The Express.
London, England, 1858-08-05 00:00:00

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LONDON, TIMINDAT, AUGUST 5.

SPORTING

A SPECIAL EDITION of the *EXPRESS,"
containing the malts of the day's Rens, is pub-
lished every evening daring the Sporting Saloon, at
six o'clock.

Aucoer as mash virtuous indigestion has been
wasted upon the Jades at Cherbourg as upon the
_fete
at Creisoene. Our only Adoption to the vitupera-
tive eloquence 'speeded epee both mossicas is, that
it attributes too meth importance to its object. The
Cretonne gala was a freak of the fashionable world ;
and assuredly the English public might have learned
by this time to be astonished at nothing the fashion-
able world will do when in high spirits. And the
inauguration of the Cherbourg docks and railway is,
on both aides the Channel, a mere excuse for a
junketing country excursion. The Members of
the House of Commies on board the Pere
have entered into the true spirit of the
festival. They laid in an ample store of the
best wines, and commenced operations with a
jolly dioser, at which, we are told, "some capital
" soap were sung." We wonder wbo were the
vocalists. Was it Mr. Rosters, or Mr. W. Wtt.-
limes, or Lord ASULIT, or Mr. 8. Wawa, who
attained to this pitch of exhilaration ? And if all
tales of that joyous evening be true, France is no
leaser the only country in which indomitable
spirits—

skilled le gusto lore,
Have *tapped beneesh the harshen at these-eons.
Whoever the singers and dancers m►y have been,
they have shown a most just appreciation of theoces-
sion upon which they were met. It is a frolic after
the hard work of the Sessioo.
If regarded from one point of view, we admit
that a degree of political interest does attach
to the Cherbourg Jets.. That the completion
of that great naval station should be thus cele-
brated implies a marked decrease of the un-
natural suspicion with which Franco. and England
used to watch each other's movements. Notwith-
standing the incessant croaking of sone forebodes
of evil, the people and the Government of England
will not see any menace to themselves in the works
at Cherbourg. This is not the result of any excess
of confidence in the extraordinary man who for the
moment wields the destinies of France. His character
is, perhaps, better understood in England than
anywhere else. lie is bent upon being great.
If greatness I. compatible with goodness be
would prefer the association; but if he cannot be
both good and great, he will prefer to be the latter.
He has, on the whole, rather a friendly feeling
towards England. If an alliance with England is
likely to consolidate his power in France it
will be agreeable to him; bat however reluctant
to quarrel with England, he would not hesitate
to do so if he saw anything to be gained
thereby. The people of England know this, sad
consequently place no reliance on his good will,
though they do not doubt its existence. Bat
they know that, all-powerful though he ap-
pears to be, there are some things be cannot
do ; and they know that among these things
is to make a war with England permanently
popular with the maul of the French nation. We
do not mean to say that the French like the
English. JOHN BULL is a meet uulikeable person
to all but his own countrymen. But the French
people know that there is nothing to be gained by a
war with England, while it would expose them to
much annoyance and inconvenience. The time has
gone past when a French Monarch could make a
warlike establishment at Cherbourg available to
damage England. France and England will under
any regime* cantina, to be good business connexion%
though, perhaps, for some generations to cola's
there may not be mush cordiality between them.
And this being the case, it is well that le
paltry jealousy should prevent the people of England
and their rulers from taking a part in the jubilant'
celebration of the completion of the works at Cher_
bourg. So long as we have an efficient Channel
fleet there is no danger for us in these works. French
fortifications are more a menace to Frenchmen than
to foreigners. The fortifications of Paris had foreign
invasion lees in view than Parisian imertes. The
forts at Havre could do little harm to as enemy's
fleet, but they efi'ectually command the town.
Some of our contemporaries seem determined at
this dead season to make the most of the Cherbourg
festivities. Taking time by the forelock, they are
cramming their columns with historical reminiscences
of Cherbourg. They have actually favoured the
public with amounts of its condition its the time of
Jutrus Ceilsa, or earlier. It is needless to go so
far back for illustrations of this world's mutability.
In so far as England is concerned, we need
only go back to the days of Omani 111. to find start-
ling contrasts with the present. A Mend, whose
contribution appears in this day's isms, has, at an,
instigatims, kindly evoked the memorise of the pots
and farmed as with an &caveat of a visit to a
French Isaperee at Chsehenrg in an early year of
the present sentery. Thee, as now, there wee •
NAroteoe bearing the Imperial title at Cher-
bourg, bent upon completing the work eons-
menced under the 13otraeoss. Then, se reesstly,
the monetary condition of Frame esquised
large importations of bullion from Enobild,
Bat then the Emperor of Foatrc• sod An
king of ENOLAND were scowling at each other
across the Channel, whereas now the Queen of
ENOLAND is making • friendly forenoon sell at
Cirebourg. Then the bearers of the bullion had to
smuggle it to the potentate who had alrea,?! isemed
(or who soon after issued) the Milan decrees ; wheresi
ea the l•te oeessioa the Bank of France and the
House of ROTHSCHILD carried on their operations in
the fees of day. Oar friend's trip to Cherbourg in
1
a emeggling lugger would make a better figure in a
aovel, such as no one can pen since we lost MA/-
HYATT, than a comfortable trip in the crack steam-
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