The Express.
London, England, 1863-02-18 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(mom ota oini cotasspoNDErr.)

PARE, ToxsD►Y EVIIITIa.

In my letter of Sunday last I drew attention to
the ambiguous and possibly alarming character of
the Emperor's last speech to the Corps Legislatif.
Without wishing to put "too See a point upon
it," I insisted particularly, in opposition to the
Pattie, that the interpretation of it was not ob-
vious even to the "sagacity" of the readers of that
journaL I noticed yesterday that the speech had
not, as far as the Bourse was concerned, made the
sensation in Paris which I should have anticipated.
To-day, however, I find that I was not alone in
thinking the speech suggestive of some forthcoming
events of no ordinary character.
The following extract from Bullie►'s Correspon-
dence, which is sent from Paristo all the provincial
journals, will show you a French idea of the speech,
which is by this time widely ventilated in France :
In my opinion the Emperor's answer to the addles of
the Corps Legielatif contains the germ of some grand
move in foreign policy, and gives the key to the sort of
contradiction, which is observable between M. Earache's
speech and the speeches of the Emperor at the opening of
session and at the meeting of Exhibition prizeholders at the
Louvre. The words pronounced by the Emperor on Satur-
day last have not been uniformly interpreted. There is
no doubt a certain obscurity in them which wu very
likely studied, because in politics, and above all, in foreign
politics, mystery and slow approaches are often considered
necessary. But !hie much may be said with certainty, that
the speech of the other day breathes • totally different
spirit to that of January 12. No allusion to the
press or liberty is now made. Frenchmen are
an longer urged to be self-reliant. Not a word
is said about English liberty and English insti.
tattoos. But, instead, the Corps Legislatif is called upon to
rally round the government in language which infers the
necessity of throwing a veil over the statue of liberty, as
was the custom on momentous occasions with certain re-
publics of old time. It would be penile to seek the expla- '
nation of inch unlooked.for language in any home events.
I know of none which could possible furuiah the Emperor
with an occasion or a pretext to complain of the " exagge- !
ration of extreme parties."

The Correspondence then goes on to inquire,
without coming to any conclusion, whether, not-
withstanding M. Billault's discouraging answer to
a question put by M. Guyard Delalain on behalf of
the Poles, the Emperor may nut be cogitating some
grand intervention.
The Independance Beige says :

The imperial speech is not susceptible of any precise inter-
pretatioo—nothing can be more difficult than to speak of it
with any degree of certainty.
The Opinion Nationale and the Miele see, or
affect to see, in the Emperor's words evidence of
an inclination to interfere on behalf of Poland, and
they loudly sound the tocsin of war with Russia.
M. Ravin writes in the Sid& :
We have faith in the policy which reduced Sebastopol,
and which triumphed at Magenta and at Solferino ; the
Emperor will remove from his councils "those interested
whammies " who never know how to act, and if the now
preponderant voice of France is not listened to in favour of
jogi,„ and of right, we shall, in concert with England, com-
plete the great and glorious task commenced with her and
interrupted in 1856. The question at present is not to
destroy the Russian fleet in the Baltic, but in conformity
with treaties, which are never invoked except ag►inst
France, to re-establish the kingdom of Poland, the *Armload
guard of civilisation. England is so much the more autho-
rised to unite with our diplomacy is thin circumstance,
that Russia lately, in virtue of those same treatise, made
some observations on the cession of the lonian Islands.
The disppearance of the kingdom of Poland and the annihi-
lation of a brave nation have a far different interest from
the cession of a few islands, which would only return to
their mother country.

Engbah sympathy for Poland, always easily ex-
cited, ought now to be very prudent. I for one
should regard a great war undertaken in partner-
ship with the Emperor of the French as one of the
greatest misfortunes that could happen to
England and the world. War of some
kind or other may be a necessity, during
the coming elections in France, of that peculiar
kind of " concord " on which the Emperor congra-
tulated M, do Murny last Saturday ; but we in