The Express.
London, England, 1846-12-07 00:00:00

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Intoo.
gin

MAILS.
The overland closed mails, ria Marseilles, tn the Misliterranean,
Eyt, a.l, Ceylon, India, Hong Kong, rse., will be made up on the
evening af the /th December (thi• day).
The maid for Vigo), Oporto, Lisbmt, Madeira, Cadiz and Gibraltar,
will be mae up on the morning of the 17th December'.
TM, e.t India mails, excluding dinne for Mexico, Honduras, and
the Havanoah, will be made up on the morning of the 17th December.
Thr overland mails for Gibraltar, Malta, Greene, the lonian Islands,
Aden, Ceylon, India, Ilong-Kng, and COLA, rin Southampton,
tErfat made up on the evening of the 19th December.
The mails for New South Wales, Van Diemen's Land, and New
Zealanil will be made up on the evening of the 31st December.
United
The mails fur Bridal North America, BCITOWIA, and
the
States, will be made up on the eventig of the 341 Junu.ry.
The mails for the Brazils, the toner Plate. Mon Vai,o, Pernam-
buco, Bahia, Mateira, and Buenos Ayres, will Decoh on the
evening of the nth January.

- - -
TO CORRESPONDENTS.
We eannot notice, in any way, any canmunicidion that is pent to a.
leionmonely ; but thaw) who thane to addrew lip in confidence will
And tJleir confidence respected. NEITHERCAN UNDERTAKI,
TO RETURN ANY MAN USCHI kS I i ATI.VI
Lond K.
erenins paper,
•. Adrertiaments Intended for The Erpr. se, n
malt be at the ()eke by Two o'clock on th., day of publication.
. ......

HIGH. WA 178, AT LONDON-Itittl),;?-
Tens — Morning, 21 Wu. pest 4; Afternuon, min. rant 1.
To-sorrow --Morning 1 Ids. pug 5; Afternoon, 22 alin. p....rt 5.

LONDON, MONDAY, DEC. 7.
THE domestic politics of the United States have
hitherto, notwithstanding much apparent irregulari-
ties, offered a very good sample of SAM SLICK'S
favourite workmanship—a clock. The pendulum of
popular opinion, which moved them, has vibrated from I
side to side in very regular intervals of time, giving
to Whigs and Democrats an equal portion of influence, I
and equal length of tenure. In general, the reign
of either party lasted through two presidential periods,
or eight years, during which those in power contrived
to get through their resources, reputation, and popu-
larity, dying at its termination as of a natural death.
Of late years the motion of the pendulum has be-
come quicker, but apparently not less regular. The
lives of American presidents and ministers have
dwindled to a far briefer term. Four years seem now
the measure of political existence. One year's youth,
two years manhood, and another year of declining
health and powers, have come to form the brief span
of the American statesman. But the other day, we
recollect the fiery youth of Mr. POLK, then came the
more matured bcarin,g of his manhood. Texas was
his juvenile feat, the Oregon his manly achievement,
wherein he reached his grand climacteric. Mexico
he seems to have undertaken in the diminished vigour
of decline. The war savours of caducity, or at least of
the apathy of age. And already have commenced the
ceremonies and festivities which are to usher in the
political birth of his successor.
There could not well be a greater contrast than
that presented by the elections which preceded and
produced Mr. Voiles elevation, and those which are
now in prospect. At that time tile country was all aflame
for conquest, for annexation, for defying those ambi-
tious and intermeddling English, who were spiriting
Mexico to hold out for Texas, who were about to pur-
chase California, and who had sent gold to sup-
port the American Whig cause. Now such reproaches
have died away,—" war thoughts have left their
places vacant." The slave-breeders have got space
enough in Texas, the New England dreamers have
been indulged with the realisation of their visions—the
empty possession of the Columbia. England has
opened her ports to the produce of the Far West ; and,
instead of candidates, such as General C %ss, making a
merit of their uncompromising anti-Anglicism, they are
obliged to conceal it. Michigan itself is turning Vs big.
lowa, the remotest of the north-west, and Floridas,
ne remotest of the south-east, the electors are Whigs.
The pendulum, which struck off to the democratic
side after the death of HARRISON, has oscillated back
the Whigs under the presidency of PoLx.
As disinterested spectators, or rather as observers
merely interested in the success of the great trial of
free institutions going. on in America, we may have
reason to rejoice at seeing democracy not the foolish,
headlong, war-loving state, that was prognosticated.
But more selfishly regarding events, there is not so
much room fur congratulation ; for, after all, parties
America seem to succeed each other and to rise to
,ower, chiefly for the sake of putting in practice views,
that are hurtful to us. Whigs and Democrats are
alike determined to be patriotic at our expense.
The Democrats cut off our colonies, annex our
allies, and extinguish our markets. Darin three or
four years Mr. POLK and his party have been snub-
bing and robbing, and damaging us, and just nt
the moment that we might expect some consolation
from him in a diminished tariff, Mr. POLK and
the Democrats lose power, and the Whigs threaten
to rush into office to make the first fresh
use of it in decreeing prohibition and ex-
cluding our trade. POLK and WEBSTER fight; bat,
in fighting, their blows, instead of being dealt to each
other, fall upon us. Our foes are less formidable
than our friends. POLK menaced us with war, but
promised trade. WEBSTER holds forth the olive-
branch, but closes the book of exchange.
Could not the Americans indulge us by the inven-
tion or formation of a middle party, one that would nei-
ther swallow up Canada, nor proscribe our comment ?
Already, indeed, the war mania has worn out, and
hatred to England has ceased to be a political stock
in trade. American manufactures have had ample
trial, sufficient protection, to test which of them can
stand fair competition under moderate duties, and
which of them require a fifty per cent. tax on the rest
of the population to support them. It is time for a
compromise of this kind, and surely a favourable
time, when enthusiasm of all kind seems to have died
away, and when the electioneering struggle will
be much more a personal than a party strife. Even
the enthusiasm of the northern., for abolition
seems, if not to die away, at lost to diminish, and
those who proposed so latetly-te.aforee an equalisation
of blacks and whites in the southern states, now

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