The Express.
London, England, 1852-11-19 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 19, 1852. •

,THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

STATES.

[from As Deity News.l

THE news from the United States is that FRANK-
LIN PIERCE is elected President. The event has
been considered certain for sonic time put; yet is
the question still heard on both sides the Atlantic,
" Who is FRANKLIN PIESCE ?" It is a continuation
of the juke which told so well at the time—of the
same question being asked about Mr. POLK, on
the same occasion. On the day of inaugura-
tion, when the noble Pennsylvania Avenue
at Washington,—the vast opening leading to the
capitol—was closely packed with spectators from end
to end, and the PRESIDENT'S carinige, with its train
of followers, was slowly making its way, some wag
in the crowd shouted, in an inquisitive voice, " Ulu
is JAMES roLK r Amidst roars of laughter, in
which the PRESIDENT joined, the question was re-
peated, till it echoed within the walls of Congress.
There is no harm in this. No disrespect was probably
meant; and if it was, certainly no reproach would
adhere. There is an English newspaper extant Still
—(as is perhaps the colonial one from which it made
extracts)--anEnglish newspaper,w herein may be seen
the inquiry, " Who is OF.ORUIt WASHINGTON ?"
And the paper goes on to inform its readers that this
HEORDY is an obscure militiaman, who can't help
meddling with matters that he does not urderstand,
and who will soon be mercifully remanded to obscurity
in Virginia, if he does not provoke his betters too tar.
Moreover, the reader is desired to judge of him by
the company he keeps, one of his intimates being a
dirty printer's man, named BEN FRANKLIN. Atter
this no Pots or Preece need wince under the ques-
tion as to who they are. It is not as a personal
matter that the inquiry need be regarded at all—
by them or by us. If it were, it would be enough
to say that Mr. PIERCE, or General PIERCE,
is a New Hampshire man; a lawyer by profession,
but yet a general, on account of his services in the
Mexican war. He was nominated by the Demo-
cratic party at their Baltimore Convention; and he
was put over the heads of CASS, BUCHANAN, MARCY,
and other well-known political men, on the under-
stood ground that they bad so committed themselves
in the South, on behalf of slavery, as to have no
chance in the North. Herein it was assumed that
General PIERCE was not pledged on the subject of
slavery. He was not so pledged as that domestic
parties and foreign journals could quote any ver-
bal self committal against him, ono way or an-
other ; but his virtual committal was as compli to
as any that could be brought in the other cases. His
title of general was won in a war which had for its
object the extension of slavery, and which planted
the institution anew on a soil from which the Mexi-
cans had uprooted it. And, as soon as his prospects
seemed to be sufficiently fair, Mr. PIERCE deelmed
himself, in a cautious but unmistakeable manner, by
his funeral oration over the body of HENRY CLAY.
Another light is cast upon this gentleman by the
resolution of the party who proposed him—to uphold
the Compromise Acts of 1830, expressly including
the Fugitive Slave Law.
But then, the American Whig party is equally
Wirdto the maintenance of the Fugitive Slave
DANIEL WEBSTER helped HENRY CLAY
to make it ; and l'resident FILLMORE eagerly
urged on the work, and signed the bill. All the
three missed their aim—the Presidential chair. We
have before spoken sufficiently of the reasons why
HENRY CLAY missed it. DANIEL WEBSTER had
not one sioglo vote from the slavehulders, after the
awful sacrifices he had made to win them—giving
up the inserters of liberty in the North, and breaking
through almost as many vows as if he had been
a French Emperor. He was too profoundly dis-
trusted by all parties to succeed with any. And
FILLMORE bad done too odious a thing, too
openly, to be safely nominated for the rule
over the whole nation. The Free-soil party
(a great fact in itself) is not strong enough
to carry the Presidential chair. That party,
and the "little Liberty party," are the re-
sults of the Abolition movement in the United
States. They are very far from being the best re-
sults; for the highest order of men among the
