The Express.
London, England, 1859-02-08 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(mow ova owx

PARIS, Moxo•r ETINING.
Before these lines mach you I have no doubt that
the Emperor's speech will have spread oonsternation
in every capital in Europe. If I read it aright, it
is by far the most alarming symptom of a coming
storm that has been seen in modern times. Not
only does it disappoint the hopes of those who within
the Met forty-eight hours have been encouraged by
official hints to believe that it would be decidedly
pacific, but, apart from the expression of a bare and
matter-of-course hope that the peace will not be
broken—an expression which in the imperial month
signifies nothing more than it did in the confessedly
alarming speeches of Lord Derby and Mr. Disraeli—
there is not a syllable in the discourse tending to
contradict or explain away any one of
the grounds of just apprehension which
have pre-occupied the public mind linos Jan. I.
Bat what is more serious still, the speech openly
preaches the doctrine of universal intervention, and
seta at naught alike the advice of friendly foreign
powers and the opinions, wishes, and interests of the
French people. A despotic monarch at the head of the
most powerful military nation in Europe—who eight
years sgo was raised to the throne by universal suf-
frage, aided by a successful conspiracy and the un-
scrupulous use of bayonets—now tells his people and
the world that his nation has " confided its des-
tinies" to hie individual will; that he sits on an
elevation far above the regions of " vulgar interests;"
that he makes no acoount of the present generation,
and accepts the jurisdiction of no tribunals but those
whose jadgments are either secret or to be made
manifest in futurity—" God, his conscience, and
posterity!" Doctrines more frightful than these
hays never been proclaimed from any throne.
As long as they remain in the ascendant in France
the peace of Europe can never be moored, and the
curse of large standing armies and ruinous military
preparations must continue to paralyse commerce and
thwart political progress. The Emperor, you will
have observed, thinks fit to give an interpretation of
his famous Bordeaux phrase, " the empire is peace,"
and he is careful, in spite of Lord Derby, to explain
it in such a way as to leave himself at perfect
liberty to plunge into the war which be is supposed
to contemplate. He only meant, he says, that he
was not about to " recommence an era of conquest,"
and intended to inaugurate a system of peace only
susceptible of being troubled " for the defence of
great national interests." This explanation, if
only taken by itself, is a very ugly symp-
tom. When construed, as it necessarily must
be, with reference to existing circumstances, it
shows that a state of things not within the purview
of the Bordeaux speech is at hand, and that a war
phase is looming in the near future. Still it cannot
be denied that the position laid down is plausible.
It would be unreasonable to hold the Emperor pre-

eluded from defending by arms any great national
interest of France becauae of his having said
"L'Empire c'est la pair" at • Bordeaux dinner in
1852. But what are great national interests? Here,
unfortunately, we find within the four corners of the
speech itself an interpretation which opens a terrible
vista of capricious and endless wars. France,
we are told, a little lower down, "has an
interest wherever there is a just and civilising cause
which ought to prevail." In other words, France,
by the mouth of its ruler, claims a right to make
war wh and wherever he—who owns no
judge but " God, his conscience, and posterity,"
and tells his own people to think only of their
ordinary avocations and trust everything to him—
may see a just or civilising occasion to have resort
to arms ! Verily the comity of nations is impossible

upon each terms. His Majesty says he will neither
suffer himself to be " led away " to war, nor
"intimidated" to remain at peace. This reminds
me very much of the language he used when he
was meditating the acquisition of the empire.
Then he affected to reproach the zeal of his
supporters, and told them that all their
clamours would not advance the proclamation of the
empire a day. This was said while palpable pre-
parations for the empire were being hurried on, and
the empire wee very shortly after established. So I
am convinced it will be with the war now brewing.

There is not a word in the speech about treaties,
and the *ulnas with which England is spoken of
in contrast with the warm expressions used in re-
gard to Russia is very striking. Towards England
her imperial ally assume airs of injured innocent*.
Her alliance . has borne its fruits.," but the put
tense is need with emphatic significance, ►nd no-
thing is said about the actual state of our relations.
The war journal, the Press., thus gloats with de-
light over the speech :
This speech will produce en immense effect in Prance and
in Europe. Without departing from the reserve commanded

—— . -
by the gravity of the circumstance. and his own exalted
position, the Emperor has succeeded in giving a rapid but
secures description of the state of the alliances of France—
accord with England, cordiality with Roasts, community of
interests between Pramle and Piedmont, and multiplied died-
diaries with Austria. Although the head of the state has
not abandoeed the hops of maintaining peace, it is consoling
t s thorn who think of the honour of the eoantry to be told
that hie government will "neither allow Deal to be
led away nor indmileted," and that in its eyes "Frame
has an intermit in every just and civilising cause which
ought to prevail." The abnormal state of Italy Is
not concealed, any more than the unerminees which it excites
among diplomatists. Bat we And that the policy of France
" will remain immoveable in the path of right, Justice, and
national honour." Our readers know that our approbation
is no matter of o3nveatioo, and is not lightly given. We
bars never shrunk from making oar Marva either expressly
stated or implied by silence as to those acts of the govern-
ment which we have found it impossible to approve, but the
noble language of the speech, its policy at once firm and con-
c•liatory, command. our entire sympathy. So noon as the
first tumult of alarmed interests shall subside, the whole
country will, we treat, agree with us in our appreciation edit.

It le curious to read the following conjectures an
to the probable import of the speech, in a corres-
pondence to the Nord of Brussels :

It is not earprisieg that the English ministerial speeches,
the effect of which must have been alculated, should dis-
closes* &Malta result; we know by experience what value
to attach to the official declarations of English orators. It
le only em Monday next, when the Emperor will have made
Ide spew*, that we shall know what we have to trust to.
All I can say is that at the Tuileries yesterday evening, the
geseral coaviction, la well-informed groups when coaveres-
lion was going on, was that the speech would be eery pasgle.
Is say cam, what public opinioa and the groat Interests of
the washy demand is that the speech should be oatagetkal
one way or the other. If war were derlsred to-morrew,
you may be well united that trade would suffer
lees than it has dose from the state of uncert.inty
which has prevailed for the lest six weeks. I will
even add that the idea of siding Italy to conquer her inde-
pendence would very speedily become popular in France.
Whatever may ultimately be the ease about pacific seaureaces
I can assure you that military preparations are going on es if
our armies were to take the field to-morrow ; everything is
ready, sad our arsenals were never so active as they have
11 been within the last two months. On Monday, at 2 o'clock,
the telegraph in all probability will Inform you whether we
are to have pesos or war. It le possible, however, that the
Emperor's speech may be very vague—that, like that of the
Queen of England, It may tell very little which was not
known before. But It mu-t be remarked that if, under pee-
sent circumstance.% the Emperor should say little, he must
be understood to mete a groat deal. If he should be reserved,
'he inference will be that he insane war, end only daires to
Isis knee.

The Bourse opened under the false impression
which prevailed on Saturday and yesterday, that
the speech would be pacific. The Rents, without
realising the wild priors quoted on the boulevard
yesterday, rose to 68fr. 95c.; but as soon as the tenor
of the speech became known, it dropped 60c. all at
once, and closed very heavily at Sfifr. 10c., with a
rise, however, of 26e. from the last regular quota-
tions of Saturday. Mobilier, after having been done
at 806 fr., fell to 772 ft. 60c., closing without change.
The railways were in many cases 20fr. or 30fr.
lower at the close than in the middle of the day, and
left off heavily at about Saturday's prima.