The Express.
London, England, 1848-05-13 00:00:00

,THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, MAY 13, 1848.

meat of taxation that can be moil carried into effect
be carried into 'net." Bach Meaning and feeble
generalities might be tolerated in Lord JoHN
Bureau. retired to the elbow chair of literary
ease, but this is not the language of a minister aware
of the difficulties of the crisis, and prepared to grapple
with them.
In perfect keeping with this lack-a-daisical laissez
faire tone, and this contemplated fraternisation between
whip and tory, was his lordship's cautious reservation
of his opinion respecting the actual state of the repre-
sentation till Mr. lieges motion (the terms of
which had not then been intimated) shall come
on. But on this subject his lordship's speech con-
tained passages full of meaning. Lord JOHN "be-
lieves that the votes of the house, since it met in
November last, have rot unfaithfully represented the
opinions of the majority of the people of this country."
And Lord JOHN, with a want of candour most unlike
his former self, took advantage of Mr COBDEN'S sug-
gestion that the monarchy might be strengthered" by
cutting away some of that barbarous splendour which
belongs to other times, which is a cost to the country
and an aggrandise meta to the aristocracy," to fix upon
the member for the West Riding of Yorkshire a
charge of republicanism by imputation, and to in-
dulge in ad euptaniluin declamation on this imaginary
charge.
All these things look like the euthanasia of a re-
former. They recal to mind with a painful vivid-
ness the secession of a number of whig magnates
from the popular cause, and their taking refuge
in the tory camp, under the influenre of unrea-
soning panic at the time of the French revolution.
They coincide with rumours of resignations and re-
tirements that are flying about; and with appoint-
ments inexplicable except on the assumption that a
process of setting a house in order is going on. They
warrant grave fears that champions of popular rights
are subsiding into alarmists and obstructives.
So be it, if no better may be. Statesmen grow
old, but the people is ever young. And this
people, strong in its ever-renewing youth, is reso-
late that the lessons in practical government which
philosophers and statesmen have been reading to it
for the last fifty years shall immediately be advanced
at least ono stage further towards their entire realisa-
tion. They who have hitherto been leaders in the
reform ranks may falter and fall back if they phase:
others will rise up to fill their places. The move-
ment which has begin must go on, with, or without,
or over, those to whom the people might warrantably
have looked for assistance.

We would recommend our contemporary, who last
evening treated the public to some lucubration. on
the sorrowful events of Posen, to refresh its
memory as to the meaning of the word " Jacquerie."
Had it done so it would not have confounded
the Polish scythemcn, who are fighting under the
command of the noble landowners of the country,
with the misguided mob which was exterminated by
the French nobility. Nor would it have de-
graded both the Poles and the Prussians by termiog a
struggle for independence betwen a conquered and a
conquering nation " a servile war."
The documents which we publish to-day, taken
from the public prints in which they were inserted in
course as they appeared, sufficiently disprove the
assertions of the Vine., on the strength of which
Lord BEAUMONT was induced to make observation.
severely reflecting on the Poles of Posen. We gave
a few days back, from our own correspondence, the
contents of the convention concluded by the general
whom the King of Paussta had selected to induce
the Poles to return to their homes, with the officers
selected to treat with him. These gentlemen, roused
by the attacks in the German papers, have now come
forward, and have published the document itself, ac-
companied with the indignant protest of men who have
been exposed to the odium of concluding a solemn
truce only to see it wantonly broken through before
the term fixed for the execution of its provisions had
arrived. Their declaration will be found in another
column of our paper. And if this be not enough to
convince the most obdurate sceptic, we have added
Gen. WILL ISEN'A own proclamation of the 17th (the
day following the battle of Zuio, where Count Po-
TOSKI fell during a parley) in which he declares as •
gentleman and a soldier that the conditions of his
convention were not only immediately but ecrupu
lously fnlfilled by the Poles. Gen. Vote Wiutse:v
can scarcely have expected that his colleague, VON
COLOMII, was treating them and the King with a con-
tempt unparalleled it military annals.
Lord BEAUMONT has too long proclaimed himself
the warm friend of Poland and of all who are strug-
gling for liberty, not to be the first to regret having
used an expression which has thus been proved to be
unmerited. It must, too, be remembered that his
speech was mule when the documents that have
thrown a true light on these proceedings were not
known, or, if they were known, were not published in
any London paper.
The Poles who were not concocting intrigues in
England took no trouble to send these papers
until the representations of the English press,
which echoed what was found in the Berlin
Gazettes, alarmed and scandalised them. It is to
the desire which a nation that has silently suffered
oppression, but which never yet knew dishonour, feels
to stand clear before the bar of public opinion in a
country which has ever felt sympathy fur its cause,
that we owe the communication of this evidence. It
must at least teach the people of England the mea-
sure of confidence they can safely repose in some
organs of the greatest pretensions to early and safe
information.
For many. reasons the moment at which these do-
cuments arrive is one that invests them with deep
importance. The delusion spreadover Germany through
the influence of the Prussian government, and which
the Germans sanctioned by regarding in silence the
destruction of l'olish nationality, which was the most
powerful guarantee of their own liberties, this has
ripened a crisis which threatens to plunge Europe
into the horrors of a devastating war. Can we ex-
pect France to look on at such transparently
vacillating policy in the court of Berlin ? Are the
significant hints about Russian interference, which are
bruited on all sides, not strengthened when Germany
thus declares itself infirm of purpose ? If not Ger-
many, at least Prussia, is playing a weak andsuicidal
game ; but if they destroy, let them at least not de-
fame, those who would prove their beet allies in the
day of need.

relative to the reciprocal preservation of their respec-
sive territories. The Prussian cabinet dote not accede
Provisionally to this alliance, and makes her defini-
tive determination on the oourse to be pursued de-
pend on events in Germany, and on the conduct of
the French people.