The Express.
London, England, 1856-06-14 00:00:00

'T

LONDON, SATURDAY, JUNG 14.

WE have no doubt that the explanation which
Lord JOHN RUSSELL is to seek from Government on
Monday will be such as to allay all apprehensions of
a rupture between this country and the United States.
On the conduct of the existing American Executive
we will not at present take upon ne to pronounce a
judgment. With regard to the American people, we
do not need et this time of day to state what our
feelings and opinions are. When Lord lonic Rye.
SELL stated yesterday, in the House of Commons,
that the whole nation desire a continuance of
peace with America, be stated the simple and
literal truth. It is not that this country is afraid of
war with any other ; but independently of the consi-
deration that the Anglo-Americans are so closely
allied with us in blood, language, and principles of
social action—independently, too, of the paltriness of

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the grounds of dispute which have given rise to the
present difficulties, there are additional reasons why
England should at this moment be peculiarly
reluctant to engage in hostilities with the United
States. There is a noble field of exertion opening
upon England, from which a war with America would
infallibly withdraw our attention and divert our re-
sources. We are called upon to watch over and en-
courage the dawning promise of national in-
dependence and liberal government in Italy.
We are called upon to watch over the con-
solidation of that independence of the Turkish em-
pire for which we have been fighting. We steadied
upon to avail ourselves of the restoration of security
to Turkey for the initiation and development of grand
schemes for accelerating the interchange of commu-
nication and the transport of goods and passengers
between Grist Britain and its Indian territories.
Avocations like these—tending to promote free in-
stitutions and permanent tranquillity in civilised
Europe, tending to bring within the pale of civilisa-
tion countries and peoples which now lie beyond its
eater verge—are those to which the best heads
nil hearts of bighted are eager to devote
theemelves. It will not be their fault if,
*driving to extremes the paltry misunderstandings
Mims England and America, the devotion of the
swede sad resources of this country to such noble
tasks is indefinitely postponed. Oa these grenade it
is to be hoped that oar rulers may be endowed with
that spirit of wisdom and forbearance that is required
to pilot them through their present difficulties. We
have more than ones expressed our wish that the
missal of Mr. CRAMPTON might be found compatible
with allowing Mr. DALLAS to remain here. Oa •
recent occasion we have cannesed the difficulties
attending such a comes of action, and need
not again go over the ground here. Immediate
war with America is out el the question—the danger
fe is unforeseen collisions which might precipitate
hostilities. We believe that the strictest injunctions
have been forwarded to esminanders on the American
statists carefully to maid all risks of this description;
bet it is obvious that even the temporary esimation of
diplomatic intercourse between the Governments at
Washington and Bt. James's may render the task of
carrying out these injunctions more difficult. We
cling confidently to our belief that there will be so
war; and we trust that the present embarrassments
may have the good effect of teaching our statesmen to
devote more study to our relation with Americo, and
those vast oceanic regions in which Eoglishmon and
Americans are so liable to come in contact. The truth
is that oar English statesmen, mined in the diplo-
matic traditions of the pest, have too long persisted
is devoting their attention almost exclusively to
European polities. In the near future the polities of
Enron' will form the least part of oar can. Oar
settlements in America, India, Africa, and Australia
—oar mercantile fleets, which sweep the Atlantis,
Indian, and Pacific oosans—render as denizens of a
world, compared with which the limits of
Europe dwindle into insignificant*. In this
wider world, England, the United States, Bra-
zil, and (perhaps) Russia and Rolland, are—
and pill, to all human appearance, long condi:la—
the paramount powers. The principles of policy by
which nations are to regulate their conduct to
each other in this expanded sphere are as yet
extremely vague and unloaded. It would be an
undertaking worthy of a true statesman, in concert
with the best statesmen of the kindred Transatlantic
republic and of Brno!, to devise for this otter world
some equitable and comprehensive schemes of inter-
national law to which they might conform their own
policies, thereby setting an example and giving slaw
to other States.

