The Express.
London, England, 1849-11-07 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY EVENI*III4 NOVEMBER 7, 1849.

political opiniosser Thelocal habitation
of the party is at blastsal, in which the trade of the
provisos bas hitherto in a great eiscure rested
The agrisaltaral population of Cane*, so far as it
has yet spokes oat. is averse to unagation. Athol*
the gigues of the Montreal inmilbsto there assess
linders than professional politicks. Bp tar as their
slides are known, there are more radicals, and mas
of radical leanings, than Series; but there are swim,
sod seamy awe of that *et ire dessibed as hang-
k =Mfg haws= their old political reposer
est SOW boasting after annexation.
To all wits sr. soqisiatsd with Canada, er have
read the paill{cations respecting it which have
appeared for a series of years back, this is quite in-
tbls
The contrast between the United States
side of the boeadary line and the Canadian has been
thewbject of &squat remark. A cool and &spas.
sleuth sea d badness. who visited Canada about a
month ago► expresses hinualt on this subject, in a
letter that now lies beton us, as follows :
I heti eves read of the sentrasi protested between the
Amities and Ossedlaa shores [or the St. Issas), bat I
weld Est base essprelesecd,d it is all Its hiss salsas I had
whammed k with ay own eyes. On the eas side all is life,
activity, sad prewirity ; cs the ocher it is like ths silks
of death. Nestled is • very Rae city, sore liks • Eure
town than earthing I bare yet sees os the Atnericang=
tines, ; bat here the universal toutplsiat is, that their toads
is gone. The asereantile elves seemed to sae to be unani-
mous la taws/ et eassaatien ; and one cask wader at it,
whoa you lad a snip coeniasi lime ssparatiag the. beat
the peugarity of their neighbours.

- - -
The 'Primmest of the Montre.l traders is: " The
Americans are more presperons than we. If our ter-
ritory was incorporated into the Union we would be
as prosperous as the Americans." The fallacy of this
argument is obvious to dispusionate lookers-on. The
superior prosperity of the Americans was as marked
when the late W. STUART visited Canada and the
United States as it is now. It has not originated in
the change of British mercantile policy. It has all
along been owing to the superior energy ad enter-
prise of the Americans. The Canadians were listless,
relying upon protection in the British market; the
Arserseaes were active, because they had only. their
own enterprise to eel upon. The Americans in the
position of the am net afraid of tree nom
petition. The stroeghold of the protectionist
party in America is in the sea-board
manufacturing states. If the Canadians would
be as prosperous as the Americans, they
must become u active and enterprising as the Ame-
ricans. The self-government of the people of the
United States promoted the spirit of enterprise; but
for all mental purposes Canadians now enjoy
that spring of energy. Canada annexed to the
United States would advance more rapidly than
Canada ander its former close government and protec-
tive system did ; but the advance would be the work
of, and its profits would be reaped by, the hardy im-
migrant from the United States. The dreamers who
think that prosperity depends upon their being sub-
ject to this or the other government, not upon their
i own exertions, would be drives to the wall before the
new comers. Their individual plight, be that of
the province what it might, would be worse than
ever. _ _

