The Express.
London, England, 1859-05-09 00:00:00

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LONDON. MONDAY, MAY 9.

Wity .4 a free Nod

natioa has declared

its will clearly, easnimmudy, and with emphuie oa
a great question of policy, it has a right to be able
to throw off all anxiety about the fulfilment of ito
wisher. With one consist Englishmen, everywhere,
during the lest three weeks, have declared that they
would join:neither France nor Austria in this war.
They know that the Austrians are engaged in an
eggrerioe which, violent and wrongful se it is In
iteelf, is undertaken to maintain &coarse of policy
towards Central Italy even more oppressive and
iniquitous. As to France, however much °pinkies
may be divided, as the indications of the Enemies
policy are ecrutioiscd, those who most anked/0
desire the emancipation of Italy do not wish that ore
army should be associated with his in the contest.
Neutrality is the demand of all claims of Englishmen.
We say that the nation having made known its
desire so unequivocally has a right to feel that
that desire will be a law to the Government. Bat
is it true that Englishmen generally are tranquilly
enjoying that assurance? It is not. We all keow
that it is far otherwise. Nobody help certain that
we may not be surprised wins mealy with the
news that we are entangled is war. Everybody
has formed his opinion of the leanings of the Go-
vernment. Its members have so often and se ea-
generously denounced the heroic little State whisk
is the bops of Italy, and hare so often extenembd,
and sometimes even justified, the aggressive palsy
of Austria, that their later professions of impartiality
have been regarded se expressing meetly a geed
Intention which habit and inclination will net EU
to overrule. When they talk of centrality they de
so se it they are expecting some "untoward'
event to set them at liberty to take a side. Nothing
stimulates the spirit of prophecy like desk*, and
in the fears" which are so readily and so inces-
santly expressed for the duration of peace, the
world reads the disposition to surrender the blessing
on easy terms.

There is no sorer way to loos the inestimable art
increasing advantages of peace than pusillanimesily
to despair of its maintenance. We can have peace if
we have the courage and resolution to maintain it.
At the present moment we haraly need to ho warned
against that fond credulity which would leave oar
freedom of action abroad to the generosity of despots.
We know that if we sums to remain the sole die-
posers of our resources, whether reessble es warlike,
oar naval and military force rest be sea as will
command the consideration of tyrants who balite*
respect public opinion just in proportion, r it is re-
presented by material power. We may be in
danger of becoming extraysgaat and wastsfal
in our dockyards and arsenals at a time of
excitement and iacreased activity, but if we are to
maintain perfect freedom, and to guard against that
eatraiaement which draws feeble States into war,we
can hardly be too strong. The additional expendi-
ture which such preparation will entail, will be com-
pensated by the exemption we may exyect to enjoy
from humiliating panics, with partirct freedom to
consult the interests and honour of England, and no-
thing flee, ►a our foreign policy.
There are some who tell us from hustings and
Vida/us that it is no me to pretend to be reason-
able ; that we shall be carried away by the current,
with er without our will ; that it always has been
so, and nothing can percent it. S•eh persona de-
bauch the public mind, as tar as they are able ; they
erred to history, not for lessons of wisdom, but for
example to sanction folly. Where is the boosted
superiority of the age, and why have we sews-
papers, telegraphs. and every other means of en-
lightenmeot, if, in the g of all crises—that io
which a gunnies of peat* or war wait, for answer
—our action is to be determined by anythieg beside
the calm deliberative wisdom of the ? Largo
and unnecessary armament, have before new tempted
a nation to abuse its power, and indulge In, avoid-
able war; our., which do not exceed the newer of
oar requirements, will enable us to avoid war, by
making as isdepeodent of burdensome alliances,
and by demonstrating to our enemies, if we kayo
say, the hopelessness of meditated aggression.
It is mast ,mtiortiiir, however, that these ar-
maments should not be entrusted • roonmat ,
longer than Le necessary to • Government will& is
not heart and soul with the nation. It our remise-
office west., we wi;l not say excises, but even Wit
opportunities for war, they will offer themselves la
rattle-tent number. With interests everywhere, it
cannot be bat that when blows are gives and seizures
made by sea and land by two great military Power,
like Frenes and Austria, English suljeets will from
time to time have rightful came of complaint. Under
any Government t he nation would require that full and
instant satisfaction sad indemnity be demanded and ob-

tabled foe the lajary rearieted,w6ichever of the Powers
might he the aggressor. But the manner of dealing
with soils a claim, and whether it should be amicably
adjusted or raised into dangerous importance, would
depend very mach on the ulterior wishes and designs
of the Minister. of the day.
It %snot be necessary to prove that no English
Minister who sincerely desires to maintain the new of England in this war will enpge the
arms sad honour of the cation on behalf of the
Treatise of Vienna fur their own sake. As long as it
sneeeed probable that an appeal to tholes respectable
doransests might in the least degree contribute to
tie mass of peace, we acquiesced in the decent and
mmetimes extravagant homage which ear pub-
lic men paid to their authority. But t►ey
have been so often broken for the moralisers et
imperial and kingly spoilers that every party
to them is free to consider how far they
are capable of contributing to the within ell
the states sad people which have pm,
up since their signature. We should iawi

.ftiged that this wii; walleiently obvious, sad that
no English Minister wield think of troubling hie-
melf—ead whet is mem lovairhir his iimary-6r'
the sake of one of the Wet wise sad Yost jest
provisions of thaw tivetiff, bat for the statessat
which we re-published on Thursday fres a &lila

joureal, and which is repeated by a respectable
sestemperary. It is stated that our Government
has pretested at Paris against the peeve of French
troops over the territory of Savoy, of which the
King of SARDINIA as Sovereign, but which at
the Congress of Vienna was by • special
provides made to enter late the general
neutrality of Switzerland. It is also stated
that the French Government replied that it
cooed not acknowledge the protest, because the Swiss
dovernmeut, under the protection of which the
neutrality of the territory was placed by treaty, had
considered the question beforehand, and decided that
the words of the treaty had no application to the
present circumstances. This is one of those incidents
which would have been mentioned in Parliament, as
soon as it arose, had the house been sitting, and in-
quiry would have elicited the facts. Although we'
have drawn attrition to the statement as one de-
manding explanation, we cannot believe that Iced
MALMESBURT has gone so far out of his way se to
interfere in a matter which in nowise concerns this
country, and thus to exhibit us in the light of partial
meddlers. The matter is entirely one for Austria
and Switzerland. Any interference of ours would
be Quixotic, Ind worse, for although the Don
foolishly interfered, he would never have thought of
I doing so to cut off needful succour which wee on
I its way to the weaker side. We repeat, we desire
o nothing better than to hear that this story is utterly
i I, unfounded; but the whole tenour of our information
from Paris shows that our relations with the French
r Government are not improving.

De erawt.