The Express.
London, England, 1861-11-11 00:00:00

TO OUR READERS.

•PORTING INTELLIGENCE.

A M. edition of the E.cpress ie published every
evening during the racing ninon, containing the
resulted the day's races.

le the present state of Europe and America it
would seem at first sight as though the LORD
MA‘..rt had on Saturday rather a difficult task to
perform in abstaining from all direct allusion to
unwelcome subjects. But we must do his Lord-
ship the justice to say he steered clear of the
difficulty with considerable address. In proposing
the health of the diplomatic body, the Lou,
MAYOR happily described them as the agents and
guardians of the peace of the world. With this
pacific toast the namo of his Excellency the Ame-
rican Minister was, by a seasonable courtesy, very
appropriately coupled. Mr. ADAIIIB officially re-
presents the United States, and the Lien MMus
but expressed the feelings of the nation at large
in assuring him that imwhere is the sympathy for
his country more prompt and deep than here.
" He could assure him of the entire sympathy of
" the citizens of London, and he thought he might
" say the whole British people." His Lordship
eoncleded by giving expression to a significant
hope that "the difficulties which beset that great
" and free eouutry " might speedily be " entirely
" eradicated from the soil." In acknowledging
the toast, Mr. ADAMS made a frank, manly,
sensible reply, his speech being, in fact, the speech
of the evening. He defended his profession from
the charges of duplicity and finesse that are com-
monly urged against it, claiming for the diplomatic
body the character assigned to it, of being engaged
Ina mission of peace. "The vocation of the diplo-
" cootie minister is to prevent war, and the system
"of exchanging representatives amongst various
" nations of the earth, has given to each, when ells-
" uuderstandings take place, means to prevent their
" coming to a head, and it enables them, when mils-
" chief-makers are abroad to try to irritate the people
" of one country against another, to be always at
" hand to explain matters, to rectifymierepresenta-
" nom, and to smooth the waves of contention,
" even when they threaten to break into open
" violence." Such is the view the new American
Minister justly takes of his position, and of the
special duties it entails. His more direct reference
to these duties ism decisive and as straightforward
as it is satisfactory :
Ws, to &swim are paw* sstsenell bet Ins slim too
free, toe camases la the simonise of see opinions ; sad, for
say own part, I confess that I ass so much oinbeiled with
that spirit that I maid sot bri say imam come hers sad tell
her Majesty's Milliners things which I do sot really mess.
I aim therefore, only too sled to be able to be pliant as
t►is oceesies, sad to say pul.licly that sty salmion hers is to
smatinse ;bad to perpetuate thous hisorny relations which
have so loon existed between t►e two eestatrie► It is any
pomade t►at there may be &Menaces ef opinion betweso the
people of the two malaria apes miser abject. Yen rosy
sot like the eyehole of democracy which elide amongst us.
We may sot like year system of aristocracy and governing
by raaka Yes may thiuk we are sometimes too free is oar
leasams. We, ea the contrary, may think the various
forms of society is thin country too formal and stringent,
Bak my Lord, these differences of opinion ma never, while
the wide Atlantic flows hetweeo um, lead to mischief, end I
trust simeenly that there may sever be more serious differ-
ences than thole I lure isdicated.

This language is not only sincere and friendly, but
eminently seasonable. Such a frank, seasonable,
and hearty statement will be cordially welcomed
by the nation at large, and cannot fail to be of
service at the present inouient, when • small but
active faction in this comitly are doing their
utmost not only to misrepresent and degrade Ame-
rican diplomacy, but to create ill-feeling between
the two countries A contemporary, for example,
has assured the public more than once during the
past week that the Federal Government is bent on
picking a quarrel with this country, which in the
utter absence of any kind of proof is of course only
• particular way of say'ig that the writer is anxious
to rouse • feeling of hostility in this country
against the Federal Government, and the American
people it represents.
Lord PALI' murrox's reference to the American
war was, like his speech, extremely brief, but ap-
propriate. While deprecating all official judg-
ments as to the causes of the war, and the impor-
tant questions at issue, he justly expressed the
feeling of this country.. one of the "deepest aMic-
" tion, an affliction which no words can express,"
at witnessing the calamity that had befallen a kin-
dred and friendly nation. For the rest the noble
Lord make very light work of the speechmaking
part of his evening's duty. We scarcely ever re-
member a shorter speech from a Fist Minister on
such an occasion, or one that even for its length
managed to convey less. Lord I'ALNRIUITON &e-
-nflamed home and fore"rn r )';acs in • couple of
sentences, taking in each case the most favourable
view of our position. Those sentences we may,
however, as well place on record. The first
signalises what is unquestionably the great inci-
dental good likely to accrue to this country front
the vast national evil of the American war:—
" My Lord and gentlemen, I may also say that
"we bays here peace and plenty together.
" I trust that the present condition of the
" country is not in-analogous to that state ; for
" we have had • harvest which, generally speak-
" fag, has been good, and the condition of our