The Express.
London, England, 1867-11-02 00:00:00

THE WEEKLY PRESS.

The Saturday Review says that throughout his
reign, the Emperor Napoleon, whenever there has been a
choice between priests and Garibaldians, between black
and red, has always been for the black. An empire Gan
make use of priests bet it cannot make use of revolutionists.
But within the last few days the workmen of Paris have
behaved as if they bad at last found out much to their
disappointment that Louis Napoleon was no longer their
friend ; and we may be sure that such a manifestation will
not be without effect. Revolution is to be put down, but
democratic France is to be cheered by the knowledge bit
after the revolution has been dealt with, the turn of the
Pope is to come. All to the conference if the Pope will
have nothing to do with it, it would be quite in.-
' possible that the other powers should meet, and France
must take the initiative by proposing something which is
likely to give some sort of satisfaction to Italy. The solu-
tion which seems most probable is that things will be
patched up for the present by taking away another large
slice of the Papal territory.

Of Mr. Disraeli's speech at Edinburgh the Saturday
Review says that half consisted of an audacious travestie
of history. It was altogether in the style of the worst
parts of " Coningsby" and " Sybil." The speaker seemed
to assume, with a confidence suggested probably by his
acquaintance with Scotch earls and dukes, that the minds
of all men aro a perfect blank as regards the past, that no
one knows anything of what has happened, and that, with
• little ingenuity and audacity, any assertion may be
made. Encouraged by the sympathy of his different
audiences, and trusting that none of them would recollect
thst he had risen into eminence solely by the pertinacity
with which he resisted the proposal to give the poor cheap
bread, he went almost wild in his assertions, and hall a
malicious pleasure in seeing how far be could try it on.
The Examiner is equally severe upon the Emperor Na-
poleon and Victor Emmanuel. England's opinion, it ob-
serves, will, of course, not be consulted, fur England is
nowadays told that it is her policy to have no opinion to
give in the great concerns of Christendom. Our people
suffer in their trade and enterprise, in the value of their
investment., more, perhaps, than any other, by the pro-
longation of the present incertitude and fear of confusion;
but our rulers are content with the cunning of cowardice,
and being destitute of ideas or opinions, dare not counsel
the taking of a part either conservative or progressive,
which, taken wisely and taken well, would go far to re-
store general tranquillity.

. _
The proposition of a congress can, in the opinion of the
SpectaP,r, have but one meaning—that Napoleon wishes to
retreat with honour from an untenable situation. There
la not the least probability that Italy will give her capital
away in council, or that the protestant powers or Russia
will menace Italy in order to secure the safety of a pope.
Before England or Prussia could join such a conference, it
must be arranged that the temporal power shall end, and
th►t the only thing to be guaranteed is the so-called
"independence" of the Pope. With that understanding,
to be rigidly enforced, the conference might be a means of
avoiding bloodshed, but the subjugation of the papacy to
heretics would be nearly complete. Greek, Lutheran, and
protestant nations would dispose by a majority of the
catholic metropolis.
The Chronicle quotes from speeches made at the late
Hillsborough demonstration to show that no demonetra•
tion in favour of the maintenance of the church establish.
ment can be taken a. expressing the views of " the proles-
tants of Ireland." The dissenters, who in number approach