The Express.
London, England, 1859-11-16 00:00:00

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MOM WATh* At LONDON NUMB.

LeNDON. WEDNLIDAT, 'or. 16.

WIIETNEI this country is likely to be involved i•
war with France is no doubt at any time • serious
gaieties, bat it is one which we do not see that,
ender exietiag circumstances, the English press is
at all called to discuss, mach lies to decide. Ib
deity Is to weigh the words and criticise the acts
of foreign Governments, not to assume the existence
of secret motives at war with these, and to circulate
sespiems founded on the alwaniptioe. The tone
and temper of a nation are too ragas to be seized
and analysed. They are continually changing. and
the very discussion to which we estemit there eels
directly on their state. We are st prensat not only at
peace, bat in cleat alliance with Freasiased we are not I
aware that the Imperial Goverament has recently
violated in any way the friendly Medicos existing
between the two countries. If It don so, let the •
adverse set he freely widened end boldly sea.
demned. This is the straightforward sad besets.
able course which England i surely staling enough
and proud enough to panne, and which the English
press, ea the representative of the nation, le bound
to maintain. But to mks together trivial lemony
*eidetic* from the most doubtful and Assam
mourns, and make it the basis of • public Whit-
meat against the French nation sad the French
Government, is neither discreet nor dignified.
Evidence of this kind, derived from muse-room talk,
quarter-deck yarns, casual travelling gossip, and
reckless, party organs, may be obtsised at any time
in more or km abundance by those who indas-
triemly seek it. The political complications of tae
moment help to give such gossip jut now an ac-
cidental importance which it does not ordinarily
passer. Europe is in an uneasy state, and we are
at variance with the Government of Franca as an
important point of international policy. The situation
affords staple scope for the malign activity of gossip-
mongers, canardmanuferturers, and the testy traf-
fickers in exclusive information obtained flea the
best soarer. Clubs, coteries, and private Us-Ps/dor
great and small, abound with war rumour. mad spe-
culations. Elderly dowagers, male sad fens* we
tilled with anxiety and alarm. In aware@ the
alarm is genuine. la others it is the result of •
love doers excitement—the weak craving ice strong
senestioes. In others again, the war talk springs
from • morbid paw+c• foe distinctioe, a fumy sense
of eelf-importanci. Small men like to talk big on
a great subject, and indite themselves in imagine-
bo• to the dimensional of their theme. From Ibis%
and • multitude of akar like causes, it is not sur-
prising that, in the preen' state of strain, incidents
of ordinary occurrence should be invested by small
Lade with • inyeteriocis significance, or even con-
vened into pregnant symptoms of an impending
raptors between' this country and France.

We do nor, however, mean to say that this is all; but
it affords an ad. goats explanation of the feeling exist-
ing between the two coantrice. There may be on the
other side of the Channel special acts oleo unfriendly
complexion, in addition to the common talk that every
period of political disturbance necessarily produce..
The too* adopted in speaking of this country by
some of the French journals supposed to be indirectly
cossetted with the Government is • circumstance of
this kind. Facts of this nature may be fairly weired
and taken lac what they are worth. They afford
matter for private duscoasioa, and naturally stimu-
late the vigilance both of the Government and the
nation. To tura them to account in this way is
both wise sad prudent. But to seize upon them as
adequate proof of lined hatred to this country oa
the part of • test/lA.4%lring people, and make them
the basis of • public accusation of hostile intention
o• the part of • friendly Government, is not only •
gross violation of the commooest rules of courtesy
and discretion, but the must intuiting and mis-
chievous course that at inch • crisis could be pursued.
We all know that in private life unfriendly or
disparaging woedsapoltes in • moment of irritation
to a third party have a totally different meaning
when addressed directly to the individual himself.
In the former case they indicate merely momentary
anno3anor, and if the friend to whom they are
spoken is di* feet they produce no ill result. But if in
cold blood we repeat the injurious words to the face
of the person himself, it shows a desire to insult and
a determination, if possible, to quarrel with him. The
usual preliminary of such a quarrel is the direct
a id ofensive attribution of hodile motives and in-
tentions. It is the part of weak and irritable natures
to accept the existence of such motives on slight
grounds, and set on the bare suspicion. And miss
and in snd acted on, such suspicions, however
groundless, tend to fulfil themselves, by converting
an in. i:;inary into a real grievsoce. To persist is
makia4 an odious charge on insufficient grounds is,
of course, offensive, and naturally tends to pro-
voke • quarrel. Such conduct is stigmatised
in private life as mieshievous and quarrelsome, and
the laws of honourable intercourse apply equally
to nations and individuals. If it is wrong to convert
hasty suspicions into rash charges in private life, it
is even more so in the public intercourse of nations.
Greater prudence and caution are rtquired in this