NOTWITHSTANDING all that has bean said and
written about it, the great Bt. James's-park question
really lin ia a nutshell. A very moderate expendi-
ture of that rarest of all faculties--common mom—
would have long since settled the matter to the male-
faction of all parties. The ewe indeed is the simplest
conceivable. The whole battle has virtually bees
fought about the right of way over less than a quarter
of a mile of road intervening between Buckingham
Palace and Bt. JlMel. This quarter of a mile of
road now separates two great cities--the city of the
far west, from the city of the clubs and the opera,—
Belgravia and Pimlico from Pall-mall and the Hay-
market. These two rifles, not unreasonably, have
for some time been asking fcr the privilege of
free communication over this quarter of a mile of
road for public vehicles as well as private. Five years
ago the latter portion of their request was grouted; the
former has been pertinaciously denied. Private car-
riage, freely pass at all hours, where back cabs, except
by stealth and gaslight, are afraid to venture, and
even when so venturing are at the mercy of a police-
man's temper and a gatekeeper's caprice. This really
is very foolish and very vexatious. Not &day pules
in which this aboard restriction dose not tame an
amount of irritation and annoyance which no wise
government ought ever to allow to grow up without
cause in the public mind. And in this aim there
really is no cause for the perpetuation of the
• Wince for a mingle hoar. The care is es simple se

the dimes,. Take effthe prohibition, make the inter-
coarse free, and the whole fest is accomplished.
For maw mysterious moron into which we ham
no desire to penetrate—from some interest, whether
of the brick and mortar, or of the ultra.
courtier clam, we dire not to inquire—it has
required a more than anal expenditure of time
and remonstrance to induce people in authority to

I take • moderately reasonable view of this exceedingly
simple matter. Sir BENJAMIN HALL, who first took
it in hand, committed, es all the world knows, a series
of portentous blunders. Instead of a road from west
to east, he tried to run one from north to south
—to be carried over • bridge and viaduct,
at a formidable outlay of public money, sad at the
still more grievous cost of utterly destroying the most
beautiful urban pleasure ground in Europe. The
next step was to ask from the House of Commons the
modest sum of 27,0001. for doing what Lord
PALMERSTON'S motion of last night shows can, for
all practical purposes, be at least as well scoompliahed
by a maximum expenditure of 4,6001. A considerable
majority of the House of Commons having very pro-
perly declared against this wasteful and unnecessary
vote, the Deus*: machirea appeared last night in the
shape of the Prime Minister. The present govern.
ment plan is simple enough : the entrance from
the Park to Pall-mall is to be made in
nearly a straight line, coming out into the
street between Bt. James's Palace and the German
Chapel, which is to be left undisturbed. In
order to make room for the proposed straight line
a slice is to be taken from the private garden at-
tached to St. James's Palace, in return for which •
corresponding portion is to be added to the garden
of Marlborough House. So far, so good. The House
indeed seemed to consider, and with some reason,
that 4,6001. was a high estimate for the amount
of work involved in this very simple alteration, but
the plan Itself deservedly met with general approval.
The new road, when completed, will be thrown open
to cabs, bat not to cart• and omnibuses. The
road through the stable-yard will be closed.
We do not profess to understand the logic of this
part of the Government plan. The simple course
would appear to be to have thrown open both ways,
in order to afford the maximum of accommodation

with tbe minimum of inconvenience. Thbi, how-
ever, is a minor point, and as we take it for
granted that the width of the Marlborough
House road will be sufficient to avoid all
risk of accident, there is no great cocuioa for
insisting on a double line of communication. 8.-.

sides the road, the House were asked to vote 3,5001.
for a footbridge over the ornamental water. Oo this
• division was taken, the result giving • majority
of 87 in favour of the bridge. By certain portions of
that " large class of people in this country who,"as
Lord PALMERSTON sagely remarked, "are in the habit
of walking on their feet," this may be regarded as •
boon. We don't quite think it is worth 3,5004, but
the public money may be worse spent than in supply-
ing what to a limited extent wi►l undoubtedly be
useful, and may be—as for such • sum it certainly
ought to be—made decidedly ornamental. This,
however, is a minor point: the important result le
that the long closed road is opened, and the beautiful
pleuure•garden safe.

