The Express.
London, England, 1867-04-16 00:00:00

HMI RAT= AT LONDON BRIDGE.

TH Ili—AßZet—oar O. 354
To-Yolllow—Morning, O. 6911l.._..A1tarsoon, lb. Ma.

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 16.

WHATEVER dangers attend the progress of the
diplomatic question concerning Luxemburg, arise
from causes which lie beyond and below it, in the
wider policy of France and the convictions of the
German people. Tho question itself is a product of
those causes, and cannot therefore be isolated in
the view of intelligent public opinion. It may not
be indispensable for the safety of Prussia to keep a
garrison in Luxemburg, and the territory itself is
certainly not worth fighting for ; the fortress
might be razed and the State declared indepen-
dent and neutral, or, if the inhabitants wished, the
country might be joined to Holland, Belgium,
France, or Prussia, without great detriment to any
neighbouring power. Hitherto, however, the
discussion of the matter has only inflamed and
exacerbated public feeling both in France and Ger-
many, because it is regarded as the latest manifes-
tation of a policy to which the French Govern-
ment is committed, and which is so ego-
tistical that we need not be at all
surprised that Germany is ready to take up
arms, if need be, against it. The suspected
policy of the French Government may be repre-
sented by two of its leading maxims : the first,
that France has an interest in preventing the na-
tional consolidation of neighbouring peoples ; and
the second, that when that consolidation
takes place, notwithstanding the opposition of
her Government, she has a right to compensa-
tion as if some injury had been done her. These
maxims are applied either together or sepa-
rately, as convenience may dictate. We saw both
of them acted upon in the case of Italy after the
war of 1859, and during the last twelve months
they have again come into prominence. Before the
German war of last year the Emperor NAPOLEON
publicly gave France and Europe to understand
that if, in consequence of it, any German
Power became considerably strengthened,
France would require to be aggrandised.
The war reached its crisis so early, and developed
the military forces of Prusais in so unexpected a
degree, that Austria was compelled to make peace
before the Emperor of the FRENCH saw himself
in a condition to insist on receiving in German
territory compensation for his neutrality.
But he used the office of a mediator to arrest the
development of German unity, and imposed on
Prussia the line of the Maine as the southern
limit of the Confederation of North Germany.
He could not have more fatally or
more fruitlessly betrayed the motives of his policy,
nor have done anything so calculated to em-
bitter the relations of France and Germany. As
soon as the fact became known every German
felt indignant that the band of a stranger should
be laid on a purely national work, and the pro-
gress of German unification be arrested by France.
As often as this or that detail of French policy
arises for examination it is instinctively referred
in Germany to the disposition thus mani-
fested by the French Government at Nikola-
burg. The fruits of this unfortunate inter-
ference are seen in the eager concern of the North
German Parliament to complete the military
system of the now Confederation with the least
possible delay, and the earnestness with which
the States of South Germany are rallying
to Prussia. The request made in August
for a cession of German territory convinced
the governments of the States south of the
Maine that the intervention of the French
EMPEROR had not been dictated by solicitude for
their integrity, and threw them bodily into the
arms of the Power with which a month before
they had been at war. The French demand was
not conceded, and then, to soothe public feeling
in that country, the circular of the Marquis DE
LAVALETTE was published. In terms, this state
paper was conciliatory, and the Prussian successes
which had filled the EMPEROR with " anguish,"
and which he had taken pains to limit, were
almost justified ; and yet even in this document
France was directed to take comfort in the thought
that the power of Germany had been broken up,
and that a Southern Confederation was about to
be formed as a counterpoise to that of the
North ; the writer apparently not knowing
that at that very time treaties had been

