in terms which
will not bear reporting. In taking leave of the
secretary, he said that he should wait at his hotel

for his dismissal. He was taken at his word—his

dinning followed him in the abort space of one
hour and a half after be left the Finance Minister's
door. K Fentanillat has now gone to Bordeaux
with his rescued niece, and, happily, his large for-
tune enables him to give her a good portion to
enjoy with the husband of her choice.
The Bourse has been quiet without any marked
feature, and scarcely any change in quotations.

Awarding to the last advises three ships bed ar-
rived at SSA Praocisoo from Hoag Ken. with 1,000 Cai.a.
sees as board.
"Mstssiss"—The only oorn flour that received a
Will medal , ate jury am yrustouneed as szcesdinity
inutylltut tood"—lrttllrr particulars on packet., Mahal* at
Roan% thimble, dm—fadrenoommaj

FU N, EVERY WEEK, ONE PENNY.

gite earpt•tofs.

TO 00ERESPONDENT9.

uhielleemente leteaded for-711?;X;Preas " Londoo lumbar
rmi mtut be at the office, 10, houvetteatreet, by Two
on the day of public:slim.

_RApI4IKIT..

TES Vim& TB= WOLF AND THE LAMB.-017E
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rumors.
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ST,JAKIWS.

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TM Value, MAZIPPT.-alt; which ICRNIS IN THE
CIRCLE Mdllc. IleeottL7To conclude with THE LLARRIND

MOH NAT= ♦T LONDON MUNOZ.
Tete DAY —Nandi.. Ni. WA .... Algoma% a. Ha.
To-Noasow—Monthis. Sh. LOA-- Artaraor, Du DAA.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JULY 16.

Tux fuller accounts which have just arrived
from America confirm the original impres.
lion that General MlCl.m.r.aiv has suffered a
serious defeat. The causes of thrt disaster are
sufficiently apparent. But although its causes and
its effects are not likely to be underrated among
the Southern sympathisers in this country, there
is an evident disposition to consider this single
defeat as fatal to the Federal cause. The shallow
reasonings which possessed men's minds after the
'Bull Run panic seem destined to possess them
once more ; and although sensation writers may
hesitate to proclaim that the Northerners " have
"lost their military honour," still it is to be ex-
pected that they will proclaim the cause of the
North now at least irretrievably lost. Those who
insist that the Northerners have no heart in the
struggle will no doubt be surprised to hear
" there is not a shadow of feeling on the part
" of the press or the people in favour of relin-
" quishing the struggle," but that, on the con-
trary, a new levy of 300,000 men has been sanc-
tioned by President LINCOLN ; whilst those who
understand the real question at issue and the ab-
solute necessity of permanently settling that ques-
tion, will readily perceive that a single defeat,
though it be the defeat of the chief army of the
North, ought not to induce them to patch up a
peace which could last but a few mouths. To any
impartial observer it must be abundantly clear
that peace is, at the present moment, utterly
impossible. The test as to whether this be true
or not is sufficiently obvious. Assume for a
moment tbil existence of a truce, and let any
man accept in imagination the office of
arbitrator. Let him draw up the terms of peace.
There is to be secession. There are to be two

separate Confederacies. The bowidolas betwee4
these must be settled, but how en they to be
settled f Which are the bonier States, and hot,
is the will of these States to be ascertained t Is
it to be by popular vote, or is the present condi-
tion of things to determine the boundary t Is
the Miesiesippi to belong to the Confederates or to
the Federals t Is New Orleans to be evacuated or
retained t Is Maryland, in the very heart of
Northern territory, filled as it is with a horde of
aristocratic secessionists, to be joined with the
North or with the South t Arbitration or peace
is possible before war has commenced, or when one
of the parties has been sufficiently beaten. But
the struggle in America has kindled the utmost
rancour between the North and tie South, whilst,
at the present moment, the North, which unques-
tionably possesses the most power and the =jet
ample resources, has suffered a defeat. If there
ever was a time at which peace was impossible
it is the present.
Nor does the defeat of M'CLaurres army faci-
litate matters. It now seems clear that a series
of battles took place between Thursday, the 26th,
or Friday, the 27th of June, and Tuesday, the
lit of July. On the 27th the Confederate army,
which is said to have greatly out-numbered that
of M'Cxxuart, fell upon his right wing, and took
25 pieces of artillery. The truth is that }MALIAN
was operating upon too extended a line. His
right extended to the Pamunkey River, his
left seems to have extended towards the James
River ; to this we should add that
the River Chickahominy runs right through