The existing balance of numbers and influence
between the annexationist and the British oonnezion
parties would have warranted the expectation that
time would b 3 afforded the Canadians to make their
reflections before any decisive step was taken, had it
not been for the last measure adopted by the local
government. Despatches from Montreal of the 22nd
ult., announce the official intimation of the definitive
transfer of the seat of government to Toronto. This
may conciliate the Upper Canada tories, bat what
effect will it have upon the French population of
Lower Canada ? It is an ominous fact that the nme
telegraphic despatch which conveyed to New York
the intelligence of the transfer of the seat of Canadian
government Ainnouncmi that M. Vitiza had resigned
his office under government..
There can be no doubt that making Montreal the
seat of government was very unpopular with the
British population. But it was an inevitable CO3Se•
queue of the union of Upper and Lower Canada.
Since the two were to form one province, Montreal,
from its =trial position, its wealth and population,
had incontestable claims to be the metropolis. The
objections urged against its selection were the most
inconsiderable among objections to the union of the
provinces. That ill-starred union was the real blun-
der. Its avowed object was to swamp the French
by a British population, and it thus became a sure and
permanent source of faction and disturbance. It was
the union of Holland and Belgium over again.
The idea of governing the whole of Canada from
Toronto is preposterous. If the union of the provinces
under one legislature and executive is to be perpetu-
ated, the Preach will be alienated by having
to resort on all occasions to so distant a seat of go-
vernment ; they will be jealous of every legislative
measure passed by their representatives while sur-
rounded by a purely British population. The time at
which the change has been decided upon makes the
matter worse. Lord Kunz has never shown his face
in Montreal since the riots. The transfer of the seat of
government will inevitably be attributed either to his
fears or to his vindictiveness. The one interpreta-
tion will provoke contempr, the other hatred ; and for
the government to incur either feeling at such a crisis
is to complicate affairs already too much embroiled,
and to play the game of faction and disloyalty.

WIDDIN, OCT 1.

The Hungarian, Polish, and Italian detenus at this
place are still in • painful state of suspense as to the
doom which awaits them. Foe more than a fort-
night every letter from Ceustentinople was inter-
cepted; but yesterday, by especial favour of the
Pasha, two or three were delivered to the persons to
whom they were addressed ; from which we learn
that though the Sultan had written to the Emperor
Nicholas, declining for the present to give up
the refugees, it was doubtful whether be would
persist to his refusal, if the Csar on his
side followed up his threat of making war upon him.
Sir Stratford Canning is also said, on being consulted
as to the probability of England affording active sup-
port to Turkey, in the event of a rupture occurring
on these grounds, to have returned an evasive answer.
It is evident that in the absence of instructions from
his government, he is unwilling to incur any respon-
sibility, though he is by no means sparing
of good advice to the Porte—fir which
excepting u one point ( if all we
pon hear be correct) we are under great obligations to
his. He is reported in the letter I have seen to have
remoneaded the further detention of the chiefs of
the Hungarian party at Widdin until the answer of
the Emperor with respect to them shall have been
received at Constantinople. Now, unless Sir Strat-
ford be well soured that this answer will be favour
able to the exiles, I am at a loss to understand how
he can reconcile such advice with the anxiety he pro-
fesses for their escape, for should the Emperor insist
on their extradition, it would undoubtedly facilities
the solution of the question it the cause lila bad
in the meanwhile disappeared. However this may
be, ft is certain that the subterfuge of whole-
sale apostle", by which the Turkian government
thinks_ it has opened a door of safety for the
refugee exiles, mast have been adopted not orly
without his participation, but without his know-
ledge even that each a proposal had been made.
Ia this opinion we are confirmed by the fact of all
letters to and frees Constantinople having been inter-
rupted for more than a fortnight. In this state of sus-
pense and isolation, I am sorry to say the work of pro-
selytionhes been carried on much more briskly and sue-
oresfully than I ever anticipated itconld havebeen. The
number of renegades (including Bern, who, however,
has strongly denied to Kossuth that he has made a
final preidoa of Maoism), is now 120—the
majority of whom are *Scam There has been a
public thanksgiving in the mosques for the censer
sion of three Giaotir generate of such repu-
tation as Bem, Stein, and %many. The first
of these has been invested with the rank of
vizir, and the Massalman name of Mound Pasha.
It is to be hoped, however, that all these rejoicinos
and formalities will, as far as he isconcerned, be found
to be premature. With reference to the other officer*,
the fear of being handed over to the tender mercies of
the Austrian government appears to have operated
more than any other motive, while many who hate
been previously despoiled of the little property that
was left them by the Turks, declare that " their
poverty but not their will consents ;" buteven this sorry
excuse cannot, I ass afraid, be urged for some of them.
As to the private soldiers, a change of religion with
them implies nothirg more than change, end that for
the better, of clothe. and quarters. Thum who have
pronounced the formula—" La Allah, illa Allah—
Mahomet resoul, Allah " (There is no God but God,