signed placing the military forces of South I
Germany under the control of Prussia. Last of
all came the speech of M. ROUHLR in the Corps
Ltislatif, in which the same confidence in Ger-
man disunion was expressed, without any attempt
to Hatter German pride. This was not the way to
prepare for ,t,he maintenance of friendly relations
between two great countries. Theyonsolidation
of German unity should either have been reso-
lutely opposed as a national danger, or frankly
accepted as an inevitable historical development.
By pretending to mr,,,ard what has taken place
beyond the Rhine as the mere aggrandisement of
Prussia, the French Government denies principles
which the EMPSROR has often proclaimed, and,
what is more important, denies facts which are
open to the observation of the whole world. The
action of South Germany at this moment proves
it. Communities which have been unjustly in-
vaded and attacked in the pursuit of unprincipled
ambition donot soon forget the injury, leaatof all are
they found on the morrow of defeat hailing an alliance
with the aggressor, and endeavouring to draw
still closer to his side. Hesse Darmstadt having had
time to reflect on the example of her Southern
neighbours, and with the full knowledge of all that
is taking place on her frontier, signs a treaty
offensive and defensive with Prussia. The Bava-
rian Chamber protests the readiness of the
country to stand by Prussia, in the event of a war,
for the defence of German territory ; and a popu-
lar meeting is held at Munich, in which the
August treaty with Prussia is enthusiastically ap-
plauded, and the demand is made that Bavaria
should be connected with North Germany as
speedily as possible in a Federal and national
bond. All this would be much to be regretted if
it were the manifestation of a spirit of hostility to
France. But it is nothing of the kind ; it is
simply the expression of a desire and a determina-
tion to secure that the settlement of the interior
affairs of Germany shall proceed independently of
foreign control, and that the right thus to settle
them shall not he purchased of a non-German
Power. This legitimate resolve, far from threat-
ening war, must be regarded as a guarantee of
peace.

OUR CONTEMPORARIES.
(THIS DAY.)

THE EXPRESS, . TUESDAY EVENING, APRIL 16, .1867.

motion of Beres Iticasoli in the face ef a sew parlia-
meet which had shown every disposition to give his cabi-
net and his policy the support of a good working majority
remains a mystery—and a mystery of evil omen. Where
facts are wanting and appearances are ambiguous, rumour
has a free field for mischief. The Daily News proceeds to
mention some of the current reports. The new cabinet it de.
scribes as a purely administrative one, composed for the
most part of unknown men, who will be judged on the
merits of their measures. The new parliament is believed
by attentive and discerning judges to be the moat willing
and manageable assembly that has come together since
the death of Niour.

The summons applied for by Mr. Rigby Wason against
the Times is referred• to by our contemporary as exposing
the incongruity of the existing law. So long as the de-
bates are public, if the speakers are privileged, those who
report their speeches should be privileged also. In the
present instance, says the Times, the public will probably
conclude that it is because Mr. Wason is unable to avenge
himself on Lord Russell and Lord Chelmsford that he has
directed his vengeance upon us. We recommend him,
however, to mak the candid advice of "his barrister"
whether his present proceedings are likely to relieve him
from " the contempt and ridicule " which he considers
have been already brought upon him.
The licrald devotes an article to the praise of Earl
Russell for his speech on the third reading of the Canada
Railway Loan Rill. This it speaks of as eminently sensible,
spirited, patriotic, opportune, brief, pithy, manly, and
robust, expressing the mind and heart of the nation.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

WAR NEWS FROM FRANCE.

The Courrier de Lyon confirms the report of the
A emir National as follows :

What appears to be certain is that during the last few
days a certain quantity of gun-carriages, of projectiles, and
war materiel has been sent from the arsenals and maga-
zines of Lyon. in the direction of the east and north-east
of France.
The Vigie de Merbourg says :

A ministerial despatch, which arrived on Friday at the
headquarters of the subdivision of La Manche, orders the
reorg►nisation of the 65th Regiment of the Infantry of the
line. Two battalions of the 65th are, it is said, to be put
on a war footing of 1,000 men 'each. The artillery depart-
ment is manufacturing a great quantity of cartouches.
The Massager de Toulouse says :

A new organisation of our infantry reginamits is taking
place at present. Instead of two war battalions, each com-
posed of eight companies, there will be three In:battalions
each composed of six companies, which gives an income
of two companies.

