The Express.
London, England, 1856-04-23 00:00:00

LONDON, WRDNESDAY, APRIL 23.

TM/ day's demonstration of England's sea-borne
might cuojeres up stirring meraeriee. The English
Channel is hauotrd by meal traditions which will
stir the beans and imaginatiess of men through all
geoeratiene, and which have more than once decided
the de-tioies of humani.y. Through the dim vista
of centuries we &seem the resourceful CASA" far
from the centre* of his age's oonstructive skill, amid a
thousand difficulties, building the fleet which first
linked Der u.land with the civilised world. Nearer
to oar own time we catch taint glimpses of Norman
Vikingsr clustering like swarms of hese is the
embouchure of the Seine. Still nearer we see the
Lets of the Norman WILLIAM earryiog conquest
from France to Sags,i.d, and those of our Fifth
HORT runleg it back from Eogland to France.
Theo the proud Armada of Spain runs the pentlet
of the English skips which issue from every harbour
it passe. by. This vision is succeeded by the more
clearly di lined, moss protracted, end equal struggles
of Dutch and English navies. Then comes the
amphibious contest between NAPOLEON, lord of
the land, and the Eoglish, lords of the sea.
Them incidents are landmarks in the history
of expandnig civilisation, of the straggles of
young liberty against ecclesiastical and sectPH
lar despotism. The contemplation of them has
imparted a c louring to the poetry and to the oratory
of our land. Deeds of iostinetive daring hale
poured deathless thoughts. Even should Pseud
erase to be the scene of stirring enterprise, of lofty
thought, of an almost boundless empire over mind
and matter, the English Cassel will ever be peopled
to the imaginations of taw with thrilling reool-
helms.

But assuredly the display of English naval power
of which the waters of the Solent are this day
to be the scene gives no indications of in-
cipient decay. At the close of a war which has
paralysed and driven back the aggressive pro-
presides of the most ambitions monarchy of the
age, it is palpable that the real strength of England
has scarcely been called into play. We have no
desire to undervalue the military efforts of France,
but could the French army, with all its munitions of
war, have sassaibled in such imposing force in the
Crimea without the aid of the British navy? Is
there siltation in the world that eau produce sack an
armament as will to-day masteuvre off Fortamonth,
that can show more skilful and daring seamen,
or that possesses a tithe of the amount of the
" sinews of war" of which England is mis-
tress P We speak is no spirit of vainglory
or blind confidence. We have not forgotten
the lessen taught by the humiliating fate of the
"Invincible Armada." We hays learned from the
histories of the Dutch and Americas wars of lade-
's:Werke that " the race is not always to the swift,
nor t►e battle to the strong." Bat we cannot look
upon an armament of 240 vessels, carrying 3,002
guns, rendered independent of winds, tides, or gar-
nets by 30,471-bores power of steam machinery,
without feeling that England is strong. And the
eager jostling sod scrambling of which oar railway
sternum have boon yesterday, and will be today, the
scene, prove that all maks of Englishman axe is-
tensely amissated by the same soorektims.

A deep sense of gratitude for the prominent per-
tin they creepy among the nations of the world is
incumbent on those who are so highly favoured as to
be endowed with snob power. And this gratitude
as beet be shown by a worthy use of ft. It is cheer-
lag to rtflect that the national mind is profoundly
impressed with this sentiment. If, throaghost the
war, public opinion in England has erred, it has not
been in over-estinistiog our deeds is arms. The
whole conduct of the war. and of ell
rocerned in it, his been unsparingly ori-
third by Englishmen. W6OB other satire
NM in the habit of startle' Over every-
thing that is discreditable to them, we have
prelaimed aloud our shottoominp with an emphasis
which has led many who take r literally to farm a
most IIfrOOMINI estimate of the part which Reiland
has taken is the contest. Bo with oar domestic
faults and failures. In our eagerness to reform
abuse, we fearlessly lay bete to public view every
social plague sore. This d sposi.ion is the beet gua-
rantee that can be afforded for the permanence and
hareem of or power and prosperity. England cans
little ise eppeariv, she is only across to iv great
and (pub The centuries which have rolled over our
empire have enriched as with self-knowledge, have
'lengthened our agitations after good, bat have not
quenched or abated the vivacity and energy of youth.
We have se reshot) to be ashamed of that portion dour
history which belongs to the pest, and we hareem
reason to bops what has yet to come will, by its
brightness, throw the put into the shade.