and Mehemet is his prophet). are immediate iy pro-
vided with warm clothing and comfortable lodpap
in *barracks. while the rest of theme poor fellows,
hensellem and shivering is rap, seams their
comrades in this enviable eenditaen are naturally
maims to Maw an_ example go tempting to
these. Three eights of inesesant rain during
which those in camp were drenched and frown to
death (in some cuss literally so, he the mortality
has been great) have effected an extraaediaary num-
bee of conversiaes. Indeed a whole battalion at a
time presented itself at the gate of the pasha's place
—so that that cautions functionary himself was rather
staggered en beholding so away candidata foe eir-
CIIIIICWOII and exhorted them to take some time
to reflect en the responsibility they incurred in
becoming Muselmen. The fact is, waver &vir-
eos the Turks may be to incorporate Hungarian
officers, and particularly superior officers in their
army, they are little or nothing about privates.
In the meanwhile, whether converted or uncon-
verted, allure kept ander the closest surreillsace. The
annoyance to which Kossuth and the Polish and
Hungarian generals are subjected is a source of con-
tinual embarrassment and mortification to them. The
rooms in which they are confined are every moment
visited by soldiers or the police; and if they stir oat they
are, either on foot or honebse: , everywhere followed by
armed patrols. Tee pretext gives for those measures
by the pasha, namely, a regard for their dignity and
the due protections of their persons, can impose on
nobody. It is evident that the Turks are carefully
keeping them in their heads as a sacrifice, which cir-
cumstances may render necessary for their own
security against the wrath of the Emperor Nicholas,—
particularly if they can find no gammee in
the support of the English and French govern-
ments. Their anxiety is by nn means relieved
by the accounts which reach them' from the other
side of the Danube. Every day we hear of some new
act of atrocity ; generals shot, members of the diet hung,
and ladies of noble family merged. The Countess
Ksroly, it is said, has been condemned under martial
law to be shot for raising a Hungarian regiment. It
may be conceived in what a state of agitation all
those who hays wives and families in Hungary
must be. It is certain that they are hunted
down and persecuted without mercy. Hay-
nazi's bloodhounds are everywhere upon
their track. Kossuth has received intelligence
that his aged mother and his three children have been
seised and dragged to Vienna. General Onyon's
wife, the Countess Guyon, awl his infant children,
have been treated in the same inhuman manner; and
the dastard'', whom he has often drubbed in the field
of battle, have thus found the meson of wreaking
their vengeance in the only quarter where he was
vulnerable. In thi instance, however, there is
reason to believe that the ruthless government
of Austria will be speedily made to relinquish
its grasp on its victims. General Guyon,
who is an Englishman— and we may well
be proud of our countryman—has already appealed to
Lord Palmerston, who, if he cannot instil sentiments
of humanity into the harts of the Austrian govern-
ment towards their own subjects, will at any rate
compel them to cease persecuting those of her Bri-
tannia Majesty. This le one of the oases in
which Englishmen, of all classes, forget every
consideration of party or political feeling, and
show their common origin by their warm sym-
pathy with the oppressed, and honest hatred of
the oppressor. How much more vivid would be that
sympathy, and deeper that hatred, had they wit-
nessed, as I have done, the courageous fidelity, to a
sinking cause, of the noble Richard Guyon.
I say nothing of his merits as a general,
it will be the task of history to strip
more than one spurious reputation of its borrowed
lustre, and when justice has been done to all and
the bays placed on the heads that best deserve them,
none, I believe, who has been an actor in these event-
ful scenes, will stand so high with posterity as Gen.
Guyon. It will then be seen who was the real con-
queror of Schlick and Windimohgratz (certainly not
the traitor Otirgey) ; who was the heroic defender of
Comore—who gained the las: decisive battle in Hun-
gary by renting Jellachich at the Franz canal—who
in the late disastrous retreat from Szegedin did
everything that mortal could do to repair previous
errors—who it was finally, when all but honour
was lost, was the only general who assiduously
discharged his duty to the wretched remnant of
the Hungarian forces at Widdin—who alone con-
tinued faithful even to the shade of the lawful
Governor of Huagary—to the person of the unfor-
tunate bat illustrious Komuth.