The Frankfort Journal has the following from
Kehl, dated April 9 :

A striking contradiction to the reports of peace is fur-
nished by the fact that yesterday all the workmen in iron
and timber to be found in Strasbourg were engaged for
service in the arsenals. Moreover, the railway takes, every
day, heavy guns from Strasbourg to Metz to fortify the
latter. Considerable earthworks and new ramparts have
been raised during the year to protect the walls of Stras-
bourg. A French marshal is expected to-morrow to inspect
these works.

(REUTER'S 'MCGRAW%)
THE FRENCH ARMY.
PARIS, Aran IS.

A circular has been issued by the Minister of
War, dated yesterday, which fixes the sum to be
paid for exemption from military service at 3,000 fr.
during the year 1867. The price of exemption for
each year of military service remaining to be per-
formed is fixed at 600 fr.

,~; .

PRESS FROM PARIS.

GENERAL CHANGARNIER ON THE RE-OR-
GANISATION OF THE FRENCH ARMY.

(raom oua owN

PARIS, MONIAT EVIPMIO.

The new number of the Revue des Deice Mondes
contains " A word on the reorganisation of the
army," by a writer whose unaccustomed signature
cannot fail to ensure the article many readers.
General Changarnier, who has stood absolutely
aloof from politics since his arrest on December 2,
1851, thinks the present " alarming state of
Europe" calls upon him, as an old general, once a
martinet " and difficu/t to satiety, but in whom
the army recognises a devoted servant of France,
and a passionate votary of their glory," to break
silence and give his opinion. Although he dis-
claims any intention of systematic opposition, the
aim and scope of his article is to show that the
measure proposed by the imperial government
would be at once costly, oppressive, and ineffica-
cious. His opening sentence is, "Itis a doctrine
of political economy that old established taxes
easily collected should be maintained as long as pos-
sible in preference to any new tax, however ingeni-
tautly devised. The same rule holds good in regard to i
the blood tax." He admits, however, that after
the battle of &dews, which he characterises as II
" one of the greatest disasters in the history of
France, although she did not move a single batta-
lion, there was a pretext for a change in the organi-
sation of the army. It is the nature of the mea-
sure adopted which he criticises. While thinking
it quite right that, to keep pace with the progress of
military science, new breech-loading rifles should be
manufactured, he makes light of the Prussian
needle-gun, and does not admit it to have been the
main cause of the defeat of Austria. The French
soldier should, however, have confidence in his
arms and not be allowed to suppose even wrongly
that they are inferior to the best that can
be made. If that impression prevailed in
the army, even those generals who possess in
the highest degree the art of " infusing their soul
into the souls of their men" might be followed
with distrust. His opinion of the Prussian cam-
paign of 1866 is that "the young army, backed by
a reserve suddenly taken from sedentary occupa-
tions, abundantly proved that it was not fit for
the fatigue of a long war. In the course of a very
few days it left the roads behind it studded with
loiterers, and its hospitals were crowded with sick.
If it had had to meet a firm obstinate enemy, dis-
puting national ground inch by inch, it would, de-
spite its incontestable bravery, have been annihi-
lated long before the accomplishment of its task."
He takes leave, as a " bourgeois and a parvenu,"
to laugh at the argument that the large
infusion of the aristocratic element among
the officers of the Prussian army contributed
to M. de Bismarck's good fortune ; and thinks that
if Austria had had such a captain as Archduke
Charles, " our illustrious adversary from 1794 to
1800, the Prussian audacity now admired by the
worshippers of success might have been described
as imprudence." He denounces as a great exagge-
ration the assertion that Prussia had as many as
700,000 men in line in 1866, and he equally dis-
believes that she could now, after all her aggran-
disements, produce an effective army of 1,400,000.
After rejecting altogether as unworthy of imitation
the system of the Prussian landwehr, the General
