The Express.
London, England, 1863-08-13 00:00:00

BRITANNIA,

Tuts rrenywo, ANGEL 1W PEACE AND PARDON.
Intr.; TII F. OR FIAT GIItkC EFFECT; Professor Pepper's
adaptation of Mr. Ihreka'a Intention.—Nleroirs. 'Woodman and
R.,,,,i,11.—‘10,14 DING DoNG WIL.L—And BLUE BEARD.

BLUR WATICR AT LONDUN BRIDGE.
TD TAT Morning, lh 24,T. . Aft.ronem. lh. 43rtt.
To-lioliAolll-11orntu., 2h. 2m .. .iftanzooa. •LOa.

LONDON', TH RSDA Y, .1 UG UST 13.

material repression. Education was practically
prohibited, and the development of the resources of
the country forcibly arrested by oppressive
edicts. The unhappy Mexicans were at
once heavily taxed and subjected to the
worst evils of an arbitrary government and
the most corrupt administration of justice. That
they should at length have revolted against such
a system was perfectly natural ; nor, however de-
plorable, is it at all surprising that the representa-
tives of the old Spanish and Papal regime should
have been for a t iine strong enough to divide, distract,
and arrest at every turn this patriotic movement.
Nevertheless, the representatives of national free-
dom, independence, and progress were gradually
making head, and would in the end have triumphed,
but for this foreign intervention, which has once
more rallied and established for the time all
the old and fatal elements of confusion and
disorder. tinder the French Protectorate the
priestly party are not only once more in
power, but already actively carrying out their
programme. The freedom of the press is sum-
marily destroyed ; the Church has grasped once
more its enormous revenues, and secured the re-
establishment of its old and iniquitous exactions ;
toleration is abolished ; and there is every pros-
pect that the administration of justice will be again
corrupted and practically destroyed by the revival
of special jurisdictions. These are some of the
first-fruits of the French Protectorate—of the
ill-
omened alliance of Papal and Imperial designs.
French bayonets are employed to establish in
Mexico the same system they support at Rome.
In a word, the worst sources of public evil, the
most reactionary and fatal political elements of the
Old World, are concentrated in the present provi-
sional Government of Mexico. And, according
to the rumour, the new proposal is that an
alliance should be formed between this so-celled
• Protectorate and a Power which seeks to establish
itself on the worst social and political elements of
the New World. Slavery, the curse of the
Now World, is the corner-stone of the Confederacy.
An alliance between the Slave Power and a
priestly despotism under an Imperial protectorate
is a combination perhaps more fatal to the true in-
terests of mankind than any other that could be
devised. Yet this is the " contingency" which
the world is assured, on the authority of an Eng-
lish journal, " would be a pledge of peace, and a
" gain to all humanity." Few Englishmen will be
found to endorse the monstrous and criminal
suggestion.

