The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-21 00:00:00

THE TEN LANS.

Greatly respecting Mr. Seymour's honourable zeal for
the unhappy men whose interests were placed in his hands,
the Daily Nan feels at liberty, without failing in com-
passion for the convicts, to express satisfaction that by the
testimony of a judge so eminent as Mr. Justice Blackburn,
the protection with which the law surrounds its humbler
ministers is not diminished by such circumstances as Mr.
Seymour has been able to point out. The officers in charge
of Kelly and Deasy were bound to obey the warrant under
which they held those prisoners, notwithstanding possible
defects in its form ; therefore they were protected by it,
and the slaughter of one of them as the result of •
deliberately planned conspiracy to attack them with fire-
arms is murder. The law being thus ascertained, it now
remains for the government to consider the case of these
convicts on the broad grounds of policy. If it should find
itself able to relax the severity of the law without danger
to the interests of society the public will be glad ; but it is
a matter the full responsibility of which may properly be
left with the government.
The Times has • curious remonstrance with those who
would save the Fenian. from the last sentence of the law
—namely that it would deprive the prisoners of all credit
for courage and put an end to all claim for heroism. It
believes the desperadoes who achieved the rescue at Man-
chester really counted on paying life for life should they
be caught, and not merely whiling away a little leisure in
prison, with the certainty of being released before the
expiration of the term, if not earlier liberated by the pro-
gress of the rebellion. If this last was what they fondly
hoped, then, indeed, they deserve any h►rd words we may
choose to give them. If they believed they were exposing
themselves to the penalty of death, then they deserve
the qualified respect we are wont to bestow on many
names in history and in fable, redeemed 'from disgrace
by a readiness to die for their country or their cause.
Why should the Fenian, employ exAusively all the ques-
tionable and all the reprobated arts of war, and then ask
to be regarded as caitiffs below our contempt, and not
worth • halter? They don't ask it themselves, and they
who ask it for them can hardly be dispassionate friends—
at least their friendship is not complimentary.

ABYSSINIA.
In the interest of the unhappy captives ; in the interest
of the honour of England ; in tho interest of humanity
and religion, thi Star regards the war as unnecessary, and
extremely ill-adapted for the humane purpose in view.
The ministry did not exhaust all peaceful mesas before
deciding on force. They did not adopt the most ordinary
and evident mode of getting the capqves speedily liberated
—viz., by sending to Theodore the presents for which he
had stipulated, which, in her Majesty's name, had been
promised to him, and for which nearly 4,000/. had been
paid. Nor did they send up the artisans who were per-
fectly willing to go, with whom an agreement had been
made for three years, and for whom the country is at the
present moment paying nearly I,ooof. per annum.
The Telegraph considers it settled that the principle to
be adopted is that not a farthing must be added to the
permanent debt of the nation, and that the charges for the
expedition must appear in the budget. Many incidents
may occur between the present time and April to lessen or
increase the estimate of cost—the war may have ended, or
larger operations may be necessary. But, in any case, the
expense of the expedition, and the plan of supplying it,
should appear in the annual record of liabilities, and should
on no account be treated separately.