The Express.
London, England, 1856-03-12 00:00:00

THE AFFAIRS OF THE UNITED STATES.

(PM OVZ SPICW, OORZNITONDINT
NEW YORK, Fon. 26.
1 The belligerent feeling displayed by some mem-
bers of the British cabinet and by several London
journals in reference to our in.ernational relations
have had very little influence upon the stuck market,
for on our side it is regarded as only one of the vaga-
ries or "sudden tacks" of a floundering administra-
tion going out of power with the contempt of the
pople, sad on your side SA no better than the surly
growling. of a mastiff who did not get thoroughly
into the Crimean fight before he was taken off. The
great bankers and merchant., the educated, the en-
lightened, and the intelligent closes on both sides of
the water, have many years ago made up their minds
that nothing but the extremest provocation or the
most legitimate emus belli should plunge an into such
• war u that would be it it were ever declared.

In my lest letter I alluded to the two great poli-
tical conventions that were to be held on Washing-
ton's birthday, the 22nd, that of the American or
Koow-Nothing party at Philadelphia, and that of
the Republican or Frresoil or Free State party, held
the same day at Pittsburg. It appears that the
latter convection turned out to be a somewhat more
dignified and formidable thing than its opponents at
first represented. It wu only a convention for coun-
sel, conference, and advisement. There wan no ab•
solute determination on the part of any of its mem-

hers before they met to put up their candidates for
presidency and vice-presidency, consequently no no-
mination was made ; but they put forth addresses,
letters, and • platform to the country which seems to
have met the present crisis in a most fitting manner.
The public was hardly prepared to hear the announce-
ment that eight of the fifteen slave states were
represented by respectable and even eminent men.
That party now stands before the country repre-
senting the vital thought, feeling, and action of a
large body of men. There are men numbered by the
hundred thousand at the south who have always
held moderate views on this subject, who have always
regarded slavery as a cures to the white race, and a
blot upon the fair surface of the Republic—who,
when ono, the banner of freedom is lifted in their
own slave state., will stand by it manfully, truly, and
for ever. And so, too, there are myriads of men at
the north who havei opposed the ultra views of the
Abolition party, and also the more moderate views of
the Freesoil party, but who by the outrages practical
upon the constitutional rights of the north, aid by the
atrocities of the Kansas Bill and its sequences, have
been now driven beckon thedefence of their own vested
rights sa free men, end from this quarter, if the ex-
citement on the Kansas question is not allayed by the
pensiamation that it has become a free state, will ell
wow go over to the Fremoil party, and let the Union
take care of itself. It was in a moment of excite-
ment, when his noble heart rose in rebellion against
the contemptible iniquity of the Kansas Bill, that
Mr. Banks, the present Spam of the Rouse of Be.
peesstatives, uttered these memorable words—
* Well, then, if slavery must be formd upon us to
saws the Union, let the Union slide." And yet, in
spite of the remark, he was elected Speaker, and tho
earliest and loudest congratulations that he heard
came from members of the southern states. So
long as slavery limited itself—its actions if not
its dedree—to those states where it had been
entailed upon them so long, the north felt and said
that it would sot interfere to disturb their relations
or deprive them of their rights; but when slavery,
in its arrogance, its greed and cupidity, stepped be-
yond that bright line that shone all along the betake
between it and the free states, and, running ammo
planted its black banner upon soil upon which a kw
of Congress (that had been respected by all men fee
thirty years) bad declared that slavery should never
come, then an electric stream of fire fished
that line, and kindled a blase through the wbeirea3
the northern states.

Yestesday, the proceedings of the Know-Nothing
Convention in Philadelphia were brought to a close
by the nomination by acclamation of Millard Fill-
' more for the presidency of the United States, and
Andrew Jackson Donaldson, a relative and an
adopted son of General Jackson, for the viol
deny This result was deemed highly probable by
some, but it has generally taken the country by anis
prise. All those foreign nations who wish to
maintain friendly relations with the United States
will be glad to hair that so just, so honourable,
so mime, sad so experiential a statesman es Mr.
Fillmore has been put in nomination; =rigidly will
the news be greeted with pleasure by Englishmen,
for to them Mr. Fillmore and his termer edministre-
dos an intimately known. It is understood that
the candidets is now condoning his Heaters journey,
with the intention of visiting the• Holy Land, and
therefore this news will probably have no influence
in diverting him from his purpose. Mr. Donaldson
is a Tennessee man, *Medina vary high in the re-
gards of his solinti.ymes, and distinguished for great
singleness and integrity of character—elements
which won the heart of General Jai:asses, and is-
Weed in his bosom the affection of a father. Mr.
Fillmore ham all his life long been a Whig, while
Mr. Donaldson has been a Democrat. Bet those
distiectioes have ceased to exist in the Americas
Party, and the great mass of the people no hater
care anything about them.
Yesterday, Mr. Hunter, the chairman of the oom-
mittss on foreign affairs in the United States Senate,
male the usqoalified declaration that no apology
had ever bees made by the English government tor
her infringement of our neutrality laws, nor
bad there ever been any offer mad* by Lord Claren-
dos of an arbitration. There is something mysterious
about this.

Io my last letter I spoke of some apprehension of
the danger that impended over the country in the
evict of a sodden thaw. Yesterday it appears that
the thaw began in the river Licking, which enters
the Ohio jut above Cincinnati. The me broke away,
flooded the Ohio, and in a short time crushed or sank
eight steamers and several smaller vases's. This da-
mage come from a single small stream. We are pre-
pored to hear now of great disasters.
What little Barry was excited in Wall-street yes-
terday by apprehensions of a war hos passed away
this morning. The severity of our winter is over, and
this is one ot thous balmy spring days which in Ame-
ries are the most delightful of the whole year.

" Y," the Paris writer in the Independance Bolge,
la dwell's( upon the adaintioa gapes/sod by Count Orloff
Ai Napolna 111., quotes tb. follow:1n reserlos of the
Buenas plesipoteatiery, running for their Wird 'ascii-
tuns :—" The greaten matins of my lite" said the most
la ea mime plumage la the Presets CI r Talent, "now
that I WNW she Emperor Napoleon, le that ny lets nester
the Emperor Nleholu did sot know his. If he bad mu
bin Inn as boar °sly, set only would there sot bare hems
say woo. bet the beet relations would hare ban estahliebed
Knew the two severenue sad the two cous,rUe. Tte
Emmet Mandan has precisely those qualitin which would
bare prodsoed as effect, sad exercised sa isffsease, spa.
the Emperor Nicholas."