WIDDIN, Our. 8.
The Hungarian refugees still continue here in al-
most as much uncertainty as to their fats as before.
The refusal of extradition by the Porte does not seem
absolute, or why should the refugees still be penned
in here as pi-tamers, exposed to the chalices of a
Russian coup-de-main, or to be massacred in a colli-
sion which each day may arise from misunder-
standing, and the religions fanaticism which injudi-
cious efforts at proselytism have evoked ? The arri-
val, a day or two ago, of three thousand fresh troops
of the Nisam, who have pitched their tents outside
the Hurgarian camp, shews that the Porte is not
without some apprehension ; but even the presence of
these troops, insufficient for purposes of protection,
only aggravates the evil before-mentioned.
The renegade refugee soldiers, now upwards of
a hundred in number, and consisting chiefly of the
most worthless characters, are looked upon as outcasts
by their companions and, naturally enough, retort
their worn. Some of these new Mossulmans, who
have been chiefly induced to accept their new religion
by a gratuity of three ducats, expending it on the
forbidden cherab, have re'urned to the camp in a state
of drunkenness, highly edifying to the new faith they
have joint d. Bearding their former officers or insult-
ing the misery of their Christian companions with
their good forme they have aroused the indignation
of the latter. Quarrels have ensiled, and the army
of the Nis= judging their new co-religionnaries per-
secuted on account of their conversion have hastily
interfered with arms in hand. The fanaticism of
both parties being brought into play, the disarmed
refugees have been several times on the point of rush-
ing both on Twits and proselytes, and nothing bat
the judgment and forbearance of the officers has pre-
vented a scene of indiscriminate slaughter. This
unfortunate scheme of proselytism in which certain
Turkish " old gentlewomen," have been prompted to
adventure, in your correspondent's opinion, at the
perfidiotuo suggestion of the Austrian and Russian
agents, has no doubt been one cause wh the hospi-
tality of the padiseha has been perver. The re-
fugee soldiers, enclosed within the cordon of their
camp, without covering, insufficiently clothed, and [
suffering from choler., are exposed to the hot sun by
day, and to the bitteroold and Danube dews by night,
whilst their converted brethren roam at large in the
free enjoyment of the abundance lavish piety showers
upon them. Their zealous patroes have, perhaps,
rot thought the continuance of this hardship quite
inexcusable in determining these stray sheep to enter
into the prophet's told ; hence, perhaps, the protraction
of their unrelieved amenity, and, even, it has been sue-
petite& of the perilous prolongation of their sojourn,
where they are. The other cause is to be found in
the unfortunate venality of so many of the Turkish
employ& Between those who tarn aside the stream
of the Sultan's bounty and those whom the Austrians
or Russians have gained over, the really generous in-
tentions of the Porte are practically frustrated. The
conduct of the Pacha of this place has been such as,
in every way, to bring discredit on his government.
Some of his civil officers are publicly pointed out as
being in the pay of Russia, and have the auda-
city to insist on Englishmen repairing to the Aug-
Wan Consul, who impudently assumes to have a
British consular authority. Day by day complaints
have been made in vain to the Pacha of the quantity
or quality of rations or to take measures to
prevent the collision apprehended. Kossuth,
himself, has long in vain requested to be
lodged in a house where he should have a
second apartment. The Pasha whilst always treat-
ing his 'Nations guest as one whom his master
I " delighteth to hontr.r,” and lavishly promising every-
thing that is asked, has never yet fulfilled a single
promise. It is difficult to conceive a greater contrast
than between the impressive dignity and emphatic
[ eloquence of the late President of Hungary, and the
low cunning of the little squab Constantinopolitan
Paths, who represents or rather misrepresents here
the inheritor of the Caliphs. It is a strange right to
witness his official pomposity absehed before the
majestic self-possession of Kossuth and to see the in-
solence of his creatures awed by the demeanour and
renown of the great Magyar leader. The first inter-
course of these men was marked by an incident illus-
trative of the slender line which divides the sublime
from the ridiculous. Kossuth, who had baffled the

