The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-22 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The verdict on the late Imperial manifesto of
France passed by the Saturday Renew is that it throws no
light on the past, and carefully withholds all clue to the
future. It raises nearly every one of the questions which
agitate Europe, and it answers cone of them, nor suggests
an answer ; it gives us a momentary glimpse of each of the
most gigantic transactions that are in course of preparation
on the great political stage, and then instantly causes the
curtain to drop.
The Saturday Review, seeking to diminish the importance
of the reform demcnatrations, taunts the promoters of them
with the absence of leaders of local opinion, with sending
roundthehatof mendicancy,pnd even a .th endangering life
and property the character of their assemblages. To our
contemporary, Mr. Bright's honestylookelikeduplicity,and
Mr. Gladstone's silence is a cause for justifiable complaint.
Treating of the Greek and Eastern questions the Saturday
Renew insists on the independence of Turkey as a guaran-
tee of our free intercourse with India, but urges that on
the other hand the Turkish empire is an anachronism
which cannot long be left in its present condition. The
cession of Candia to Greece ought to be regretted by no
civilised Foreign-office, and it is high time fur an English
government to show the Continent that, while it is reason-
ably jealous about the overland route, it is not blind to
the condition of Turkey's Chtistian subjects.
In the view of the Spectator the Emperor Napoleon has
more than any statesman of his time the art of writing for
a nation. Every word of the circular is sincere, but some.
thing is suppressed in its expression of his political inten.
lions. The occasions which he defines in which France
may logically apply to herself the principle of territorial
extension are susceptible of either • retrospective or a
prospective interpretation,and when we remember the other
passage in the circular which justifies the irresistible
tendency of modern times towards large kingdoms, we
do not wonder at the rendering given to the studiedly
vague language of the Emperor by the French people.
England is not mentioned at all in the circular. The
Emperor feels justified by the deliberate declaration of
parliament for • stand-aloof policy, to cast the horoscope
of Europe without computing our tendencies and wishes
We are not sure, however, that if either Geneva or Bel-
gium were seriously endangered we should regard the use
of the French tongue, knowledge of French traditions, and
the enjoyment of the French code, as sufficient reason for
acquiescing in the manifest destiny of France.
The scandalous incident in Canada, the spiriting away
of M. Lamirsade, excites the surprise of the Spectator by
its effrontery. Had the story been told in a work of
fiction by a novelist of the sensation school, all the critics
would have characterised it as improbable, and would have
laughed at the ignorance of the author. Had a French
Imperialist put it in a book it would have been advanced
as evidence of a desire to blacken our institutions, and if
an American had written it, the story would have been
referred to as • specimen of the malignity of a republican.
Yet there it stands recorded in the documents of law
courts, a narrative of bare facts, such as lawyers delight
in, and no more to be questioned than the authenticity
of an act of parliament. After reading it none of our
readers will wonder why the drawing up of an extradition
treaty is so full of risk to the liberty of those who take
refuge on our shores. It is sufficient to narrate this story
to ensure its correct appreciation. The judge assumes
that Lord Monet will adopt such measures as may be no-
cemary "to maintain that respect which is due to the
courts of Canada and the laws of England." As to the
public officers who have been concerned in this nefarious
proceed s& they are warned that the Court of Queen's
Bench, " holding criminal jurisdiction," will sit on the
24th inst., to which day the case stood adjourned.

The most important argument in the French circular,
in the view of the Eznatireer, is that which points out the
growing strength and population of Runic and of the
United States, and stating that in a certain number [of