The Express.
London, England, 1853-02-07 00:00:00

LO.V1)( .V „110.V11.4 Y. FE B RUA R 1 7.

WILL Pll'A IX. make a journey to Paris to crown
Hsroetusi Ill.? Such is the question which now
occupies whatever there is of religious curiosity at
the Tuileries. and whatever there may he of French
influence ut the Vatican. 'the journey is long, and
the weather cold ; the agr and infirmities of his Ho-
liness affred cause for anxiety, and the last prezedent
OR record is one of ill omen. These arc among the
must obvious reasons for dissuading the Pont from
an undertaking so unseasonable and so unsafe. But
it is understood that others of more weight and po-
terry have inspired the counsels of the Consults.
Austria forbids the journey—confidentially protests
wine the repetition of the political error of Pius
\lll.—filially deprecates the presence of the "Holy
Father " at the coronation feast of the

Prodigal Son, whil4 his own Kaiser, the eldest son
of the Papacy. has not been so honoured. 'f he offer
so equalise the favours shown to the two Imperial
Crowns, by making a coronation visit to Vienna as
well as Paris in the same year, is said to have rather
aggravated than appeased the jealous ire of Austria.
Would Rome ungratefully thus level the pretensions
of legitimate right and elective sovereignty? Had
it been a lloußuo' who urged the unusual request
on the part of France, Austria would have resisted
its concession. But that a man who ostentatiously
boasts himself a parvenu king should demand this
special act of Pontifical consideration, stirs the
slow blood of the MEW of HAPSBURG, and
sets in mo'ion every artifice of German and
Italian diplomacy. And not without success ap-
parently, tor we learn from the accounts last
received from Home that in a Special Consistory,
held for the purpose of advising the POPE on this
and other matters, a large majority of the Cardinals
gave their opinion against compliance with the
wishes of the French EMPEROR, and in accordance
with those of the court of Vienna. _

The relations of Bonapartism with the Papacy
have, from first to last, been characteristically fitful
and capricioul. From the day when NAPOLEON I.
rudely forced the hand of the POPE to sign the treaty
whereby the conquests of the French Republic were
recognised in Indy to that on which he induced
the same PONTIFF to perform the ceremony of his
coronation in Notre Dame, a period not much greater
intervened than that which has elapsed since his
imitative nephew told the National Assembly of
Prance and the courts of Europe that a French ex-
pedition had been sent to Rome to maintain repub-
lican institutions there. While engaged in laying
the foundations of his throne, the first NAPOLEON
courted the favour of the Church, and lavished
honours and emoluments on its priesthood. But no
sooner had the temporary purpose been served, than
the self-appointed sword of the Church was turned
spent it. NAPoLeos demanded that the same Pore
who had crowned the ♦irtuous JOSEPHINE should
sign the cruel and undeserved decree f. r
her divorce. In vain the powerless PONTIFF pleaded
that such a dispensation would be uncanoaic.il and
beyond his power. The sword of the Church was
inexorable. Sacraments, like treaties, wore with him
but moves in the game of ambition, to be sustained
and held good only until subsequent moves rendered
them useless or inconvenient. This last and worst
concession to Bonapartism was also made, bat made
unavailingly, as we know; fur within a brief space
the self-humiliated PONTIFF was torn from his
own dominions to be detained for months and years
• state prisoner in one of the Imperial palaces. The
Privy Councillors of the Quirinal may well avert
their eyes from the mementoes that mark a Papal
progress to Paris. A French garrison is within
their walls; they daily feel the embarrassment,
created by its presence there; yet they dare not ask
for its recall