Abolitionists keep their action pure from
_party:
spirit, and free from party perturbations. But if
these two parties are not likely to carry the Abolition
of Slavery, they are significant signs of the times;
and they are eminently important, in an unconscious
way, as showing how the whole political action of
their country hinges upon the Slavery question.
The only Whig candidate who had any
chance—General ca
that chance, over
the Wearrees, and CLAYS, and Fittuoars,
by his being (while favourable to Slavery)
mysterious and uncommitted upon it. The demo-
Jratic candidate, PIERCE, succeeded over the CASSEs,
BUCHANANS, and MARCYS, because, while favourable
to Slavery, he was fetched out of obscurity, and then
held his tongue till it was politic to show his lean-
ings. The Free-soil party could not produce a suc-
cessful candidate, because the very principle of the
party is that, though Slavery is bound up with the
constitution, it needs not to be, ought not to be, and
shall not be extended to new territory, nor per-
mitted to make fresh inroads on the old. The Fugi-
tive Slave Bill is, of course, rejected by this
party, as unconstitutional, and in every way
intolerable. As for the Liberty party, it declares
that Slavery is unconstitutional altogether—illegal
from the outset—u irreconcileable with the original
constitution of the United States as with the English,
or any other.
• Soak are the parties of the United States. That
one smisemsence of their origin and operation which
enemas as here is a very curious one; that, while
this gasifies of Slavery remains unsettled, their gi eat
matey cannot be ruled by an illustrious man. Their
President must hold a certain opinion in order to
secure hie election ; but that opinion must
be a secret from the world—or be as-
sumed to be so—till he is secure in his
seat. An Abolitionist could have no chance
with the South. A virulent alaveholder could
not be openly welcomed by the North. But a
pro-slavery man he must be, only be must be tacitly
so, while a candidate. The nation cannot now, as
of old, go as one man, and beseech their greatest
man, their adored Wasstairrox, to rule them. They
cannot, as in a later time, array themselves under
differing principles, and call upon the leading advo-
cates of those principles to be their chiefs, and head
their forces in their electoral battle. They cannot
even choose any eminent man whatever. Their real
political aims and struggles being different from the
avowed, they must take men who have avowed
nothing within the national hearing.
It is best to explain the fact and the reason of this
remarkable case with the utmost possible openness.
It is best; because the foes of free government attri-
bute the misfortune to the wrong cause. The Ame-
ricans, after fighting the noblest battle that heroes
could fight for their independence, have established
the most sucoesdul republic that the world ever saw.
But the foes of republicanism point across the ocean
and say, " See what their public men are! See
bow the most honest recoil in disgust, and
shrink beck into private life! See how bitter is
the experience of their ablest men—that high ability,
if known, is • mire disqualification far the highest
aim. flee hew aloes high aim is to be gained—
by holding a set of opinkme which cannot be avowed,
by entertaining a morel and political barbarism,
which yet snot be severed up with hypocrisy' If
my of this is trne—and we cannot say it is net—we
require that it imbibe laid to the proper. amount ;
sot to advanced polities' opinion and practice, but to
an antiquated barberissadeposited—(onginally depo-
dted by us)—in the midst of the political system
which we heartily honest and admire.
If we are right a few more presidential terms will
prepare for the vindication of the republican pried-
t ikThe slavery question will work out its own
and leave the Americans once more free to
ohms their greatest men to rule them. A des will
cone Idiom the Anodes= will carry their
ogee seers, it not to a Westmont+, to a
tepaliiissa JESTERSON, a "TM ADAMS, at a
aid stariCiOUS MADISON. President PIERCE may, for
suet any body knows, reveal the attributes of all
theme, and of WASHINGTON to boot. But, if he does,
the one thing we do know is, that he will hold dike
but for one term.

