The Express.
London, England, 1851-12-16 00:00:00

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HIGH WATER aT LONDON BRIDGE
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LONDON, TUESDAY. DECEMBER 16.

YasvERD ‘v we placed beforeourreaders the Message
of the President of the United states. The threei
lead-
ing topics upon which Mr. Ft Lofton expatiates would
be important at any time, but with a Presidential eke-
tins impending, our anxiety to learn the views enter-
tained regarding them by one who is only in his first
term of office, is necessarily augmented. They are
the hate Cuban expeditions and the principles of inter-
national law and policy which bear upon them; the
commerce of the United States, their tariff, and the
question of free or restricted trade; and the actual
position of the negro slavery controversy in the
Union. On all these points we have endeavoured to
pierce through the mist of words which the cloud-
compelling 11:PfTER of the great Transatlantic re-
public has spread around his thoughts. And the result
is as follows
The general principles enunciated by the l'ltEst-
DENT, on the subject of intervention in the domestic
affairs of one state by another, or by private citizens
of the latter, and their practical application to the
Cuban foray, are eminently satisfactory. Mr. FILL-
MORE unequivocally and uncompromisingly declares
his adherents: to the principles of WAstievErox and
other distinguished founders of the republic. He
condemns the conduct of the American citizens who
invaded Cuba with LOPEZ • he brands with honour-
able indignation the conduct of those stockjobbing
adventurers by whom the expedition was got up ;
he shows that he has taken prompt measures to vindi-
cate the majesty of the laws—municipal and inter-
national--which have been violated. At the same
time he 'winds out that lie has not been neglectful of
the dictates of humanity, or of the duty incumbent on
him, to assert the dignity and independence of his
nation. Ile makes a distinction between thc specu-
lating achemers who got up the expedition and the
billy boys who were misled by them; and explains the
steps lie has taken to intercede for the latter. Ile states
that France and England having intimated the
measun s they had taken to prevent the recurrence
of such outrages, he lust no time in insisting upon
these measures being so modified as to prevent any
aggressions on American commerce. Throughout
the whole affair his conduct appears to have been
that of a wise and wary statesman, anxious that his
_ country should do full justice to other nations with-
out compromising its own rights and dignity. His
conduct in regard to the attack upon the Spanish
consul at New Orleans, and the opinions he expresses
regarding it, ore entitled to the sante praise. And
the unostentatious but uncompromising manner in
which Mr. EILLwoRE has acted and spoken in these I
transactions is the more deserving of admiratioß
that some of his rivals in the Presidential canvass
have been attempting,—oceasionally with success,—
to turn what he has said and.done to his disad-
vantage.
We regret that we cannot speak with the same un-
qualified admiration of the Pity:son:N.l's remarks on
the state of American commerce and free-trade. The
high-spirited nutimer in which he has evinced his views
of what America owes to the independence of other
nations entitles him to ask credit for being equally
frank and sincere on the subject of national economy.
But if, on the one hand, we are to admit his sin-
cerity, we mast on the other admit that with re-
ferent*, to questions of this kind he is wofully
puzzle-headed. Ile states that last year's export of !
brand-stuffs and articles of food from the Union was of
less value than that of the previous year, and that
again of less value than that of the year which pre-
ceded it. And from these facts lie infers that the ex-
pectations entertained by free-traders of an aug-
mented commene in consequence of the repeal of the
English corn laws have been disappointed, although
in the same breath he states that the first of the three
years was a year of famine in Europe, and that in the
course of the other two years the harvests of Europe
have been returning to their normal state. Mr. FILL-
MORE will not pretend to say that the free-traders
among his countrymen expected to export as much
food to Europe in years when there were gond harvests
there, es in years when the crops had failed. Mr.
Fit.t.moßE ought to compare the exports of bread-
rtulf last year with those for the years before
the abolition of the corn-laws,—not with those of the
famine year*. In keeping with the absurdity of this
blunder are his grave dicta respecting cotton and
gold exports. With respect to the latter, Mr. FlLL-
moat professes to be apprehensive of a drain of
specie, because the greater part of the gold imported
from California is re-exported to Europe. Why,
America had enough of gold for monetary and other
purposes before the •• Jimplis" were discovered; what,
then, would he have his countrymen du with the
surplus that is now flowing in upon them? It
would be invidious, perhaps, to dwell at length
upon these old-wifcumui of the honest PaEst.
PEST IrelS, they mere speculative errors; but when
we awe them made a preface to an announcement
that he intends to renew his attack upon the tariff of
In-16, it is really necessary to expose their absurdity.
On the third topic we have enumerated, Prodding
Flt.t moat: is quite as unsutisfisetor as on the sa
of free-trade. Wo expected to hnd him declaring
that he is determined to enforce the law for the sur-
render of fugitive slaves, or,—ss he with a dulcet
euphonisin calls it,—the law for" the return of NO.
tives Irons labour." It is the duty of the chief ma.
gistrute to enforce the law as it exists, whatever
may be his private opinion of it. But there was no
seeeseity fur the PRE.aneYir to go out of his way
to intimate that he looks upon negro slavery as one
of the sacred and not-to be-assailed principles of the
constitution. Here again,—as in the matter of free-
trade,—we do not question his sincerity •, but as we
regard his prejudices with reference to the latter as
an indication of intellectual short-sightedness, so we
cannot but look upon his prejudices with reference
to negro slay - as a proof of moral blindness.

Avery
There are other topics touched upon in the Mt!

sage, nut unimportant in themselves, but of inferior
moment to those we have selected fur comment. Of
this number are what he says respecting the appro-
priation of the surplus in the treasury; the progress
of improvements carried on by the general govern-
ment ; the necessity of a revision of the general laws of
the republic, such as has been effected by most of the
states in their particular laws; the expediency of
improvement in the discipline of the navy ; the works
contemplated for the greater security of the coasting
trade ; and the arrangements for liquidating the debt
of Texas assumed by the central government. On
all these topics Mr. FILLMORE speaks like a sensible
and honest man. What he says respecting the policy
to be pursued towards the Indian tribes within the
territory of the Union, is more open to criticism.
This, however, is a subject of which we propose to
treat ere long, with reference to our own colonial
possessions.
The general impression that seems to prevail in
the United States, that Mr. FILLMORE will not be
re-elected, somewhat detracts from the importance of
his message. Nothing. however, that at this time
falls from the chief magistrate of so great a nation—
an asylum for the fugitives of freedom from all
countries--can be uninteresting.

ST:BRARINE TELEGRAPH BETWEEN ENGLAND AND
IRILAN D.—Active =emu's are about to be taken for carry-
Mg out this species of communication between England and
Ireland. It will require about 80 miles of cable, or three
times the length of that between Dover and Calais.

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