The Express.
London, England, 1863-11-12 00:00:00

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LONDON, THURSDAY, NOVRMBER 12.

Owe of the Emperor Naroutow's lettere of invi-
tation to a Congress, that addressed to the Ger-
manic Confederation, has been published at
Frankfort-on-the-Maine, whereupon the French
Government has authenticated the document by
inserting it in the Monikur. The letter adds little
to our knowledge of the intentions and objects of
the Imperial author in proposing the assembling of
a Congress. Indeed, the Speech of this day week
left little to be said. Theme who admired that
address, end saw in it new and precious guarantees
for the peace and progress of the world, will
admire this letter ; and those who were alarmed
a week ego by the announcement of great plans
involving the disturbance of a variety of interests,
will not now be reassured.

The Kurraou's letter to the German States
°peas with the assumption put forward in his speech
as the ground of his proposal. He speaks of events
as arising every day to threaten the peace of
EOM& The outbreak of war, he intimates—war

of the most destructive character hitherto known—
is a danger of the times which has been the object
of his grave meditations. The Congress he pro-
poem is recommended as a means of " the pacifies-

"lion of Europe." We are not told what the
sources of this danger are, and many will be
disposed to question the accuracy of his Iduenry's
representation of the state of Europe. Since Thurs-
day last, it is tree, we have heard a great deal of
the probability of war, but we venture to my
that until the EYPZELOR made his speech, in which
war was placed as the alternative of the rejection
of his proposition, we venture to say that nobody
apprehended it as a probable contingency.
The Rersaoa proceeds to state that it has been
customary at periods succeeding great convulsions
which have shaken the foundations and changed
the frontiers of States, to hold Congresses for the
purpose of revising and ratifying the new
order of things. The last of these great meet-
ings of States was the Congress of Vienna,
but the state of things established there is
crumbling away on all sides. In every direction
the Treaties of Vienna are destroyed or modified,
ignored or menaced. " Thence," says the Ehumain,
" arise duties without rule, rights without title-
" deeds, and pretensions without limits." And
in this manner the pesos of Europe is endmisseed.
Is it not better to anticipate this danger by deli-
beration in a Congress than to wait until "sudden
" and irresistible events confuse oar judgement mid
" harry us away in contrary directions 1" The
ratification of accomplished facts, however, is net
all that the EMPIROIL expects of a Congress. He
makes it plain that in proposing one he seeks to
attain ends such as have hitherto only been achieved
by war. This is the difference between his Gan-
gues and those of Westphalia and Vienna to
which he appeals as precedents. He seta out from
the postulate that there is no legal basis of right
in Europe, and that the public law is to be remade
in accordance with " the rights of sovereigns and
" the legitimate aspirations of peoples." Bet
these are the very things which have in all are
been most vehemently disputed, and which battles
have been fought to decide ; and if a European
Congress is to meet and discuss these exciting
topics, it ought to be with something more then a
bare possibility that • peaceful solution may be
attained. The EMPEROR intimates that his own
romantic personal history is in some sense a
guarantee of his respect for the rights of sovereigns
and the legitimate aspirations of the people, sad
that be has been taught moderation and justice by
adversity. The world—including the people of
Rome and Mexico—must judge of the justice of
this claim. The EMPEROR further states that as
he is the Sovereign to whom, more than toany other,
ambitious projects are attributed, he makes this
proposal as a pledge of the thoroughly pacific cha-
racter of his policy and aims.

We have no disposition to criticise words and
dissect phrases. The proposal now before the
Courts of Europe is a serious one, and must be
judged by its relation to facts. Foremost among
them stands the character of its author. And
surely it is a most significant fact that the author
of this proposition is the potentate who broke up
the long pesos of Europe, and deliberately pro-
voked the sanguinary Russian and Italian wars. It
is further significant that in making this overture
he, the seer who fulfils his own prophecies, sets out
affirming the existence of adanger of which be only
has the secret, and ends with a threat. It is not
without reason that the Ewritioa spoke of giving
pledges of his pacific desires, but then such pledgee
are never required of really peaceful Sovereigns.
If, however, the proposition were one which, con-
sidered in all its bearings, tended to peace, it would