proceeds to criticise the scheme now proposed in
France. He is for a comparatively small
but thoroughly disciplined army as against the
calling out of all the valid youth of the country,
and giving them a " semblance of instruction."
He has no faith in the virtue of a " few weeks
drill." Young men may no doubt in that time be
taught tolerably
.well to handle their arms—" the
least part of the education of a soldier,"—but such
drill, though sufficient to make a fair appearance
on parade, will leave them " unfit for fatigue and
privation, not attached to their officers, uneasy in
the presence of an enemy, apt to discuss the chances
of victory or defeat, exceedingly prone to exagge-
rate the latter, capable of a generous effort, but
extremely liable to panic." In his opinion it is a
waste of officers, who are above all much wanted,
to put them at the head of a force of this
description. Through several pages he continues
to sneer at " demi-bourgeois" soldiers, and to
argue that the glorious traditions of France require
an army powerful rather by its organisation and
discipline than by its numbers. Without in terms
taking issue with that most astounding assertion of
the Emperor in his speech at the opening of this
legislative session, that "the influence of a country
depends upon the number of men it can put under
arms," he supports throughout a widely different
doctrine. He would not have generals rely upon
the modern theory too lightly supposed to have
been established in America and Prussia, that it is
all in all to get possession of a railway line. Rifled
cannon and sharpshooting guns are with
him but secondary things. He is old fashioned
enough to believe yet in the " legs " of a
thoroughly formed infantry—in the old Roman
maxim—ln pedite rebut-. He was dumbfoundered
when M. Rouher spoke contemptuously, a few
days ago, of 300,000 men as the utmost force that
France could send against an enemy under the
present organisation. He thinks 300,000 really
good soldiers a most respectable figure. Numbers
should not be too much relied upon. No doubt
if 3,000 men are pitted against 6,000, the odds
are very great in favour of the larger force.
But when you come to 60,000 against
100,000, the chances change considerably.
and the higher the numbers go, the less important
it is that an army should be equally matched. Ho
thinks it ruinous and absurd fur France to attempt
to put on foot an army equal in point of numbers
to the largest that could by possibility be brought
against her. The larger an army the more difficult
it is to handle, and there is a point soon reached
at which it cannot be handled to any good purpose
at all. General Changarnier thinks the present or-
ganisation of the army, with certain technical re-
forms which he indicated, quite sufficient for
the defence of the country. He would not
have the reserve drilled at all until actually
called out on an emergency in pursuance of a vote
of the Corps Legislatif. A little drill in his opinion
costs much, is a great waste of power from the
number of officers it employs in a thankless task,
disturbs citizens uselessly from their ordinary occu-
pations, and tends to make them worse soldiers
than they otherwise would be if they should be
called upon for actual service.
The Menitenr du Suir announces that the Aveeir
National is to be prosecuted for " false news" on
account of something it said yesterday about mili-
tary preparations in Lyons. A new count to the
indictment may be added to-day, for the A renir
cites a budget of war news from various provincial
journals. Among other things, it mentions the
arrest of two Prussian officers, who were caught
making drawings of the fortifications of Thion-
ville. Petty press prosecutions of this kind, at
such a crisis, are indeed contemptible.

At the Bourse the peaceable current of iiluts
(which set in on Saturday) continued. Rente rose
20c. for cash and 25c. for account, and closed very
firm, at 67fr. 10c. and 66fr. 95c. Mobilier ruse
Bfr. 25c., and Italian 50c.

EXECUTION FOR MURDER.-(THIS DAY.)

FRIGHTFUL SCENE.

James Longhurst, aged 22, a labouring young
man, was executed this morning at 9 o'clock, at the usual
rhos of execution for the county of Surrey, on the top of
Horsemonger•lane gaol.