AMONGST other rumours brought by the recent
American mails our readers are hardly likely to
have forgotten one, to the effect that Mr. JEFFER-
SON DAVIS had sent a messenger to the Emperor
NAPOLEON proposing au offensive and defensive
alliance, on the basis of a mutual recognition of
their respective usurpations on the American con-
tinent. This rumour, which comes to us through
the columns of the New York press, is, it may be
fairly assumed, considerably in advance of the
actual facts and probabilities of the case. The
Confederates, though closely pressed at all points,
and compelled to contract very seriously their
circle of operations, can hardly yet be reduced to
the abject position which such a proposal would
imply. If such a movement had really been made,
it would indicate plainly enough that, in the judg-
ment of its leaders, the Southern cause was already
desperate. Unless they had given up all hope of
being able to maintain the contest, we may be
quite sure they would never think of taking a step
so directly opposed to their traditions and their
hopes, so humbling to their pride, and so injurious
to their interests. The " MONROE doctrine "
oti-
gioated in the South, and has always been the
favourite dogma of Southern statesmen. It was,
however, not only first enunciated by a Southein
President, but enunciated expressly to celebrate
the emancipation of Mexico from European con-
trol. It was formally promulgated in the presi-
dential message of 1823, which followed the re-
cognition of the independence of Mexico by the
American Government. From that time to this
the most uncompromising and determined chain-
pions of the doctrine have been Southern men ;
and there can be no doubt that if the Confederacy
were established and had its hands free, the first
thing it would do would be to march an army into
:Mexico and drive the European invaders from the
continent. The prospect of carrying out the
MONROE doctrine in this direction, and on a
magnificent scale, was, indeed, as we learn from its
ablest apologist, one of the secret but moat power-
ful motives in favour of Secession. The seceding
States, according to Mr. SPENCE, looked forward
to " an Empire in the future, extending from the
" home of WASHINGTON to the ancient palaces of
" Mosrazuma—uniting the proud old colonies of
" England with Spain's richest and most romantic
" dominions—combining the productions of the
" great valley of the Mississippi with the mineral
" riches, the magical beauty, the volcanic grandeur
"of Mexico." What becomes of this magnificent
dream on the supposition that Mr. Davis has
actually proposed to recognise Mexico as a province
of the French Empire f The glowing vision of
our inspired SPENCE—" the mineral riches the
" magical beauty, the volcanic grandeur"—must
have faded utterly away.
But we refer to this rumour at present, not so
much for the purpose of discussing its merits as to
fix public attention on the manner in which it has
been received by a reputed organ of English
opinion. The Trines, in noticing the report, says
explicitly:—" An alliance offensive and defensive
" between Mexico, under French protection, and
" the Confederate States would be quite consistent
" with all the more recent indications of French
" policy in that part of the world. Although but a
" rumour, it is a contingency upon which the
" world might look with favour." Such an alliance
is likely to be regarded with favour because, as we
are expressly assured, it " would be a pledge of
" peace, and a gain to all humanity." This sin-
gular statement has very naturallybeen quoted with
emphasis by the official journals of the Second
Empire ; and as it is possible some few on the other
side of the Channel may imagine the declaration
represents some section of opinion in this country,
it may be worth while briefly to expose so
injurious a mistake. We venture to say there is
scarcely an Englishman acquainted with the facta
of the case who would not shrink with something
like loathing from the notion of such an alliance
being regarded with favour, or as in any sense
"a gain to humanity." The reasons of this
strong and general conviction are sufficiently plain
and decisive. What the EMPEROR of the FRENCH
has done and is doing in Mexico cannot
possibly be regarded with favour by any who
have the true interests of humanity at heart. The
French invasion and conquest of Mexico is an
attack upon the independence of every weak
nation. The bad faith with which it was perpe-
trated adds to the odiousness of the offence. This
flagitious enterprise was masked by a com-
mercial fraud, the forged JRCKER Bonds having
been made the pretext not only for armed
intervention, but for the complete and forcible
suppression of Mexican independence. But the re-
sults of this criminal usurpation are, perhaps, after
all most to be deplored and protested against by
the true friends of human freedom and human
progress. The so-called Government now estab-
lished in Mexico is not simply reactionary, it is
the express negation of all the higher elements of
freedom and order, of national life, intelligence,
and progress. It may be said to concentrate in
the most hopeless form all the worst political ele-
ments of the Old World and the New. It repre-
sents Imperialism—the lust of conquest and the
supremacy of bruta force—in alliance with the
lowest dregs of native treason and priestly tyranny.
Bad as many recent governments of Mexico
have been, it may be said with perfect truth
that hardly any of them have approached in their
poser for evil that priestly despotism just estab-
lished under the ominous shadow of French
bayonets. The Mexicans, it is true, have during
the present century been subject to perpetual revo-
lutions, and at times fallen into a state of absolute
anarchy. This state of violence and confusion was,
however, the fatal heritage of inveterate misrule
tinder a European protectorate. Under its Spa-
nish Viceroys the offices of the Government were
not only always filled by foreigners, but regularly
sold to the highest bidders, the native population
being subjected to a system of ruthless moral and

HER MAJESTY'S JOURNEY.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAM.)
BRUSSELS, Accusr 13, Nom.

Her Majesty Queen Victoria and the royal
children arrived yesterday evening at the Palace
of Laeken.

The King of the Belgians and the Duke and
Duchess of Brabant received the royal party at the
private railway station.
The Queen's suite were conducted to the palace
at Brussels.

A grand dinner was given at Lacken in honour
of her Majesty.

THE CROWN PRINCE AND PRINCESS OP
PRUSSIA.

