The Express.
London, England, 1862-01-09 00:00:00

_PK I MOWS.

Tom Evtomo, PLATING WIIII MIL —And the Grand
Pautouthur, WII ITTINOTI IN AND 'MCAT; Sr. Ilarlettulo King
KoGroobbol and Ore Ikulas o Good Montour. Memo J.
Lurk Illidyard. mad Pool.. Mos Clvul s Adam.

PT. JAW

Tau Vilna. • WOIDILINSUL WOMAN.— Putsets
AND ANDd4NEDA: or. Mid Maid NM Woriar.
Ileum P. M.sithoirt 11,!rnoved, *ad Nobles. 11.1114..
k. Terry.—An•l TIIE volt EDING !COWL.—Commes at le.

SafTlqllll

Tram tvuosa. tt.. P`makomins. Tat LINO or TtC
^I'10:14 fln 4 taime; Mews. A. nem J. lads. Newham,
tb. Chantrs.ll.• Munn'. NAM. C. 6egAtia. Mn W. CrauturA.
—And THE AEU l' lUD ON E.—Coeumasse s Gs.

Lea WATIK Af LONDON RIODINS.
Till DAT—Morning. 7h. Ms Anionisse. a. rim.
TO4NIIOOII-11oruisig, !1. Alorosea. *. am.

LaNDOX, THURSDAY, JAN. IL

Ws receive the fruition of our hopes. The
mail steamships the City of Washington and the
Jura have brought news of that consumma-
tion to which all the intelligence by the
Africa, the Hansa, and the Europa steadily
pointed. The American Government, with-
out waiting for the expiration of the term
fixed by Lord LTONN notified to our Minister,
on thu 27th ult., that it was ready to deliver
Messrs. Maxtor and BLIDILI to him whenever and
wherever ho pleased. Thus the reparation due to
Great Britain is wade, and the honour of oar flag
is signally yet peaceably vindicated.
This is not the moment for long dissertations
on the advantages of peace and the horrors of war.
We are all too profoundly penetrated with the
greatness of the calamity which has been averted
from the two nations and from the CAMPO of civiliza-
tion to listen to calculations of its magnitude.
Nothing lees than a clear perception of the para-
mount necessity of maintaining the respect due to
our rights—an intuition of the mischiefs that must
ensue, if a nation with duties and cares such as ours
were to consent to lead a maimed and impaired life
—would base sufficed to unite the British people in
a resolve to incur the responsibilities of war with
America at this moment. The difficulties and
risks which rise to view in the contemplation of
most wars had here no restraining effect ; but
rather, their absence and the sae with which our
objects might be gained was a consideration ope-
rating upon an honourable disposition to stay our
hand.

The incidental effects of a war waged by Eng-
land against the Government of the United States,
the character of an intervention which it must
have assumed, and, above all, the practical alliance
into which it would have brought us with an
abhorred league of men-stealers, have had a thou-
sand times more to do with the dread of an un-
favourable answer from Washington than any esti-
mate
of lose to ourselves; and in a aids the neces-
sity of maintaining our dee position among the
nations of the world, must and would have over-
ruled every other consideration. From these gloomy
prospects we are now happily delivered. Our
Government has united firmness with concOiation.
The Government of Washington, which we were
lately told wee a poppet in the hands of the New
York mob, has acted with all the reserve and de-
cision which can attend independence and respon-
sibility. And this has been pow ibla because, in
the words of an honourable contemporary with
no American predilections, the citizens of the
United States have achieved "an honourable
" self-conquest, which it would be ungenerous to
" dispute."

And now that peace with honour appears to be '
assured, we may perhaps be allowed to deviate for
ones from our usual practice, and in a few words
refer to the course by which this journal has consis-
tently striven for the last six weeks to promote
the attainment of that end. It is • course oft
which we look back with a satisfaction of which
no result, however untoward, could have deprived
us, but one the justice and accuracy of which are
illustrated by the event. The news of the boarding
of the Trent found us the warm partisans of the
Northern States, with whose cause we identify
the interests of freedom and civilization within
the territory of the Union. It was of course imp..
Bible that our preferences in an American quarrel
should influence our line of conduct when the honour
and interests of England were concerned. Moreover,
the attention which this journal had won in the
Northern States Imposed peculiar duties on us.
It was important that the citizens should knew
that their beat friends in this country would not
defend their act, and that they must consider the
inevitable demands of our Government as those of
a united people. We stated the law with a clearness
and decision which the Americana were unable to
recognise in the contemporary utterances of some
journals which have since arrogated to themselves
a superior degree of British spirit. We said of
the seizure of Messrs. SLIDELL and MASON : "It
" is one which will make it the duty of our
" Government to insist on ample, eomplete,
" and immediate satisfaction. Its MOMS folly
" bids us hope that Lieutenant nutria was
"acting without instructions, and that the Wash-
" ington Cabinet will no sooner learn what list
" taken place in the Bahama Channel than it w ill
" disavow the act, restore Messrs. Manus and
" Stioatt, and tender the fullest apology. Nothing
" short of this reparation can bo accepted."
We pointed out in detail the full power which our
naval superiority gave us over the whole course of
their military operations ; and some friends of the
South found the picture of the raising of the
blockade, the opening of Southern ports, and the
influx of rifles and ealtpetre so vivid and agree-
able, that they mistook it for a " sensation
" article," and demanded its repetition. But a
word to the wise is enough. The character of a
nation is to some extent implicated in the language
of its pram, and it does not become a great people
to abound in threats. But mall after mail took
out our remonstrances with the Americans, and not
a line of a nature to weaken the effect of the
representations of our Minister has appeared in
this journal. We have iolvariably supported the
demands of Earl Itroweit'a despatch as just and
reasonable, and have applauded the preparations
by which, if necessary, they would have beau en•
forced. No American has been misled by the
Ihsaly s or the Exprras as to public sen-
timent in this country. And we have constantly
maintained that our Government was asking
nothing which the Government of the United
States might not honourably comply with.
Faithful to this policy—the simple one of saying
that wird which is most needed at the time wheu
it is likely to be meet useful, and of facilitating by
all means the peaceful and favourable settlement
of as unfortunate difference we counselled

' patience and trust to the strong, as we had re-
commended reparation to the erring and culpable.
Therefore, as in the first article we publidsed on
this subject we had shown the cogent reasons there
were for believing that Captain WILKIE had acted
without orders, we welcomed the rapidly accruing
evidence that he had so acted, until a positive
assurance from Washington soon placed the fact
beyond doubt, and obtained acceptance from our
Government. Those among us who did not want
an honourable vindication of our flag, but would
rather Mr. LINCOLN should refuse the surrender of
Messrs. SLIDELL and Mxsov, and supply an occa-
sion for war, resisted this evidence as if it were an
injury. Every disposition and occurrence which
made compliance with our demands easier to the
American Government, such as the letter of Gene-
ral S,'orr and the despatch of M. Tuouvaxm, we
hailed as a blessing. Discussions were raised on
the principle of arbitration. We took part in
them, and showed the preferability of that expe-
dient to war where it is applicable. But we
reminded its advocates that it could not
be conceded as a right, that it was not a
thing the British Government could propose,
and that its admissibility in this case was
dubious. We have laboured to keep within view
of each country those features of the other which
were most calculated to inspire confidence and to
reduce to their true proportion those offensive
lineaments which were magnified by false media.
We believe that in so doing we have been better
occupied than if we had inquired what popular
passion was for the moment predominant, and had
vied with others in exasperating its expression.
Without laying claim to an undue share in pro-
moting the happy result now at length achieved,
it is at least a satisfaction that we have laboured
in the cause which it crowns.