The culprit was convicted at the late spring assizes,
before Baron Bramwell, of the murder of • girl 7 years old,
named Harriet Sax. The murder was committed by stabbing
• the unfortunate child in the throat, this act of violence
being no doubt committed by the culprit in consequence
of the child resisting the prisoner's attempt to commit
another serious crime. He was aKrehended almost upon
the spot,' and his victim was able to recognise him as her
assailant, and died almost immediately afterwards. The
trial of the prisoner would, in ordinary course, have come
I on at the summer assizes last year, but en application wad
made on the prisoner's behalf for a postponement to afford
an opportunity to produce evidence as to the state d his
mind, but in the result it appeared that there was
nothing to show that he was in such a condition as not to
be criminally responsible, and the trial came on at the
next amines on March last and ended in a conviction, the
I jury, however, recommending the prisoner to mercy on a-
-1 count of his youth.
The prisoner has been for nearly twelve months, in cow
sequence of the circumstance above mentioned, in the cu.
tody of the officers of Honernonger-lane Gaol, and the re-
' port they make of him is that his intellect was of the very
lowest description. No effect, it appears, was made in any
' quarter to save him, but the Rev. Mr. Jeasopp, the ordi.
nary of the prison, felt it his duty to make a communica.
tion to the Home Secretary, Mr. Walpole, represent.
ing this fact, and that although the prisoner was
22 years of age, his appearance was only that of a lad
of 18, and that in his opinion his mind had ceased to grow
at • very early age. He also expressed his opinion that
the jury were induced to recommend the prisoner to mercy
on the ground that, although there was every element of
horror and atrocity in the crime, yet the fact of putting to
death the being before them was as s'ocking as executing
a boy of 15 or a mischievous imbecile who
bad committed • similar act. The wretched per.
goner down to the period of his execution appeared
to have behaved very well. He paid as much attention and
seemed to appreciate as much as was possible for • mind
like his, the exhortations of the reverend chaplain. It
appears that he has never attempted to deny his guilt, and
on several occasions he asked the Rev. Mr. Jessopp
to communicate to the parents of the child his sorrow
for the trouble he bad caused then,. It should,
however, be stated that this appeared to have come more
from a suggestion originally made by the chaplain than
from any impulse of his own.
The culprit was visited by Mr. Molyneux, the high
sheriff of the county of Surrey, on the 4th inst., with
' a view to satisfy himself as to the state of his mind,
and on the 9th he was visited by his father and
• mother, who are labouring people residing at
Dorking. This interview was of the most painful cha-
racter. The mother clung round the wretched boy's neck,
and could with difficulty be separated from him, and his
last words to her were, " Oh, mother, do try to save me."
It appears that upon the return of the unhappy
parents of the culprit to their home a memorial
was prepared to the Secretary of State praying
for a commutation of the capital punishment, which
was signed by several of the gentry and • number of other
persons residing in the neighbourhood, but the reply to
this, as to the representation made by the Rev. Mr. Jar
sopp, was that the Home Secretary did not feel him se
. justified, having regard to the atrocity of the crime and
the circumstances connected with it,'in taking say steps

