The Express.
London, England, 1856-09-05 00:00:00

LONDON, TRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 5,

IN One Or FININORE C•IOPER'S earlier novels
there is a graphic and vivid description of the he.
lesguered citizens of Baton watching the progress
of the battle of Buther's hill. One of theirs excited
observers is represented by the novelist es sarcasti-
cally exhorting a body of British troops who are
being marched to the rescue of their discomfited
countrymen to "Go up to Bunker'z-hill, and the
boys will teach you the law:' These words contain
the whole secret of the success of the Americans in
their struggle for dep:o dance, cod explain why their
success was hailed with such gladness even by many
Englishmen. The Americans battled for law as well as
for liberty; the establishment of the North American
Republic was hailed as a proof that the most demo.
cretin institutions were perfectly consistent with the
existence of the mast profound and submissive obe-
dience to the law. As years rolled no, the rapidity
with which the federal coottitotion was trained and
carried into effect, seed the loyalty with which the
citizens of all rho federated States clung to it, was
received as a proof that the inhabitants of North
America most be far advanced both in 'sera and
intellectual culture before those of Europe. This was
a rash assumption. Great crises In the destiny a a
nation inspire tbo whole people with • virtue
beyond what animater, them on ordinary ems.
micas. Thais of us who are old 'flank to
have participated in the Reform Bill struggle
retain • painful score of the startling mitred hewn,
the devoted zeal for the comtoon cause and the utter
forgetfulness of self which for the time animated
everyone, and the sordid self-seeking which has since
been constantly gaining ground in the naiads of all.
It was the same in America. The enthusiastic union
and capacity for self-sacrifice which characterised the
years of the War of Independence soon abated. The
fervent admirers c: the republic that had been added
to the lest of nations became painfully aware that the
germs at least of all the ekes which had undermined
the liberties of Europe existed in America. The
progress of the great exprriesent in government of
the transatlantic republic began to be watched with
" trembling hope," even by the most sanguine be-
lievers in theperfectibility of the human ra ).
At the time that American independence wri
established, the men of the non•slaveholding States
had been trained lee the most part in the stern disci-
pline of Puritaniem; the freemen of the slave-
holding States, though trained in a lexer creed, were
thoroughly imbued with the chivalrous aentiments of
English gentlemen. But in the principal com-
mercial towns, a moral taint bad already
beet infused into the veins of society. The
unjust and icjedicions restrictive policy of England
had made smuggling universal, and its pursuit had
Induced an undue admiration of sharpness or clever-
ness, and a lax observance of strict truth is words-
Again, in the slaveholding Staten the relations of
master and slave had an icovit able tendency to gene-
rate • maim, despotic temper. As the regrow of
settlement spread westwards, the cheek of public
°pinks imposed upon individual sell-will was nice.-
eerily lessened. Even the best dispositions were apt
to;ftsdalge in a practical disregard of the abstruse*s
et gaiety, from a desire to show their independeare.
There is always sore to: be something humorous
I n each ebullitions of the Anglo-Saxon rate that
*same the fancy. The wayward freaks of the
pioneers of civilisation came to supply in America
the traditions which in old Europe form the staple
of tire-side gossip. The Kentucky boedettre ware
talked of in the same mood of half-admiring indul-
gence as the mose.troopers of Scotland's border
legends. Such applause of questionable conduit has
always a tendency to exaggerate it. The tide of
immigration carried into the United States many
whose actions in their cativo bads bad made
exile their only resource, and the license of
the new settlements attracted =ay of these
waifs and strays thither. The exclusively
',presentative charm) er of American institutions

aided to the danger of this relaxation of self-metro(
and regard for public opinion in so energetic and in-
creasing a section of American society. In a busy
country the business of politics necessarily fell into
t►e bands of a professional elms. Bat as this profes-
sional class was entirely dependent upon the will of
the emeseenity, mob flattety took in America the
plus recopied by court finttery in Revue. A elms
of public men was called into existence who
appealed sysumatically to the mares& and saint
ignorant portion of society. In these men the
classes who profit by the maintenance of
cad abases—snch as slavery—fund convenient
teols. Their numbers and influence continued in
eonerquence to increase ; and, partly in a spirit of
self-seekieg, partly in a spirit of bravado, they sad
their supporters have gone on reciprocally corrupting
and degrading 'soh other. Ina Ladd mach entire
freedom as Americo, there exist none of those cow
centimes/I checks to the progress of seek moral dote-
rioratioa as in older countries, where run a super
tttitioas respect for what is estsblished is sometimes
not altogether devoid of a beneficial isfirsteer.
la the United Butts them only scald and
au be one effective ementer-agent—a healthy
and intelligent public opinion. Bach a public
opinion has at no time bees wanting' bat the
straggle it has had to wise against the adverse in-
flauces bas been growing more ardeous with every
year, and appears Low to have reached a crisis upon
which the future fate of the North American Re-
public, and that huge portion of the world over which
the Republic cannot fail to exorable an important in-
fuse* for good or evil, depends.

