The Express.
London, England, 1855-04-30 00:00:00

THE ATTEMPT UPON THE EMPEROR'S
LIFE.

THAT the Emperor of the Fain= has been shot
at, is beyond a doubt—all else is mere vague oonjeo-
tun. The event appears to lend confirmation to
rumours that have been in circulation, for a day or
two, of an extensive conspiracy organised against
hint. Similar rumours of an attempt to be made
upon his life in the event of his coming to this country,
were industriously circulated previously to his recent
visit. These latter we treated with supreme contempt
—as the event has shown—for two sufficient reasons.
In the first place, while we knew the real republican
, leaders to be incapable of such an act, we also knew
that there were desperadoes who disgrace that section
of public opinion by their professed adhesion, who
were quite capable of such a crime ; but we relied
upon their instinct of self-preservation and their
knowledge that any such attempt here would deprive
them of the only asylum they have in Europe. In
the second place these rumours reached us exclusively
from the conservative clubs and coteries; they were
evidently the result of a desire to intimidate the
EMPEROR from visiting England, and to save our
ultra-aristocrats from the mortification of seeing him
received as the honoured guest of our Sovereign. The
rumours respecting an extensively ramified plot
against the EMPEROR in France appeared to us to
have a somewhat analogous origin. True or false they
were circulated for the purpose of deterring him
from proceeding to the Crime*. We content that
our doubts of the truth of these reports are not
altogether dispelled by the recent attemptat assassina-
tion. That might be the doing of one or two isolated
desperadoes. At the same time, it must be confessed
that the indefinite postponement of the EMPEROR'S
departure for the Crimea lends colour to the belief in
an extended conspiracy. One thing is certain, that,
whether the attempt to assassinate NAPOLEON 111.
be the enterprise of a numerous combination, or of
a few reckless individuals, it will be universally re-
probated by all true Englishmen. Englishmen do
not quarrel with men for pertinaciously adhering to
their opinions, and have rather a respect foe fair
fighting; bat they dnpise and detest assassins.
We understand, however, that notwithst tnding
the postponement perhaps, we might say, the
abandonment of the EMPEROR'S intention to pro-
ceed in person to the Crimea—an entire change of the
plan of campaign is to be adopted there. The bom-
bardment and contemplated assault upon Sebastopol
are abandoned. According to the version of the
London official circles the force on the south side of
that stronghold is to be concentrated on the Tchernaya,
with a view to watch the Russian army in the field,
and seize the first opportunity of striking a
blow at them. At the same time an effort
is to be made to interrupt the Russian
communications in the north of the Crimea. Accord-
ing to the Parisians there is to be a campaign in
Bessarabia. The former report appears to us the more
probable. What further combinations are contemplated
is yet unknown, but surely the Sea of Azoff will not
be left unwatched and unguarded. This change of
strategy does not take us by surprise. We have
repeatedly maintained that the Russians must first
be beaten in :the field before Sebastopol can be in-
vested, and that the place cannot be taken until it is
completely invested.—Daily News.