The Express.
London, England, 1863-09-21 00:00:00

RAY 31AliCIT.

Tins EvExrcri. FOrifillDWilicre. Mr. C,omptoit
CHARLES THE TWELFTH. Maim A. Mew and Buckidone;
Mates Ansel and L Rasta.—THE BINOAL TIOLI.. Mn. A.
Whoin.—Conducting with THE GALICIAN FITZ.

PRINCI/Wa.

Tins VINING, THE LADY Of LYONS. Claude Malootte,
Mr. Walter Montgomery; Beaumant. Mr. L P. I.4pr; Durum.
Mr. Fitrjames Pauline. Wm Este BavUle. •Amd MIT A BAD
JCDOL—Conteence at T.

1111TANNIA.

TEM Evonmo, LADY AUDLLYS sicker. TIC ORM"
GHOST EFFECT. Meedsmee Creaked and YarDokt—Mr.
Porker. Mme. Pleas, end Mr. W. Zamiall.—And 011ILN
LANES AND BLUE wArw.

WWI WATER AT WIDOW 1111IDO1
Two DAT —Woolen. A To.....Alhomem Th. 44.
TolONOW.4lnolos, Oh. U..

LONDON, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21.

Ev in the depths of this holiday season we
should be ashamed to inflict upon our readers a
detailed examination of the Notes of the Three
Powers. Statesmen and diplomatists, who from
the charmed circle of superb ind:fferenoe survey
with curious contempt the simple motives and
judgments of mankind, are paid, it should seem,
to perform these polite antics and ingenious con-
tortions of human speech for the amusement of
a select society. Plain people can only look
on and wonder how long such serious trilling
will be accepted by the common sense of erticu.
late-speaking mortals as the concentrated essence
of a nation's reason and morality. Surely the art
of using words to conceal thoughts, or rather to
conceal the want of thoughts, and the want of any
distinct intelligible purpose, can go no further.
Evidently the faith of these wise men of the
West in the imbecility of the great herd of
human cattle, otherwise described es the " nu-
" morons floating mass outside," is unlimited. The
mere existence of a profession of austerely frivolous
dissemblers commissioned to represent before Goo
and man the rights and interests of intelligent
communities is an ample justification of their faith.
Let us turn from these pitiful charades of drawing-
room actors, lisping through majestic sneaks, and
strutting in heroic buskins, to weigh the grand
compelling forces of public opinion which ulti-
mately determine the policy of States. The fate
of all dramas—even political dramas—is decided
by pit and gallery, not by the boxes or the stalls.
Diplomatic foppery affects to guide the great
currents of human destinies which it cannot stem.

Diplomacy, then, after • six months' campaign
in behalf of Poland, has retired into winter
quarters with a simultaneous explosion of three
Notes. These imposing docnments are consum-
mately artful in construction, and, like some of the
recent inventions of distinguished artillerista, they
are a great deal too artful for active service. We
may admire their elaborate artifices of composition,
the mode of muffled war-drams and buttoned
foils ; but as a question of art, for dexterity,
grace, and firmness, command us to the iron hand in
the velvet glove of your Russian Vice-CHAN-
cet.t.oe. Call it, if you will, • semi-savage
combination of dominant cunning and latent
fierceness ; the product of • political civilization
at once raw and rotten ; it is impossible to refuse to
deny to Prince GORTCRALOPFNI replies to the *roe
Powers the merit of an insolent superiority that
knows what it means and means what it says, and
therefore says little, while it knows that its an-
tagonists mean as little when they say as roach
as possible, and that in any case they cannot
all three mean the same thing, even when they nee
the same words. The Russian Government is
quite as anxious to see tranquillity restored to
Poland, quite as conciliatory in its intentions to-
wards all foreign Powers, quite as conscious of the
obligations to its subjects, and of• its responsi-
bility in ell international relations to public right,
as its three advisers. But it claims from
other Powers the same respect, and it warns the
French Gavernmentparticularly, tbatitcanuot even
accept discussion on any terms with regard to
those ancient Provinces, which were not included
in °ingress Poland. This is at Least an explicit
declaration, more explicit perhaps than the otiose
aasurnece on the part of the three Powers that
Russia is responsible for the serious coneequenoes
. _

which the prolonged disorders in Poland may ems-
-111011 ; mare explicit even than that &eaten°. of the
French dogwatch which almost produced a nervous
crisis at the Bourse :—" In claiming the absolute
" independence of its resolutions, and the full
" enemies of its sovereignty, the Cabinet of
" At. Petersburg restores to us our entire liberty
" of judgment and of action, and we cannot do
" leas than exercise it."

Reipwdad in the purely diplomatic point of
view which takes in only Cabinets and Chan.