Is the balls of the Cosmos at Washisgtos, the
Lectionaries of brute vieleste sad sartgalated
ovaries sad ambition are sow weeisg, what
to ha almost as
fries& of lutist,
the daubed-
we nest look
bate bees pups-
Kisses, sal by
is the isUrior
the tights of
repot:Med is
. Niceness. If
lIIIITSO tably look
slavery with ell
represelos of
. *Wes, and
seeelettst at east
rights et ether
pretest appear-
-4 the esellist sew
Represestatives es
Purism, es the
el Reissesats•

tires on the Army Bill—and it is but a gnaw ens
—giro way, the triumph of their adveneries Is Ger-
lain. If in that cats the defeated party aNalseee in
their defeat, the United &atm will be eeli‘
jccted to a ferocious mob, and ' become a'
nuisance to all their neighbours. The bras sad"
contentions certain to arise oat of each a
state of affairs w.ll be the least part of the evil of
such a result. The diwouragement which so ma.
nifest a failure of thee:printout of fres goverment
will inspire into all the friends of freedom and b.
lavers is human progress will be iefinitely more
fatal.

Hers we can only watch the eciabst from a dis-
tance, and wish success to the champions of the good
cause. We are not despondent. The bolder and
more rmolote attitude assumed of late by the friends
of loath-) and order in the United States has much in it
that is encouraging. The Hooseof Repreeentatives,too,
represents the whole of the American people, while
the Senate represents in a great messore mare
sectional interests, and the PRESIDENT an organised
faction which has gradually been growing weaker.
Still, there is ample matter in the espset of affairs at
Washington to inspire anxious doubts and fears. By
some a dissolution of the Union has oome to be k caked
to as a solution of the difficulty, should the worst
corn, to the worst. We know not : dissolution would
certainly emancipate the non•slareholdisg States
from an Intolerable bondage ; but what would be the
eoussqusses in those States when the alaveholding
and filibustering interest numbed paramount P
Still, nothing sheet of a realisation of our worst
fears will make as despair of the future of the
country of WASHINGTON, JEFFERSON, FRANKLIN,
sad the ADAYSES.

gig Court.

BALMOILLL. Bm. S.

The Queen and the Prince Consort walked out
yesterday morale', accompanied by the Princess Royal. In
the afternoon her Majesty and bin Royal !lightness again
walked la the woods in the ceighbosrbool of Balmoral.
Priam Allred, attended by Lientsaant Cowell, went out
fibbing.

Tbs sower branches albs r3yal !scaly trek walking
sad 'Ming sic rdse.

The DOehese of Kest, the Peisoese Awl's of Robeslobe-
thobillissfuret, sad Ltd, Augusta Besse, dined with her
Majesty yeeterdey.

Visalia awl Viscount's Palmerston loft town yesterday
for St. Lions's.

DMfs'ehss Were received at the Colonial-alike yesterday
hem the Hannon of Tasassaia, VietorM, Cellos, Hest•
Hoeg, Mastitis*, Malta, sad Western Assertlit. Des-
patches wers mot to the Governors of Australia.

at this distance appears to be
internecine struggle with the friend
law, and regulated freedom. If
lug and filibuster party prevail, e
he a sucomion of sash outrages as hat
mated by the " border ruffians" in Xi
Dacron and Haanr.as Watibiagtoi,
dtb. Union, and such tramplieg on
mighbooriog States ea have been i
Toms and attempted in Cuba and I
their opponents prevail, we nag Wet
forward to the abolition of slay
its demoralisiag kashmir's. the
•
bents vici!eues by • eo•ad peblie
tbs adoption of a foreign pulley eon
with the homer of Amo►ies sod the
=time. Everything--eemeding to p
aasse—will devoid upon the remit of t/
to progress between the Home of Her
sue head and the &sate sod Pin
Ohms. If the majority in the Hems