streekth Steep et the bit European power., and
obvious'', Glitalliedied the Austrian empire, when
driven by the ilertenties of another power asst the
treachery of his general to take refuge in the Ottoman
&minim* limeade& a letter to the Turkish Paths
to demand an asylum I. the territories of hie muter.
This spied*, in which the President-Governor prh-
posed only to accept the hospitality of the Porte in
the event of not embarraming its policy, and of being
allowed to yeeoeed with his companions where they
show, reselled to flattering terms the fact that the
Sultans bad before accorded sanctuary to Charles the
Thewazi.m.zro,biegand Pokormy..dvirwhenuimogron-rtzt
went eat to meet Kosenth, his first question was about
**Zing and all the personages mentioned in the
letter, and he wee solicitous to know whether they
had bees left in Wallachia. or had gone without his
=aunt by the steamer down the Danube.
Since the last post from Constantinople, a consider-
able change has taken place In the treatment of the
refugees, of which probably complaints had reached
the Divan. The officers receive now the ample allow-
ance of the Turkish army, which no doubt all these
weeks has been charged to the padischs. The troops
are to be quartered within the town, and a very gen-
tlemanlike Bimbachi of the Nina' has brought the
order from the commander-in-chief, Omar, to restore
to the Hungarian officers their horses, which had
been abstracted. A messenger from M. de Fon-
blanque, the British consul at Belgrade, is reported to
bays arrived, warning the Pacha of the responsibility
he incurs if the anticipated collision should take place
through hie want of caution. Gen. Guyon and Mr.
Longworth, the Circassian traveller, who served with
distinction on his staff, have also, on the demand of
Sir Stratford Canning, been this day liberated from
restraint, but the Paths has shown his by
obliging the general and his companion to start im-
mediately without permitting him to take a servant,
but with his six hones, for Constantinople. This has
been very painful both to the troops and Guyon, who
was desirous to have remained to the last with Kos-
suth and his men, whose camp he commanded to
the lest. Perhaps the reputation of our countryman,
Guyon, stands higher than that of any general with
the soldiers. His quiet, unassuming determination ;
his persevering solicitude for their well-being, and
the chivalrous daring of his attacks, have rendered
him the most popular of their commanders. Faithful
to the cause he had embraced, and devoted in his
friendship and adherence to Kossuth, Guyon was the
first to draw, the last to sheathe, the sword against
Austria ; and though it was long the fashion to speak
only of hie reckless daring, it is now generally be-
lieved that the war under his conduct would have
assumed anu different aspect. It is hard that he
should, after sharing with them so many perils, be
thus forcibly separated from his men. There is a re-
port that the Porte having undertaken to keep there
refugees in a place of safety, will clog the extension
of Pe protection with inadmissible conditions, such as
the exaction of a parole. It is to be hoped that it is
not so, for to this Kossuth, for one, would never dream
of submitting. For those who know the resolution
of his character, entertain no doubt but that having
made with the servants of the Porte his stipulations,
the president governor, happen what may, will leave,
without yielding, the reeponsibility of their infrac-
tion on the heads of his Turkish hosts. The difficulty
of understanding why the Porte should have embar-
rassed itself by retaining the refugees at all upon its
territory is really such as to give a colour to the ap-
prehensions still existing. There is no treaty—if by
any treaty such a privilege could be conferred—which
gives Rupee or Austria the right of extradition or
anthorisse them to demand more than the withdrawal
of political refugees from the frontier. The refugees,
it must be observed, ask nothing better than to be
allowed to proceed on their westward destination.
They do not even propose to burden the hospitality of
the Ports for their support. The Italian legion, for
instance, commanded by Colonel Monti, and still num-
bering 500 of its onginel muster-roll of 3,000,
would be received u it is into the Sardinian
service. In connexion with this legion in particular,
and the emigration generally, the generous conduct of
the brothers Cerrutti should not be overlooked. M.
Cerrutti, the Sardinian Consul-general at Belgrade,
hastened to despatch passports to the refugees, which
he forwarded by his own brother, M. Louts Cerrutti,
his vice-consul, who only reached the emigrants at
great personal ri.k. To the courageous exertions of
this gentleman, himself for some days in consequence
placed under restraint by Zia, Pacha of Widdin
(whose name, by the bye, in Arabic signifies some-
thing like "teaser"), is probably due the prevention
of calamitous violence: and hie personal exertions, un-
der most trying circumstances, were effectual in di-
rectly saving the lives of four of his unfortunate
countrymen.