his army. The right wing does not ap-
pear to have been able to fall back to-
wards the left, because behind the right was an
enormous masa of supplies in the Pamunkey River,
which had to be protected. On the other hand,
the left could not go to aid the right, because that
would have compelled them to abandon their posi-
tion between the Chichahominy and the James
River, where the gunboats were, and where also
there were large supplies. The result was that
the Confederates were enabled to pour their enor-
mous manses upon a separate corps of the Federal
army, which could neither retreat nor be assisted
by the arrival of fresh troops. As soon, however,
as the stores in rear of the right flank had been
cleared away from the Pamunkey River, the
remainder of the right wing was with-
drawn to the rear of the left flank.
Now the whole Federal army seems to be
posted: on the south-east side of Richmond, its
left flank protected by the James River, its right
flank by the Chickabominy, its rear being towards
the James River. It is true that the Federals
are in possession of the James River, and that any
number of reinforcements and of stores can be
brought by sea, but it must be, admitted that a
general does not select from choice a position
in which his only line of retreat is on board his
transports. At the same time it must be observed
that the Federal& are now engaged in throwing up
entrenchments, and that they rely for protec-
tion to a considerable degree on their gun-
boats. The probability, therefore, is that they
will only occupy this position until they receive

reinforcements and are able to reassume the
offensive. Though the raw levies from Washington
may be scarcely equal to the severe task of as-
saulting the entrenchments around Richmond, still
they may be well able to occupy ground already
won. The men under BURNBLDF, /harm, Bur-
LIB" and Ilnixzcx, or a certain proportion of
them, may be sent to reinforce the army of
M'Cxxxx&w. On the other hand, it is probable that
the Confederates collected every man upon whom
they could lay hands before delivering the great battle
between the 27th of June and the beginning of
July. Successful as they have been, that success
must have been purchased at great sacrifices. The
important question now in, which of the two par-
ties can recruit their exhausted strength moat
rapidly. It is idle to make a comparison between
the resources of the North and those of the South.
The Northern army, no doubt, has been driven a
few miles back from Richmond, but if its leaders
are still determined, this forced retreat can but
delay the final catastrophe. The presence of
50,000 new troops of the North is all that is re-
quired in order to renew the struggle. It would
be absurd to suppose that such a number can-
not be supplied within the space of a few weeks.
Those who look for any other result grievously
mistake the character of the American people.

TOT IN'

(Oh.

. .
Orsonat iscanwal.) • •
PARIS, JOLT N._

The Moniteur of this morning publishes
intelli-
gence from Vera Cruz to the 15th, and from Ori-
zaba to the 11th ult. The French troops still
occupied the same position, and the state of their
health was very good. _ _

General Douai arrived at Orizaba on the 10th
with 45 waggons, proceeding on the 11th to take
the command at Cordova. Upon the Bth a second
convoy, with provisions for 25 days, left Vera
Cruz. Twenty of the waggons were captured by
the Mexicans.

On the 15th General Marquez, with 1,500 men,
arrived at Vera Cruz, from Orizaba, and was
preparing to depart to join General Loreneez.

The health of the fleet was excellent.
The Guerriere and Iphigenie, with 300 sailors,
were expected hourly.
The Moniteur also contains the following intel-
ligence from Cochin-China :
The government of Hue has accepted the ulti-
matum of General Boner!.

Two plenipotentiaries, with a suite of 133 persona,
have arrived at the French camp to learn the con-
ditions of peace.
There is every reason to believe that a treaty of
peace will be signed on the Slat May.