The Express.
London, England, 1865-03-24 00:00:00

paining away from all militeryit
fairly ask the people both •
Canada what either gains by •
the battle-field of every possible contention be-
tween us and the United States t Confessedly, it
is our alliance that is Canada's danger. Were she
independent of us Ate would cultivate the friendly
relations which in Europe preserve so many small
States in presence of great ones. Had she no causes
of offence to atone for save her own, we may do her
the justice to believe she would offer none. And
offering no real offence we may suggest that
she is neither so temptingly rich as to invite
a violent spoiler, nor so craven as to tempt aggres-
sion. It is in other regions, in the glowing South,
in the boundless West, that the natural direction
of the United States extension lies, and the an-
nexation of Canada, if it were against her will,
would be too palpably • game not worth the
candle. But while Canada is joined to us by a
tie so strict that it involves our honour and en-
gages our utmost exertion, not only is there a
motive for aggression upon her, but there is a
certainty that she must suffer foe every offence
that can fall out betweentwo nationsneoessarily the
more jealous of every punctilio, became in strength
they are so equally poised, and the more subject to
frequent cause of quarrel, because in every quarter
of the globe they have mound, or conflicting, in-
terests. It is hard to see what profit it can bring
to Canada to be the Low Countries of every trans'
atlantic strife, the miserable battle-field on which
--for no quarrel of hers--generation after genera-
tion pour their blood, and mark it with the dee°.
lation of the iron hoof of war. It is hard to see
why we, wishing Canada's welfare as we
do, should seek to expose her to
bear the brunt of our combats, should
by our persistent demonstration of protection in-
vite the ravages not only of her but of our foes,
should involve her in wars in which even our suc-
cess cannot repay her for ruined homesteads,
slaughtered eons, and orphaned children, and in
which our defeat, though only • check and disgrace
to us, means to her subjugation to an incensed foe.
We draw, indeed, from the tenor of the debate,
hopes that ere long these larger and kinder views
may win their way to goners). assent. When
General Psis, leaving the traditions of his party
and his profession, reproaches us for nnconrtesy
in joining • threat with our demand for just re•
dress in the Trent affair ; when Mr. WATKI2I,
amid cheers, asks whether we could not propose
to negotiate for the abrogation of fortifications on
both sides, in lieu of raising fresh rival works on
ours, we see hope that a truer sense of the
nature and duties of our position will at
length prevail. The temper of the debate on all sides
contained nothing repugnant to this hope. There
war a singular absence from even hinting at
anything that could irritate ; there was an
earnest desire expressed on every side
that the works for which fonds were
asked might never be put to use, and
there was a sincere expression of assurance that
the feelings of the Americana were at least at
present as amicable as our own. AU this is infi-
nitely encouraging, and we must trust to these
sentiments ripening and bearing their natural
fruit. We cannot believe it possible that when
the public has had time to think on all that our
assumption to defend Canada, not only in her
quarrels but in ours, involves, it will continue to
allow Government to present us with a theory of
honour and duty, which, as Mr. Lows observed,
can be carried into practice only if we succeed in
maintaining peace, while eomssitting us in the
event of war to • conflict of • character in which
we must, in the nature of things, be vanquished,
and Canada must be torn fromns.

ENGLAND AND ADIZEICA.—The following tele-
graphic despatch from the British charge d'affaires
at Washington was read by Mr. Cardwell in the
Rouse of Commons last night, amidst loud cheer-
ing :—" The Secretary of State iMr. Seward) in-
forms me that his gvernment intends to withdraw
its notice for the abrogation of the treaty of 1817
(concerning gunboats on the lakes), and that the
passport system will cease immediately."