Meantime, Louts Nsrot.zon boasts that he has
girded on the sword of the Church, and every now
and then he delights the ears of the fanatical by
making it rattle in its scabbard. He decorates him-
self with the title of Lord Protector of the Holy
Plates; interdicts the circulation of free-thinking
books; scoffs in state papers at the keretical faith of
the widowed mother of the heir of ORLEANS; and
inaugurates his reign as Emperor by the molestation
of Protestant congregations, by persecution of their
pastors, and the shutting up of their schools. If he
cannot be devout, he will at least show the world
he can be intolerant. Nobody suspects the Nephew
of bigotry any more than they suspected the Uncle.
Religion in the policy of Bonapartism is a matter of
police, not of moral persuasion, Two Bishops who
recently incurred the Imperial displeasure by mani-
festations of a non-juring tendency In favour of the
Bouanoxs, were deprived of their sees and sentenced
to esclusiokunder the title of animism do St. Dieu.
Thome, on the contrary, who mainfmt confidence in
the existing order of things restive abundant marks
of Imperial approbation, and, as in the days when the
first Nazoison chose to be in good humour with the
Church, tkeir shrines and schools reoeige rannificentdo-
nations from the had of the State. Whatever be his ulti-
mate aim, it is manifest that NAPOLEON 111. aspires
to become the imperial head of Roman Catholic Chris-
tendom, and thus to rival the qui-religions power
which the GEAR wields over ell who are in commu-
nion with the Greek Church. The dreams of Tilsit
are not yet forgotten. A common interest hostile to
liberty of thought and freedom of religion inspires
the military Monarchs of the East and of the West.
Rivalry may again, as formerly, bring them into an-
tagonism, but it may also bring about again, as it did
flve-and-forty years ago, a anion of counsels and
complicity of designs hostile to European tranquillity.
Everywhere throughout Southern and Central
Europe, things are drifting towards that struggle of
great
e principles which men fondly imagined had
ht out and ended at the close of the
eighteenth century in Piedmont, in Hungary, in
Poland, in Spain, in Belgium, and now in France
itself. Premonitory symptoms of the approaching
conflict between ecclesiastical authority and the
liberty of the laity were observable towards the end
of the first NAPOLEON'S reign. When he had used
and flung away the papal crosier he professed him-
self the impartial friend and protector of all creeds
among his subjects, and hence it was that
during the hundred days the Protestants were
supposed to favour Bonapartism in preference
to Bourbonism. They suffered accordingly after the
second restoration, and until the revolution of 1830
the clause of the charter which guaranteed freedom
of faith and worship was virtually a dead letter. It
must be said to the credit of the wily LOUIS PHILIPPE
that during the eighteen years in which he held
supreme power in France, no man could justly com-
plain of being aggrieved for conscience sake. The
heir to the throne sought a Protestant bride in the
House of Mecklenburg, and the Minister who for the
longest period directed the counsels of Louis
PHILIPPE was sometimes in the bitterness of party
conflict reminded that be was a Huguenot. Should
the day ever come when another struggle shall take
place between the old and the new dynasty, it will
be strange if we should see the parts reversed,
and behold the BOURBONS taught at last by adversity
to honour liberty of conscience; while the cause of
Bonapartism becomes identified with that of ecclesi-
astical intolerance.

Tin COBDEN AND BROTRERTON CORRESPONDENCE.
—General Brotharton has written the following letter to
Mr. Cobden.—" Travellers' Club, Feb. 3, 1853.-84: I
have this day received your reply to ray letter of the 29th
alt. As say sole objeet m taking up year &Osage was to
Manyear sincerity, which I haws now done, I, therefore, de-
accept your bond. Bat of course, I nevertheless
NM Mid myself boiled strictly to perform my part of the
viz, the payment of the weekly subieription to
rielliaManaLror Infirmary, sad I have aceordiusly directed
sayer/Misr to wait upon yours, sad give him all the sans
factory security he may require for the due paymeat of this
aubscription, from this. day henceforth, which, believe me,
I shall always feel ratified in paying in support of such
benevolent nut:town, and to which I shall add a donation
of 51., transmitted to the tressurer.—l am, sir, your obe •
dint servant, T. W. Bit9TRItaTON. To E. Cobden, En."