The Express.
London, England, 1866-08-16 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

THIS Dl!:3lornitiit, 5i 28m oon, sb. 47=
TO-MORAOW—Morning, at. em Afternoon, 6h. 24m.

LONDON, THURSDAY, AUGUST 16.

THE proceedings of the last few weeks have
been as little creditable to the dominant party in
Congress as the proceedings of the first weeks of
the late session were to the predominant squire-
archy of the House of Commons. It seemed as
though our country gentlemen were determined to
begin a session in which Reform was to be dis-
cussed by the clearest practical demonstration of
its necessity—and it has seemed as though the
leaders of the Republican party were resolved to
close the session of Congress by putting into the
hands of the gathering forces of their opponents
the only weapons which can give those opponents
a chance of victory. The rapid passage through
the House of Representatives of a bill to amend
the neutrality laws in a sense distinctly hostile to
Great Britain may not, perhaps, seriously alter
the prospects of political parties in the coming
elections ; but it, at least, does not re-
flect any credit upon American politi-
cians. It may be pleaded before foreign public
opin;on that the only alterations it makes
in the law of the United States assimilate that law
in all respects to our own. But the American
people will be reminded that the men who have
thus done what they could to assimilate their own
laws to ;,ours are exactly those who have most
loudly declared the insufficiency of our regulations,
and most persistently demanded that we should
give compensation for the damage inflicted upon
American commerce by reason of that insufficiency.
There was, too, in the debate upon the bill a far
too open avowal of the reasons which induced its
authors to propose it. Congress has not
been dignified in its treatment of the
neutrality laws in the interest of Fenianism, and
Fenian agitation, and a modification of them
with the avowed desire to retaliate upon this coun-
try for the sad negligence of our own Government
only intensifies the contrast which already existed
between it and the Administration in this matter.
Tha A m,14.2ar. karidatliitik much of English lnion;
and the hearty recognition by the English people
of the loyal conduct of the American Government
with respect to the miserable Fenian raid was in
some degree a source of strength to Mr. JOHNSON
and the party of which he is now the head. That
conduct expressed the better feeling of the nation,
and won its conscience. Beside the Irish and
the politicims there were none in the United
States who really sympathised with the Fenian
raid. Its wickedness was too apparent, and
its utter infatuation was too certain, for
even those who moat sympathised with the I
wrongs of Ireland, and most desired to humiliate
Great Britain, to have anything but contempt for
it. Yet, most unhappily, Congress has
evinced sympathy with eves the raiders
upon Canada, and has shown a disposition to
pander to the Irish element in American
society. Both parties in Congress are guilty in
this matter, but the Republican party is most
guilty. This arises partly from the bitter antago-
nism Mr. JOHNSON has provoked, partly from a
feeling of bitterness towards England for the
conduct of our Government in the affair of the Ala-
bama, and partly from a desire to catch the large
Irish vote at the coining elections. Yet we can
hardly believe that either of these reasons will
weigh strongly with the great bulk of the Ame-
rican people. V nalietive and retaliatory legisla-
tion is only popular in times of great excitement,
and the excitement against England has abated.
Nor are the American people likely to give their
deliberate sanction to a pro-lrish policy. Their
feeling is increasingly the other way. A strong
feeling against the Irish and their schemes is ra-
pidly spreading in the United States, and we may
soon see that politicians who pander to the Irish
gain their vote but lose the elections. And the
contrast between the attitude of Congress
and that of the PRESIDENT in this mat-
ter is entirely in the PRESIDENT'S favour. He
has treated the Irish agitation exactly as public
opinion in America has treated it, and Congress
has allowed him to be in this respect on the right
aide and on the side of all right feeling men by
putting itself persistently in the wrong. Nor is
this the only matter in which the Republican
leaders have blundered. The discussion on the
Tariff Bill will not be soon forgotten. Although
the statesmen and people of the United States
have the elements of political economy yet to
learn, the reckless attempt to enact prohibi-
tory duties has called attention to the sub-
ject, and has cast suspicion on the policy of
a party which is accused on other and false
grounds of being sectional in its sympathies,
and of caring more for Northern predominance
than for Southern restoration. But the last mis-
take is, perhaps, the worst. Just when' the FRB •
siuryr, in pursuance of the fatal policy of the
American Government, is dismissing from office on
all hands the opponents of his plans, the Repub-
lican majority has descended to an act of retaliation
which has upon it the stamp of meanness. The
refusal of the salary of the Minister at Lisbon,
because he had written foolishly in support of Mr.
JOHNSON and against Congress, is one of those acts
of spite which do more than any legislative mis-
takes to discredit the political party which com-
mits them. It shows the excited state of party
feeling that such a proceeding as this should have
been attempted. But no excitement would have
betrayed a party which was wisely led into such a
mistake as this. The Republican leaders are very