FUNERAL

Or TIM

MR. SECRETARY WALPOLE'S ELECTORS.—The
SOiith &WO% Gaulle says that In the neighbourhood of
Margate but little progress is making towards furnishing
the required member to the militia. Three of them who
have enlisted have Mace been soukaiMod foe trig.

crowd. Unhappily this was a species of locomotion not
salad to the famaht portion of the sluggards, and they had
to Waage for themselves as best they could.

LUDGATE HILL.

At the Farringdoa street junction, the congestion of
people wee immense, and far behind, in both Farringdon-
strut and Bridge•street, the mus " lay floating many a
rood." Even distant Blackfrian had its elev►tion, occupied

with a crowd, who directed their straining and longing
looks towards the line of procession. Up Ludgate-hill the ;
people stuffed the space between the houses and the bar-
riers in theism. way as in Fleet-street, as far as Ave Maria-
lane, on one side, and Creed-lane ow the other. It would
be quite absurd to attempt any estimate of the numbers
congregated in this portion of the route, but no inadequate
representation of it may be conveyed when we state that as
early as nine o'clock *cruel persons, male and tousle,
were borne away both from Farringdon-street junction
and Amen-corner in a feinting state.
From Creed-lane to the cathedral, and all around the
church the space was kept quite open, in order to allow
room for the cavalcade to advance and the troops to defile.
There:were multiplified irregular attempts made throughout
the morning to take up a position at this favoured spot, and
the appeals made to the police for the smallest possible
nook, were so varied in their pathos as to insure one that
the orders under which they were resisted mud have been
very peremptory indeed. It may here be observed once for
all, that the conduct of the police force at this point ,acting
under the direction of Mr. Superintendent Hodgson, was
both temperate and firm. The entire line from the cathedral
to the Bar was lined with a double file of soldiers, consisting
of the Rifles, a body of the Grenadier Guards, and the 19th
Foot. When the prospect of a fine day was assert dby
the clouds breaking up, about 10 o'clock, the coup Bail from
the front of the Cathedral wee very beautiful.
, The windows on either side, from the lowest to the top-
. moat story, and even to the roofs, were filled with specta-
tor ; and, in one instance, the very chimney pots were
made available as convenient seats by some cool-beaded
lads. The houses around the Cathedral were crammed full
with spectators— _

Troth the eurrento
Aed Melee tope, reek Weed rank doe wedged
Hang bellying- e'er.

At nine o'clock the last carriage going to St. Paul's
passed the Bar, and at eleven the Right lion. the
Lord Mayor, attended by his usual officers, arrived at
the end of Fetter-lane in the state carriage. The Alder-
men and Recorder and a deputation of the Common
Council in four ea:risco arrived at the same time, and
awaited the approach of the funeral cortege. The alder-

. r
men in attendance were Messrs. Lawrence, Farebrother,
Finnic, Humphery, Moon, Carden, Wilson, Sidney, Wire,
with Sir C. Marshall, and Sir J. Duke, M.P. The
procession entered the City about twenty minutes past
eleven, when the City authorities joined the cavalcade, the
Lord Mayor as chief magistrate of the City bearing the
sword of state, and taking his place between the carriages
of the Archbishop of Canterbury and Prince Albert.
Upon the arrival at St. Paul's Cathedral the 19th Regi-
ment left their position and filed off along the south side of
the edifice. fheir position was taken up by the Foot Guards,
a portion of whom were also drawn up around the Cathe-
dral on the Bagged way four deep. 'fhe Horse Chords were
drawn up two deep on the carriage way, and sur-
rounded the building in a similar meaner. The
bands of the various regiments, as they approached
the Cathedral, played funereal music—the great
bell pealed forth its deep and solemn tones, the dis-
tant guns in the Tower boomed away, and the combined
effect on eye and ear was truly grand and imposing. The
soldiers along the line presented and reversed arms as the
carriages of the Speaker of thelHousc of Commons, of the
Prime Minister, the Lord Mayor, and his Royal Highness
Prince Albert pained by. The funeral car came on,
" stately and slow," after the royal carriages, and en-
tered the west gate of the cathedral, exactly at 10 minute*
past 12 o'clock. It occupied a considerable period before
the coffin was taken from the ear, tad is good deal of
bustle and movement was observable, whilst the procession
which was to *company it up the nave of the cathedral was
forming. The persons who were employed in removing the
coffin, and the soldiers who stood round, manifested the
most anxious desire to possess themselves of the slightest
relic belonging to the great departed, and many picked up
bits of laurel, snd appropriated them as though something
sacred attached to them. It is, however, but right to add
that the funeral car had no sooner entered the churchyard
than scenes of what seemed to us an unseasonable levity
took place throughout the entire City line of the procession,
occasioned for the most part by undwiches and other deli-
canes having been thrown into the muddy streets by the
occupants of the houses, for which the soldiers scrambled
with infinite seal, notwithstanding the presence of their

officers, aad to the hearty amusement of the crowd.
Upon arrival at St. Paul's cathedral the marshals]