Tux moment the full extent of the calamities
which have been inflicted upon France by the inunda-
tions was made palpable to the English mind, an
eager desire arose to contribute to their alleviation.
It woe interesting to note the simultaneous expel,-
*ion of this dairy from various quarters on Teseday
last. The Alorwasg Post and Daily News ream-
mended the opening of subscription lists; the Lour
MAYOR announced a great meeting of the citisene to
be held for that purpose at the Mansion-house; many
individuals in different parts of the country an-
nounced that subscriptions had been actually
opened. All these movements were equally
spontaneous, and devoid of previous con-
cert. The fine-spirited meeting held yesterday
at the Mansion-House has given a centre of regu-
lated action to these somewhat chaotic efforts. We
have now a committee of the merchant princes of
London, who have already opened wide their own
pursue, and are ready to become the channel for
transmitting the contributions of others. It is of the
utmost moment that what is done for the sufferers in
France should be done quickly. As yet it is impas-
sible to estimate the permanent damage inflicted
by the inundations, and what may to re-
quired to repair it. Of that hereafter. What
is now wanted is immediate relief for the
destitute. Thousands sit shivering on the verge of
the yet 11011 r co ebbing waters, deprived of the shelter
of their homes, deprived of their raiment, their
storehouses submerged, and the scenes of their remu-
nerative labour destroyed or rendered inaccessible.
Food and clothing are urgently wanted for these un-
fortunates till they are in a =edition to resume their
ordinary avocations. This is all they ask—all (and
we speak from intimate knowledge) that they
would under any circumstances accept. Their coon-
trymen have promptly and nobly done their duty;
and—let us do justice to one whom we have

_
Battered—fortemet in bringing aid at imminent per-
soca! bexerd has been the Emmet:is But the
exigencies of the moment threaten to exceed the
powers of the bringers of aid. It is time for their
English neighbours to strike in. Englishmen need
no spur to the performance of such a labour of love—
all that they require is to be reminded that there is
not a moment to lose. We know that the subscrip-
tions will be ample; but they must be transmitted
immediately. We shall be unutterably disappointed
if the City Committee are not enabled to report on
Monday that a considerable sum has already been
remitted to France for the sufferers by the inunda-
tion. Of lOU years, while other countries have been
heavily pressed by the burdens of war, or by seasons
of scarcity, England has bees lightly visited. Freely
we have received, freely let us give.

Mr. Smith O'Brien aecoaspacies the presentation
of. copy of hie work on tits " Prineipl• •of 0 swot,"
to the University of Athere, with • letter to the repreeentc-
tire of t►e lisivereity, is which he pays • high tribute to the
desire for iorrseties which exists arsonget oil classes is
Greece. " I much dosts," ha rye, " whether there I. •
tows is Europe Inhabited by • popsl•tiea seemessur•te
. . . _ .

with that cf Athens which has mode a grouter progress in
intellectual develcpsest." The some observation arplies,
Mr. O'Brien thinks, to the tonal tradition of the
people. "Having jest returned from as energies
is the northern province., during which my eon
and I redo about three haedred tiles mouton
ponied by guard', and during which we bad op-
portunities of e, nrening familiarly w►th men of all
clause, from the monarch to the humblest peuaat, I have
is.. to the eftelusion that there I. at least as much of
genuine civiliestion, if that word he seed is the proper
meaning, smoeg the sluip'e mountaisters of Pentanes as is
to be found In the dubs of Landon or in the cafés of Paris.
Let me add that clarion oar tour we did not us a single
drunks. man, and were solicited for alms by only ose
beggar, a cripple withlst hands. L know no part of the
waited kingdom, or of France, respecting which a stranger
could make a similar observation." After dialing to the
ineurreetiosary movements of Thessaly and Noires in 1864,
Mr. O'Brien eateloes with the remark that " island pol'ity
appears to suggest that Greek patriotism 'tumid abide the
progress of stoats and avoid estrum! **llia{ au, while, ►s
the meantime, it shuld cultivate to the winos: all the re-
uterus. material, moral, aid twilit veal, with w?aich your
country has bean to fhb!, endowed by Piovidsooe."