The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-19 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom oui owir COREZIEPONDIXT.)
PARIS. TVISDAT EVENING.

M. Papist (who I am happy to find is still editor
of the deenir National, though it was reported he
had left the paper) takes an original view of the
Levalette circular. He begins by stating what
the circular itself prominently admits, that before
its issue public opinion was " moved." Now that
it has appeared the public is completely " at fault."
Hitherto it has painfully endeavoured to guess the
policy of government. Now that the policy is
knows it is not understood. The publics does not
understand how territorial changes which alter all
the conditions of the balance of power in Europe
can be said to be definitive when the greatest
powers in Europe —F England, and Russia—
have had no hand in the change. It does not un•
&Mend how France, which six years ago saw
in the simple annexation of Tuscany to
Piedmont a sufficient reason for seizing upon
Savoy and Nice, should allow all Germany to pass
into Prussian hands without asking for either
parentless or compensation. It knows that the
Alpine frontier was less open and less a subject of
uneasiness than that of the Rhine, and it does not
understand why, after enforcing against Italy the
system of " natural frontiers," the same rule should
not be applied to Prussia, which is to-day far
indeed more formidable than Italy was in 1860.
But that which above all things the public fails to
understand is the great and manifest conflict
between M. de Lavalette's circular and the
Emperor's letter to M. Drouyn de Lhuys of June
11. In that letter the Emperor • demanded
the "maintenance of Austria's great position in
Germany." In the circular M. de Lavalette ad-
mits that Austria no longer exists as a Germanic
Power, and he rejoices at it. In the letter the
Emperor declared that "we should think of an
extension of our frontiers in case the map of
Europe were modified for the exclusive benefit of a
great power." The map of Europe is now most
essentially modified for the exclusive benefit of
Prussia, and M. de Lavalette declares that we
have no thought of any extension of our frontiers.
With the exception of Prussia nobody is satisfied
with the results of the war, and M. de
Lavalette affirms that everybody is pleased.
In the arrangements of Prague the public
saw a truce rather than a peace, and
had a presentiment of fresh complications.
According to M. de Lavalette, these appre-
hensions are unfounded ; the peace will be a
durable peace, and France, whichever way she
looks, can see nothing likely to stand in the way
of her progress and prosperity. M. de Lavalette
says that France rejoices to see the treaties of 1815
irrevocably destroyed. But that is a great mistake.
These treaties, violated and torn as they have been
by all the powers, no longer exist in law ; but
they exist in fact, and especially in all those
respects which made them oppressive and
humiliating to ourselves. That treaty of No-
vember 20, which broke up our frontiers of
1814, weakened or destroyed our national and artL
ficial defences on the Meuse, the Rhine, the
Vosges, and the Ardennes, is yet in force. The
" keys of our holm." remain in the possession of
Prussia, and as Prussia is infinitely stronger than
she was before the war, the treaties of 1815, far
from being destroyed, are aggravated as against us,
and France, far from rejoicing, as M. de Lavalette
says, is distressed to think of it. The worst of it
all is that by declaring the treaties of 1815 irre-
vocably destroyed, the government gives Prussia,
and the future allies of Prussia, a right to stop our
mouth at any future time when wo may complain of
these treaties in their bearing upon us. And the
government itself feels this so strongly that it
thinks itself obliged for the defence of our terri-
tory to "perfect our military organisation without
delay," although with striking inconsistency, it
says in the same breath, " the horizon is clear of
any menacing eventualities."
This morning a steam-engine on the finishing
stuffs factory of M. Ernault, the Mayor of Roubaix
at Suresne, blew up, and the two men then work-
ing it were killed on the spot.
At the Bourse there was a disposition to view
the circular favourably. Rente rose 27c. for cash
and 12c. for account, closing at 69fr. 371,c., and
69fr. 30c. Italian rose 55c. ; Mobilier lir. 25c.,
and Credit Foncier 7f. 50c.

WEATHER REPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

WIDIMMAT. ni17.1111“ 19. 8 &lc

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