BELGRADE, Ocr. 21.
I have jest learned what, no doubt, you have been
long before this acquainted with, the fall of Comorn,
and the sanguinary executions consequent on the re-
lief from the restraints which the occupation of this
fortress by the Magyars still imposed upon the
Austrian cabinet.

Comorn, the strongest fortress in the world, before
which Napoleon turned aside, and garrisoned by
35,000 men, with 700 cannon, 6,000 quintals of pow-
der and salpetre, and two years' provisions, was, if
properly defended, impregnable except by famine.
Commanding five commis, it was a kingdom in
itself. No approaches could be made against the
body of the place : it could only have been stormed
over the frozen Danube ; and the garrison it con-
ta:ned, comprising some of the best Hungarian regi-
ments, could not really have been prevented from
breaking upon any one side through the investing
army, unless amounting to from 150,000 to 200,000
men.

I must first, by a few details of the capitulation
just received from one of the garrison of Comore, who
has reached here, expose the disgraceful bad faith of
the besiegers.
_ _

It was stipulated in the articles of the capitulation,
amongst other things, that the soldiers should be
disbanded, and proceed freely to their homes ; that
the officers desiring it should receive passports to quit
the kingdom; and that the notes of Kossuth in their
posseorion should be exchanged at par against Aus-
trian bank-notes.
The second of these articles has been in this man-
ner evaded. It was declared that no passports would
be given after fcnr-and-twenty hours. The crowd of
officers besieging the office, admitted one at a time,
were detained by the vexations questions and insult-
ing remarks of the official, the average space of half
an hour each, and the office was closed early. At the
expiration of the four-and-twenty hours, the remain-
der were either treated as vagabonds, or arrested as
no longer participating in the advantages of the
capitulation. When the notes constituting the long
accumulated pay of the garrison, and the recognition
of which was a powerful incentive to surrender, were
brought to be exchanged, it was explaincd that cnly
the notes of Kossuth made within the fortress world
be received, and these, representing only small
change, were quite inconsiderable. With regard to
the peivetee, they are already told malioionely that
on reaching their homes they will be enlisted again,
"not became they were in the rebel army, but be-
cause that fact cannot exempt them from duties they
would otherwise have been called on by the emperor
to fulfil."

Need I speak of the absurd accusation of Count
Batthyany having known aught of Latour's murder P
The trial and acquittal of Pnlzby's secretary proved
that the Hungarians bad no hand whatever in the
Viennese demonstration, and the death of Latour was
the result of a mere accident. Smoika, president of
the Austrian Diet, a man gained by Austria and the
same who refused to receive the deputation from the
Hungarian Diet, withdrew Latour from his hiding
place in a wardrobe, and explained to him that the
only way to appease the fury of the multitude was to
sign the recall of the troops whose mutiny when seat
against the Hungarians bad caused the insurrection.
'Atone signed the recall, and Smolka presented
first the recall and then Latour himself from the
window to the people, who were retiring satisfied
when Latour unluckily afterwards showed himself at
the court-yard balcony, and here the mob, ignorant
of the concessions he had made, and catching sight
of their victim, rushed up and killed him by the side
of Smolka. before silence could be procured.
The chivalrous Nagy-Sandor, the brave and accom-
plished Aelich, and Damianilch, the most able of the
Hungarian generals, who hsd been so uninterruptedly
merciful in success, have perished by the hands of the
common hangman. Seves, commanuant of Blida,
and his four sons, were, under the immediate super-
intendence of Haynao, in like manner executed, with
this aggravation of barbarity that they were turned'