conductors divided, and ranged themselves on each aide at
the foot of the steps without the great west door ; the
Chelsea and enrolled pensioners, together with one soldier
from every regiment in her Majesty's service, tho Royal
Merlon, and six soldiers of the East India Company's
armies of Bengal, Madras and Bombay (two officers from
every regiment having been previously provided with
seats in the nave, behind the place assigned to the sol-
diers), proceeding into the nave, filed off right and left ;
the rest of the procession, having alighted, moved forward
in order to the west door of the church, on enuring which
they proceeded up the nave.
THE CEREMONIAL AT ST. PAUL'S.

AU the curiosity, all the interest, felt by the public in the
various incidents of the great historic ceremonial, of course
concentrated Unmanse in their greatest force on the cathe-
dral of Bt. Paul's, where the last solemn set was to take

the curtain finally to fall on the mortal career of the
illustrious dead. Long before 6 o'clock, through the pitchy
darkness of a November morning, long files of carriageshad

thronged the various avenues lading to the church, and the
several gates at which admission was to be obtained were
bodepd by gentlemen and ladles, many of the latter daring
the humidity and cold of the atmosphere in evening toilet
Half-put six o'clock had been announced as the time at
which admission was to he obtained, but although the
carpenters and decorators had worked all night, the fittings
were still incomplete, the ring of the hammers might be
bead by the patient waiters outside, and it was fully half-
gme wen o'clock before the last workman walked out at
Me ANL as the Ant visitor rushed in at another. The
41111111 OW opened the cathedral filled rapidly, and in
a very shoot time every corner, except the places specially
reserved for public bodies, had received its fall
amber et aorapants. The first feeling ezporimmei es or
terieg was see of disappointment, at the esmobee Yoe
as to east, et the elaborately prepared sod pussy iemi~',
native. Whether from want of time, of judgment. er et
mmilesties, no precaution whatever had ben tabs le
Ale oat the light of day, and the °mewing. wee that
the emertiese feta et fir weed merely to form a sickly
yaw dm mead the anise, without producing any per
awl* domes are osserel effect. Later in the day
110Indliimipt vis=l* ant out thellght by blackening the
wisdom% bee leilledenatidy, the experiment was commenced
on the wise= myosin to those through which the sun
was shining, Ind poked no perceptible increase of funeral
effect. Unreasonable WWI= ea this portion of the
arrangements WON 1/1/0/ Ishipi In, and those wbo had
had an opportunity stressing the lying in state at Chelsea,
male comparisons between the solemn artificial light that
W been attained there with the broad daylight of Bt.
airilte, set at all to the advantage of the latter. The
eimmipiessete in the area In their completed form comprised,
k r enalk the moveable bier, covered with black cloth,
spa whieh the coffin was to slide on grooves from the
noosed car. Around it were arranged several tabounts
er seats of honour for those of the guests who
took pokiest part in the ceremonial. At the south
eld wee limed a chair of state in black and geld, and
Mid k stretched in gradually ascending tiers, the impe-
ding gelsey allotted to the House of Peers. Above this
were two Ober galleries, the occupant, of which, except
those immediately in front, must have had but an indif-
ferent view of the pageant. Immediately beyond the Peen'
Oallery, still on the loath side, a brilliant display of scarlet
and gold uniforms indicated the compartment allotted to
the Military Companions of the Bath ; and, facing the west
entrance, and immediately under the organ, was the
peeresses' gallery, on which the universal sables of the fair
occupants formed a remarkable contrast to the brilliancy
and fashion usually recognised in such distinguished
assemblages. On the north aide of the transept, and facing
the Military Companions of the Bath, were congregated
the various foreign =boredom in every variety of rich
costume, court or military. Amongst the earliest arrives
in this gallery were the Count Welewiki, the French am-
bassador, and the Chevalier Bunsen, the latter of whom
seemed to take a deep interest in the proceedings. The
gallery fur the Commons filled up the greatest portion of
the transept north, and was for a long time untenanted ex-
cept by Mr. Home, and oaf or two other members of the
lower house, who arrived early. The corporation of London,
in official ecistume,oonipieda compartment lower down,and

when to these ere edited the emall eectione, occupied on