Although (observes the Morning Post) the denial
has come by telegraph that the Crown Prince of Prussia has
been summoned to Glisten by the King his father, for the
purpose of " proceeding on a minion to the congress of
German princes, to be held at Frankfort," there is no doubt
that his royal highness is at Gestein, and that be has gone
there in obedience to a wish expressed by the King. The
Crown Prince left Berlin for the place mentioned on Satur-
day evening, and wee accompanied to the railway station
by the Crown Princess, who returned to Potsdam. It is
considered that the stay of the Prince at Gastein will be
exceedingly brief.
Towards the close of the stay of their royal highness on
the island of Rugen, an excursion was made with the
Prince and Princess Putbus to a little bunting villa, pos-
sessed by the latter. Ou Monday week the Crown Prince
and Crown Princess paid a visit to Prince Adalbert, who was
at anchor a short distance off in the Prussian war•steamer
Niobe On Wednesday their royal highness left the Wand
after a residence there of five weeks duration, and on their
departure the Prussian national hymn was played, and the
inhabitants cheered most heartily, at the same time waving
hate and handkerchiefs, a demonstration which the Prince
and Princess repeatedly acknowledged.

DEPARTURE OF HER MAJESTY.—WO (Morning
Post) have reason to believe that the notice which appeared
on Monday last, stating the penalty to be inflicted io mse
any employe in Woolwich Arsenal even approached a win-
dow during the passage of the Queen to the royal yacht,
gave great offence to her Majesty. The Queen had simply
desired that all ceremony might be dispensed with on the
occasion, and that there might be no assemblage of persons
admitted to view the proceedings ; and it naturally caused
her very great annoyance to find that measure@ so harsh and
so foreign to her suture could possibly be presumed to
have emanated from herself.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge left
Gloucester Hones, Piccadilly, last evening for Germany to
pan a tow wreks.

_
Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess
d'Aumale have left Orleans House, Twickenham, for Pen-
arrow, Cornwall, the seat of Lady If olesworth.
Their Serene Highnesses Prince and Princess
Edward of Saxe-Weimar have left town on a visit to the
Duke and Duchess of Richmond at Gordon Castle, near
Fochabers, N.B.

The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort and family
have left Balminton, Gloucesterahire, for Troy Home,
Monmouthshire, and afterwards go to the other fam•ly
scat in Wales, Llangattock Park.

His Excellency Baron Gros, the French Ambas-
sador, will leave the Embassy to-day foe Paris on a short
leave of absence.

The Marquis and Marchioness of Clanricarde,
the Hon. F. Calthorpm AL P., and Mr. F. F. CourteuaY,
have left Port Eliot, the mat of the Earl of St. Geromna,
for Penearrow, on a visit to Lady Moleaworth.
His Excellency Senator Duet and Don Jost;
d'Huit have left Edwardn'a Royal Cambridge Hotel, George.
street, on their way to Madrid.

The Earl and Countess Howe are entertaining a
select circle at Caplan Hall, Leicestershire.

The Countess (Dowager) of Lichfield and Lady
Gweadolena Anson have left towo for Switzerland. The
countess and daughter will return for the marriage of Major
the Hon. Auguatus H. Anson, V.G., and Miss Claughtou,
niece of the Earl of Dudley.

Count and Countea Szechenyi and suite have
left Loog'• Hotel for the Isle of Wight.

Viscount awl ViAcountesa Palmerston left Lon-
don yesterday for Walwer Castle, Kent.

Lord and Lady Willoughby de Erenby will enter-
tain a succession of vests at Drummond Castle, Perthshire,
during the shooting 101111011.

Lord and Lady Vaughan have arrived at
Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-squ►re, from Beschgrove, Abe-
rystwith.

A marriage i% about to take place between Lord
Loodeaboeough and the lesly Edith Somerset, youngest
daughter of the late Duke of Beaufort.

The Baron and Baroness Keilbutg and family
have left the Brunswick, Jormyn-stiet, for Paris, ou their
way to Switzerland.

The Right Boa. Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P.,
left town on Tuesday hut, to join Lady Emily Peel at their
villa at Genera.

The Right lion. Sir Alexander Cockburn, the
Lord Chief Justice of England, left town yesterday to upend
• few weeks in Germany.
Baron Charles de Rothschild has arrived at
Thomas's Hotel, Berkeley-square, from Frankfort.

THE EXPRESS, THURSDAY EVENING, AUGUST 13, 1863.