The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-01 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDINT.)
PARIS, TUESDAY EVENINt..
I am sorry to say--and before saying so I hive
endeavoured to struggle against pessimist
that the opinion of those most likely to know the
tendencies of the imperial policy is that the pre.
jected conference, if ever it meets, will not preserve
the peace of Europe. The semi-official journals
write, and their editors talk still more strongly, is
the tone of the military party which will -hot hear
of any renunciation of the pretensions of France
to a large extension of territory. The note in the
Moniteur announcing that no " fresh measures'
shall be taken for increasing the armaments of France
is not generally construed in a satisfactory sense,
Practically it is of no importance whatever, because
during the few weeks, or perhaps days, that roust
elapse before we know the result of the recent
" pacific intelligence" the impulsion already

mated to be given will not wear itself of
and the promise only is that no new measures
the same kind will be talien. But the terms
which this very limited engagement is made
too sulkily conceived to be very reassuring.

reason is said to be that no " pretext" eh(

be afforded to public opinion to be "dis-
quieted," and that no check may be
given to the hopes of peace. A " preter.'
for uneasiness is not a very lucid expression,
though one understands that any reason for
thinking from day to day precisely what govern.
ment desires, according to its necessities, may be
stigmatised as a pretext. The word is evidently
used in a bad sense. The scrupulous desire not
to thwart the hopes of peace is not expressed in
terms expressing much hope on the part of the
official writer. This verbal criticism, if it stood
alone, might not be much worthy of no-
tice ; but it is more important to note
the comments on the present phase of
the situation, verbal and written, by those
who habitually speak in conformity with the feel-
ing prevalent in the highest quarters. People who
take their ideas from the Home-office scout in pri.
mate conversation the notion of peace, but chuckle
over the cleverness of the Emperor in getting six
weeks or two months more time for preparation by
accepting a conference. The Presse to-night tails
exactly like those generals who will not hear of
any engagement on the part of France, as a condition
of the present settlement of the Luxemburg question,
to cease for the future to covet and desire the Rhine
frontier and Belgium. What Europe wants—namely,
a settlement which shall give security against
French aggression for the future, is precisely what
the most authorised government writers will not
hear of. I take it for certain that if the conference
meets, the Emperor, so far from restricting the
discussion to the Luxemburg question, will
endeavour to bring before it all those schemes for
his own aggrandisement founded on the caducity of
the treaties of 1815, which led him to propose the
congress which was not accepted some years ago.
The 15th of May has been mentioned as the day
for the meeting of the conference, but according to
all the beat news here the negotiations have not
yet got over the preliminary stages. That London
is to be the locus in quo is decided • but the time,
so far from being fixed, is nut yet even a subject
of deliberation.

Orders were given this morning to the French
papers to substitute the word " vicissitudes" foe
the word " eventualities " in the last paragraph of
the King of Prussia's speech. What good is to be
got by that change—the change of a bad transla-
tion for a correct one—is hard to tell.

The Bourse was not affected by the note in the
Mcntiteur, and clocked rather Hat, with scarcely any
change.