The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-15 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY; MANOR IL

Nxtraxa in Englend nor in Amnion do the people
wish to go to war with each other. Both in Ragland
and America the Governosests know thispeople will not
permit them to go to war on trivial pretexts. We must
confess that President Pixacs and his Cabinet appear
to as to be taking an ungenerous advantage of this
knowledge. They are exacting apologias from the
Cabinet of St. James's in the tone of duellists rather
than of statesmen ; or rather in the tone of parties
who wish to be thought fire-eaters and talk loud in
the presence of the police. We have all along main-
tained that our Government acted with undue levity
and precipitation in sanctioning attempts to en-
list men for our Foreign Legion in the United
Banes without previously endeavouriog to se-
attain how such a step would be regarded by the an.
thorities at Washington and by the American people.
But we have all along felt convinced that our Oo-
nutmeat had no intention to offer any slight to the
Goverment or people of America. It demisted from
the attempt the moment that the American Govern-
ment expressed dissatisfaction; and it has made as
ample an apology as any reasonable man would ask
for an inadvertent offence. But President Pisses and
his Cabinet, appareatly not satisfied with aseertain-
leg that the feelings of the English Government am
of the English people towardatheireoestry are amica-
ble and respectful, aim at glorifying themselves by
insisting upon an bumble apology, and the recall dour
Minister at Washington, end the withdrawal of one
or two consuls. In the event of the latter requite not
being complied with they threaten to send these
gentlemen their passports. As the question is one of
mere diplomatic punctilio, we are perfectly confident
that Englishmen and Americana will not consent to
be made to fight about it. It is for those who are
learned in the "dependencies" of the diplomatic
deaths to say how the affair will be finally arranged.
Possibly the English Government may allow the
Government at Washington to rend the English func-
tionaries, Basket whom complaints are made, their
passports; formal diplomatic intercourse between the
two countries will be for a time suspended; the incon-
venience of such a sate of affairs will make itself felt;
and on the mediation of Dome friendly power the
Governments will again be reworded.
As if the course to be punned by the English
Cabinet with reference to the demand of the Ame-
rican PRESIDENT for the recall of Mr. Cameron
were not a onfficien tly perplexing question, Mr.Casitt-
TON has seen fit to conduct himself, with reference to
the Nicaraguan affair, in a manner that renders it
more perplexing still. In the course of several am-
vereatioas with Mr. BUCHANAN on that controversy,
Lord CLARENDON expressed a desire that it should
be referred to the arbitration of some third
Power. Mr. BUCHANAN alleges that Such OM-
tares were not sufficiently formal—that they ought
to have been embodied in a letter or &spank. We
believe it is customary with any government before
brassily proposing to refer any matter in dispute
between it and another government to arbitratioa, to
endeavour to ascertain whether such a proposal will
be acceptable to the latter. This appears to have
been Lord Cf.muunint's object in the conversations
alluded to; which were duly reported to the Cabinet
at Washington, but elicited no response from that
quarter. Bot Lord CLARENDON went farther. On
the 10th of November last he addremed a despatch
to Mr. Outer:ex, in which the following pomp

Kr. Daihatsu haviag, In the tows of Keversatioa a few
days sr, adverted to the haptueion that would be created
is tta Wilted Butes by the sestaattleasat of the Cuarsi
Amorists gasstien, I 'pia assayed bin that Itaitssi
so wish to extend bar indasawa, or to Kaaba say territory,
to that put of the word, sad reminded Ka that, ea the
darns., bstwesa this °assay sad the (baud Maus
tuned solely span the total Mattis at the treaty el NO,
I bad offered, ea the part of bar Majesty's geversmeat, is
submit the awe to the sibitratia• of a third power, bat that
he had decitsed the off.r. Her Majesty's gewsrassat, I
said, woed still abide by that offer, sad I thsaibt that
woad be the fstrest sad most ratable saws Of attiring
at e sittanneat of the qualm.. Mr. Basbasaa said M
would make it knows Is his porernuast, tad ere inetrw►
tire to esuseueleate Ws despatch to Mr. Mercy.

With this injunction to communieste the despatch
to Mr. MARCY, Mr. CRAMPTON did not comply till
the 27tla of teat mouth. In the letter to Mr. MARCT
with which he accompanied it he soya :—" The truth
la. the last paragraph of the despatch escaped my
actuation until I referred to it lately; end as I was
aware that the negotiation of the question regarding
Central America was io Mr. BUCHANAN'S and Lord
CLARENDON*/ hands, I considered the despatch as
merely assent for a copy of information aa to what
wee going forward upon a subject in regard to which
you were already informed." In other word', Mr.
CRAMPTON did not take the trouble to read atten-
tively a despatch received in November, 1864 till
"lately;" and when he did read it ha took upon him-
self to disobey it, on the assumption that the Intel-
brace it contained most have been transmitted
through some other channel. It is pretty clear that
Mr. CRAMPTON is not a MAO to be trusted with im-
portant business; and we cannot see how the Rog-
bah Goveroment can do otherwise than recall him.
It is possible, however, that President hence, not
satisfied with a simple recall, will insist upon having
the reason for it expressly stated; and that the rea-
son assigned by the English Government will be de-
clared insufficient by the PILESIDINT. Bo the ques-
tion of punctilio between the two Governments will
remain exactly where it wee, with the additional
emberramment to the English Cabiaet, that while,
on the one hand, to recall Mr. Caastrrow at
this moment might have the appearance of
sacrificing him for doing what he woe instruoted
to do, on the other, not to recall him would
be to overlook a grave offence, and repose assfidence
in one who has shown that he dose not deserve it.
In days of old, when the people counted for godlier.
such delicate dilemmas would probably have ended
in a resort to the arbitrament of war; but, now that
the people count for something, there can be no doubt
that their vulgar common sense will out the Gordian
knot which dainty diplomatic fingers cannot untie-
We know how people feel on this side of the water,
and Mr. SewAses recantation of his first warlike
speech is a tolerably reliable indication of the state of
faeliog on the other side. There will be no war be-
tween England and America on a point of punctilio
like this.