The Express.
London, England, 1858-01-05 00:00:00

THE FRENCH OPERATIONS IN CHINA.

The Independence Beige of yesterday evening
says:" At the moment of going to press we h►ve
received from Paris by electric telegraph an an-
nouncement which merits the special attention of onr
readers. France has resolved not to participate in the
operations which England is preparing against
Canton. Formal orders to this effect have been
sent to Rear-Admiral Rigeult de Glenouilly, and the
forces commanded by that general officer have re-
ceived another destination. The question is no
longer of acting against China, but to
make a demonstration against Cochin China, where

a cruel persecution is at this moment being carried on
against the Christians, and where the authorities
recently insulted a vessel of the French Imperial
navy. It will be remembered that in the last cen-
tury great advantages were accorded by the Emperor
of Cochin China to the French government, repre-
sented at his court by several officers of fortune
and of great merit, and by some very able Christian
missionaries of the order of Jesuits. Doubtless
these are the advantages—especially the cession of
Tournane in the bay of that name—that are now to
be sought after, there being also the ulterior pur-
pose of securing for French influence in
those distant seas a position equivalent
to that which the English, the Dutch, and Spanish
enjoy, and which the Russians essay to create by
their establishments to the north of China, in
Mantchouria, along the river Amour. As Spain,
which possesses important colonies in these
seas, has equal cause to complain of the
conduct of the Cochin China authorities, she will
be invited to join France in the projected demon-
stration. A Council of Ministers was to be held
to-day under the presidency of the Emperor, to
discuss the part which the government of Madrid
shall take in this affair, and also to what extent
France herself shall proceed."

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(mow ora owx

PARIS, MONDAY EVENING.

The great event of the day is the appearance in
the Spectatsur (such is the title which, in conse-
quence of a decree of suppression, the old A ssernblEe
Nationals has taken) of a more elaborate and more
startling political article than any that has been
published in Paris for many years. The article evi-
' dently emanates from the small but intelligent
political party which formerly inspired the Asserts-
511e. And although it cannot be doubted that it is
written for the purpose of doing as much damage as
possible to the present government of France with-
out necessarily provoking a warning, suspension, or
suppression, the facts which it states, coming as they
1 are supposed to do from unusually well-informed
sources, will undoubtedly make a great sensation
in Europe. The article is headed, " A Coup-
d'cril on Foreign Policy." It commences by a re-
sume of the state of the only two ostensible
great diplomatic questions of the year—those of
Denmark and the Duchies, and the Danubian
Principalities. As to the first question, which it
says excites no interest in France, it expresses an
opinion that the Great Powers will adhere to the
resolution which the Germanic Diet will probably
take in a few days, and will not encourage Denmark
in a resistance which would be dangerous to the
peace of Europe. On the second it comes to the
conclusion (which I long ago announced to be so
certain that I should cease to notice conflicting
rumours on the subject) that the cause of the union
of the Principalities is lost. But its arguments on
these questions, although developed at great length,
are merely prefatory to the main object of the
article, which is to show that a diplomatic work, of
immense importance, has been achieved during the
past year, of which the European public entertains
very little suspicion. What this works alleged to
be appears from the concluding part of the article,
which, on account of the great sensation which it is
certain to produce, I subjoin at length :
From the moment that the Treaty of Paris of March 30,
1856, was signed, it erase universal oplolon that the alliances
under the influence of which peace had been maintained in
Europe for the last thirty years were at an end. We were of
this opinion, notwithstanding the conclusion of an alliance
between Prance, England, and Austria. We did not heel-
tate to say that the true situation of ell and each of the Great
Powers was—isolation. And accordingly, whenever, since
that time, any European question has arisen, each Power
has appeared to be feeling its way, to hesitate what part to
take, and to lean sometimes one way and sometimes another.
At the present time, the situation as to two Powers at
least has completely changed since the triple treaty was
signed, and the change deserves the most serious attention.
At the opening of a recent session of the English parliament,
Mr. Disraeli made an inquiry concerning a guarantee given
to Austria for the security of her Italian possessions, •ith
the knowledge and concurrence of England. Lord Palmer-
ston was much embarrassed by the question, and gave •
hesitating denial. After having said at a subsequent time
that he did not know of any such guarantee, he was after-
wards forced to admit that he knew all about it,
but he said that the eventualities in the view
of which the arrangement had been concluded not
having Aviator, the whole thing was at an end, and no-
thing more was to be said about it. The guarantee in ques-
tion was given by France In the expectation of the waist-
anon which Austria had led the two Powers to expect that
she would give them in the Eastern we:. It Is quite true
that that treaty is not now binding. But it will not be for-
gotten that a few months since a German journal revealed
the existence of a secret treaty between England and Aus-
tria, by which the first of them Powers promised its good
offices, and even its aid, in case the Austrian possessions in
Italy should be in danger. This statement was not strictly
correct, but there was • foundation for the news. We do
not, indeed, believe that any special arrangement with re-
gard to Italy was ever made between the cabinets of London
and Vienna. But if we are well informed, and we think we
are, • protocol in four articles was signed at Vienna, some
time about the middle of last year, between the English Am-
bassador and M. de Boot, by which the two Powers
mutually engaged to enlist each other in case of aggres-
sion, and not to take any offensive measures without
consulting each other. This, then, under the least solemn
form possible, wee, in fact, an alliance in the most extensive
sense of the word, and the two Powers have since spared no
effort to Induce Prussia to join them. The reasons which
guided the conduct of Austria and England in these circum-
stances are nut difficult to understand. The first of theme
powers felt the Isolation of her position after the termination
of the Crimean war. At the same time England had learned
by experience that, in order to maintain bee influence on the
Continent, the alliance of a great military power was
Indispensable. What would she have does against
Russia without the aid of France? It may be
asked why Remised did not think the tried alliance
with France preferable to an alliance with Austria? We
will not, indeed we could not, discuss this question
thoroughly. Is Franco an ally either two powerful or too
reserved? Are them between us and England toe many
points of contact sad subjects of rivalry for It to be possible
that an alliance between us cen be complete and desirable?
Has Austria, who a year ego so efficaciously seconded the
views of England by maintaining that the preaance of her
resettle In the Bosphorne was necessary to assure the in-
tegrity of the Ottoman empire and to preserve the Isle
of Serpents for the Sultan, shown herself more
adroit than ourselves in seising an opFortanity ?
We do not know, and once more, we dare not
inquire. But this much is certain, that the alliance in
question suits both Ensiled and Austrian policy. It relieves
Austria from the isolated situation In which she had been
left by the events of 1854 and ism, and gives to English
Moses IS the Osolimat the support of a glut military