The Express.
London, England, 1865-11-18 00:00:00

glit o.'nnetgits.

TO 0011.1JSPONDENTS.
advarfliasosta Wooded for The laver • Loudon !Meng
moat be at Ohs Oflook. 10. lloavadaanal. by Two
r=lf m tha day of pablkatko.

RATMARIZ
TIM Ev=red. THREE WEEKS AFTER MARRIAGE.-
lISED UP. Mr. Charles Mathews, M. Rove less Kellllessray Moore,
Yrs. L Vassalham—WHO KILLED COCK ROBIN C.
Mathews sadChippendsle ; Mrs. C. Mathews. —And the BALLET.

PRINCESTS.
THIS tTsgiSo, QUILT LODOINGS.—After whirls TT IS
NITRE TOO LATE TO 111110. Mews Vining. O. MDR*
T. Mead, D. Murray. S. Ca'Sawn, F. VUDess. J. G. Moos G. Ru-
mp, and R. Cathsert : Mims L. Moore and IL Rodgers.

LYCEUM.
TUTS EVENINO, THE DAY ATTER THE WEDDING. 31r.
and Mrs. lion.man.—THE WATCH CRY. larasra Veddck er.
H. Widiticomb. 3. Emery, C. Hoesma,Raymoial. Fitzpatri,
and Clifford: Hiss Elsworiby.—And /many CHICKWEED.

Htl
Tins Enamel, THE INIANTICIDE—The D'Anlans.—POUL
A DHOIL Iles. S. Lane. —To conclude with TRH WAHMOA'S

NIGH WATIR AT LONDON-B=l3lA
IVil DAY ItonAmit. 64112-•••••fterac.^. 9131.
TaitOmow-• Morning. lA. 286a.--Afternoos, 20.

LONDON, SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 18.

A CONTZ/IPORART has good humonredly asked
the French MINISTER of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION for
some explanation of the Report addressed to the
Emperor of the FRENCH, recommending • repre-
sentation at the International Exhibition of 1867
of the intellectual, moral, and scientific progress
of France during the last twenty years. We fear
our contemporary's very reasonable curiosity will
not be satisfied, for the simple reason that the
MINISTER of PUBLIC INSTRUCTION cannot possibly
offer any explanation of a document, the magnifi-
cence of which consists in its being unintelligible.
M. DURUY, who was a very zealous Inspector of
Schools before be became • very conscientious
Minister, and who is probably the only genuine
doctrinaire of the Second Empire, believes in Napo-
leonism, not as an accident or • necessity, but as
the growth of all the ages, the flower and fruit of
civilization ; and he not only believes in it, but
teaches his faith in every school throughout
the Empire, by manuals of the modern history of
France corrected down to the present day. There
can be no doubt that he regards France under the
Empire u not only the foremost of all the nations
in arms and in arts, but as the focus of intellectual
and moral light. He contemplates the Inter-
national Exhibition of 1867 as a grand cere-
mony of apotheosis, in which all the neighbours of
France are invited to take part as celebrants at the
Imperial altar. When the first International Ex-
hibition was held in London, it was generally
acknowledged that the capital of the world's in-
dustry and comwerce was not ill chosen for the
inauguration of these periodical solemnities of
peace ; but no Englishman imagined that all the
world was coming to London to pay homage to the
superior genius of his country. We shall do the
estimable DI. Dultur no injuatioe in sup-
posing that to his mind's eye an In-
dustrial Exhibition in Paris presents the com-
bined glories of • congress of sovereigns paying
homage to the Extrzeon, and a grand review of
assembled peoples in the Champ de Mars ; sove-
reigns and peoples alike bumbling themselves in
astonishment and admiration before the splendours
and marvels of a reconstructed capital, and swelling
the triumphal procession of the NAPOLEON of
Peace.

This idea of an international show is " very
"French ;" but when we say of an idea that it is
very French, we do not, of course, imply that it is
either better or worse than an idea peculiarly Eng-
lish ; we simply mean that it is very different
front English ideas, and not quite acces-
sible to ordinary English understandings. It is
not easy on this side of the Channel to con-
ceive an internationalcompetition of public school-
boys in Latin verses and Greek iambics, or a com-
petitive exhibition of historical or moral essays, or
scientific treatises, or political pamphlets, or vaude-
villes, with an international jury to decide upon
their merits. Whatever may be M. DERUY'S
meaning, he repudiates mere literary criticism. If
he means anything more than • flourish of trum-
pets—and we know the trumpet is a favourite in-
strument among our neighbours—it must be •
series of elaborate reports drawn up by mixed
juries upon the character and tendency of the in-
tellectual products of each country in the
departments of morality, science, and
less pure literature. The Ministers of Public
Instruction in the various countries will be
invited to produce specimens, and to become exhi-
bitors after the manner of M. DURUY himself.
Our playwriters will, we fear, be too modest to
challenge the verdict of French dramatists, and we
hope that in return French senators and directors
of the press will deal gently with our political lite-
rature. In order to avoid embarrassment it would,
perhaps, bo simpler for these mixed juries to form
themselves into committees of mutual admiration,
and to be content with paying compliments to each
other's superiority, with • crowning acknowledg-
ment of the intellectual supremacy of France.
Seeing that, with the exception of the EMPEROR
himself, almost every writer of eminence in France
daring the last twenty years has been conspi-
cuously hostile or alien to his Government,
M. DURUY will be satisfied to lay upon the table
of the Exhibition a folio edition of the " Life
"of Julius Cesar," splendidly bound. There
is, indeed, a class of literary products in which
under all forms of government France preserves
her intellectual domination, but the Minister will
hesitate to exhibit " Fanny," or even the
" Minoires de :Shine. Theresa," as works calcu-
lated to " ameliorate the state of society," and to