to interfere with the course of the law.
On Saturday the culprit was visited by his father and
his brother, and this interview was also of a very painful
character. For some little time after the departure of his
relatives he appeared depressed, but very soon recovered
his customary stolid demeanour. On Sunday morning the
condemned sermon was preached by the chaplain, and he
took for his text the let chapter of St. lames, 13th, 14th,
and 15th verses, " Let no man say when he is tempted I
mu tempted of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil,
neither tempted by any man. But every man is tempted
when he is drawn away of his own lust. Then, when lug*
has conceived, it brings forth sin, and sin, when it is
punished, bringeth forth death." In the afternoon the
convict dictated a letter to the schoolmaster of the gaol, to
be forwarded to his mother, in reply to one that she had
rent to him, and))e inclosed a tract, which he requested the
ohaplain to give him •for that purpose. The Rev. Mr.
Jessopp visited the culprit before he went to bed on Mons
day night ; he appears to have slept soundly for several
hours, and ate his breakfast this morning with his
usual unimpressible manner. The first thing he
said when he was visited by Me. Jessopp this
morning was to request that a lock of his hair might
be sent to his mother, accompanied by a statement
that he died forgiving all who had ever injured him,
as he himself hoped to be forgiven. He particularly
expressed a wish that an expression of his contrition and
hope of forgiveness might be conveyed to the parents of
the poor girl whom he bad killed.
Notwithstanding the fact of the prisoner thus appear-
ing to be in a state of mind becoming his awful
situation, when he was taken down from the condemned
cell to the yard to be pinioned, a frightful scene ensued.
The moment the culprit saw Calcraft the executioner sp•
preach him with the straps to pini n his arms, he started
back with an aspect of horror depicted on his countenance,
and began to struggle violently with the turkey. The
chaplain spoke to him and endeavoured to calm him
and this for a moment appeared to have the desired
effect, but upon the executioner requesting that the culprit
might be taken outside, as he could not see sufficiently
well to fasten the straps properly, another fearful struggle
ensued. The culprit being a young powerful man, it
required the exertions of four or five of the warders to kohl
him. It was necessary to throw him down and bold bin
on the ground while he was being pinioned, and during the
struggle the prisoner kicked most violently, one or two
of the turnkey, being very much hurt by the kicks they re.
seised. During the whole of the struggle the wretched
prisoner did not utter a word, and his conduct seemed to
be actuated by an uncontrollable horror of the light
of the executioner and the api aratus of death. After
he had been secured he walked quietly by the side
of the chaplain, until he arrived at the steps leading to
the scaffold. Immediately he caught sight of the gib-
bet his terror appeared to return ; be again strufk:kd
violently as well as he was able, and was forcibly dragged
up to the steps, and held under the beam by several tun•
keys while the rope was adjusted round his neck. Al
speedily as possible the bolt was drawn, and after a fee
violent struggles, the wretched youth ceased to exist.
At 10 o'clock the body was cut dowel, and it sill he
buried in the course of the day within the gaol. A vet/
large crowd assembled to witness the execution, hut Al is
now customary when these dreadful exhibitions take 0301
the sciffold was hung with black cloth, so that after the
drop fell, very little of any of the body of the culprit
could be seen.

ENnLISH WORKIIHN IN PMl's.- Fur some week*
past oommunications have taken place between the dele-
gates of workmen', unions la Pena and London with the
view of misting each other at the period. of ettite‘
Political parties here hostile to the government have
encouraged these intercommunications of workmen
under the impression that it would add to the
embarrsannents of the government. Thus
Otrardin and H. Picard have identified thenuelvra with
the movement, and openly expressed their sympathies with
the French and English tailors concerned in it. Oa Pri"
day, having waited upon M. de Girardin to thank him for
his support of their cause, the unionists, On le .ving. were
met by M. Ernest Picard, who expressed to them how
much he sympathised with their efforts. He toll them that
lie and his colleagues considered it to he a katriotic duty to
abstain from giving them active assiAance in order not to
offend the authorities, who were at liberty to put a Al' t°
their meetings in virtueof their diseretionsary Power- It was
therefore for the workmen, relying solely upon them-
selves, to proceed boldly in their own course. H. Picard
told the English delegates how much he was interested, is
the efforts which the people of England were now makil
to crown the edifice of their liberties with the right 0
suffrage. He begged them to express his whites to their
colleagues of the democratic opposition at the meeting
about to take place after their return to Imaden. The
English workmen loudly applauded the representative 0(
the Seine, and shook him very heartily by the hand rut
name of ther brethren in England.—Paris Vorramowl,
nt
of Pod.