The Express.
London, England, 1864-08-22 00:00:00

was ■maakld
tried '"

. that is leglaniall the lawyers who
juchAe accused "Mad have held the highest
positions whilst in France judges lacked
both the talent and the dignity required to make
themselves respected.
' Nothing has served to give such interest to the
Courrier du Dinianche as the pains and penalties
to which from time to time it has been subjected.
It is a wonder that this journal still survives, and
the gentlemen who contribute to its columns must
feel that they write on the verge of ruin. Never-
theless it is the only one of the papers in which the
acts of the government and the condition of the
country are freely criticised. Its articles, which
are as stinging as if no censorship of the prase ex-
isted, are anxiously awaited once a week, and greedy
contemporaries with lees nerve and talent eagerly
seize on and insert them. In to-day's impression
our old friend M. Aesolant ventures to treat the
imperial government with a flippancy which must
assuredly alarm the responsible editors for the
safety of their property. M. Assolant begins by
assuring his readers that the present is a great
reign ; that the tricolour has been planted at the
four corners of the world, that French victories
may be counted by dozens, that the half
of Sebastopol has been taken, and the
whole of Kinburn and Puebla, that infidel
Turks have been delivered from the hands
of schismatic Russians, and an empire founded in
Mexico which it is hoped will be as durable as
that established in France. Then the Pope is
maintained at Rome in spite of himself,
in spite of the Cardinals, and in spite
of Italy ; a cathedral is built at Pekin for
the little Chinamen, who are some day or another
to be baptised—in fact France has put her foot
everywhere, considering it a glory to meddle with
the affairs of her neighbours. It is true that all
this has cost some blood and treasure. More than
200,000 Frenchmen are dead on the field of battle
or in the hospitals, and many millions have been
expended, but happily France is too rich to pay
any attention to such paltry affairs. M. Assolant
declares that he thinks with nine million electors
that the French government has only to lift up its
finger to be obeyed ; that nothing is done in
Europe without consulting it, and that M. de
Bismark and M. de Rechberg receive all their
instructions from the Tuileries. The writer then
goes on in a sketch, which would take up too
much of your space, to contrast the present govern-
ment, and its influence abroad and at home, with
the governments which have preceded it. His
opinion is that the real hey-day of French glory
was when France was under parliamentary govern-
ment :

To-day we receive the visit of the ambassadors of the
Tycoon and of the King of Siam ; all that is wealthy in
Europe repairs to Paris to taste the cookery of the Grand
Hotel and admire the pelKilloll with which the Boulevard
Malesherbee is constructed. Frankly, I am not proud of
the reputation which we have pined during these last 15
years. Our army has won great victories, it is *roc; but
what bare we gained but Nioe and Chambery ? Surely it is
sot the sympathy of our neighbours—for, thanks to the
mystery which envelopes our prelate, each of these un-
happy beings is afraid of being swallowed up before he eau
look round. The Belgian fortifies Antwerp ; the Italian
fears for Sardinia and regrets Nice; Baden and Ba-
varia tremble on the Rhine ; and though Prussia
Minidisks, its sabre and shouts for battle, she
would like to be re-assured that all was peace. The
Eegliahman, mimosa and padieekei in his Weed, walks
aloag the shore with a musket in his head, and declares
that he is on his pardand net to be alarmed. Of what nee
is the role we are paying' Lust year did we snatch
Poland from Russia! lam aware that it was an enterprise
too difficult for us to undertake alone, but why could we
find no ally' This vest what have we dons for Denmark,
serasinated la the midst of pees! fibs wee a ewer
neighbour than Poland, more easy to help both by land and
see, and the prey of an enemy lass formidable. Erse Eng-
land, is spite of her egotism, would perhaps have joined us,
and the threat of our intervention would have been sufii-
ant Bat no! nothing was said, nothing doge, and we
allowed a free and friendly people to be usahed. Why
are we distrusted in Europe' It is because we are only
awe of what is Wag done when all is terminated. Ah
we are far fleas those happy days of 1792 when all the
Rhine towns desired to be sneezed and to share the liberty
of Frown ! But if we have lost the enthusiasm of those
days, at least we do not cease to demand freedom. Being
free, Freon will be always powerful, happy, sad glorious
enough to satisfy the desires of her Miran
M. Assolant has evidently neglected to read cer-
tain despatches written by Lord Russell to the
French Foreign-office, but no doubt he will receive '1
a communique from the Home-office here which
will set right all slips of the pen, if no more severe
notice be taken of his lucubrations.
After the manner in which we have been lately
apprised that France recently sought to renew her
alliance with us, it is rather bard to find the
Memorial Diplomatique warning France not to
listen to any proposals coming from England. The
Memorial accuses England of having added fuel,
either diplomatically or more directly, in every
European war. The present government is made
responsible for the conduct of ministers during the
thirty years' war, the seven years' war, the war of
succession, and those of the republic, the empire,
Spain, Greece, the Crimea, India, China, Italy,
and Denmark. Everywhere the hands of England
are either stained with blood or filled with gold,
and everywhere her gloomy diplomacy is intriguing
in the name of liberty, civilisation, religion, and
political and national independence. From these
grave accusations one turns with a feeling of relax
to the next paragraph, which, after the character
given by M. Assolant to his government, may be
accepted as truth. his not (so writes Le Chevalier
D. A. E. Wollheim de Fonseca) that English states-
men and Englishmen themselves are men apart,
and more wicked than other people. On the con-
trary, no persons are more estimable than the
English as far as frankness, firmness of character,
good faith, and sincerity in their social intercourse.
It is impossible to speak too highly of our interior
policy, our commercial activity and industry, but
as to our foreign relations, we have always had, and
still have, the fatal propensity of encouraging war
that our commerce may prosper. The present in-
dictment launched against us is that we desire hoe-
Widen with Germany in concert with France, in
order that the latter country may be driven to ob-
tain all she requires in British markets.
In another part of the Memorial England and
France are represented as about to send to America
officers to follow the military operations going on
there. Advises have been given both to Washing-
ton and Richmond of this intention on the part of
the two European governments. The principal
object of this military commission will be to report
on the prospects of the campaigns to attain the end
for which they are undertaken—if it be probable
that Grant should capture Richmond, or if Lee
and his generals are still in a state to resist all
Northern attack. Upon these reports it will de-
pend whether offers of mediation shall be made by
the eastern to the western hemisphere.

The Vigie de 07iereasouriuri se wee an amount of a
terabits ant which at exhibition el &a-
wed" at that town on 16th lest. A greed Pan
d'arkllce onexpeetedly teak in, sad dyl. saisapst tie
crowd, struck fear plisse% A woos had part el bar
load carried away, and was kidiad as ti. net Ths
steward of a transport was also grievously wounial as the
hued, awl was conveyed to the Marine Hospital, whew he
lios in a despond* condition. A sailor sad • alisid wars
slightly Wined.