The Express.
London, England, 1861-07-20 00:00:00

TO OUR READERS.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

A late edition of the Expras v published every
eventsg during the racing season, containing the
results of the day's races,

Tuts is a singular debate about the Island of
Sardinia. It is a speculative inquiry about the
incidents of a question essentially practical. Mr.
KINULAKE is anxious to know whether the Govern-
ments of France and Italy continue to deny that
the King of ITALY has entertained a project for
ceding the Island of Sardinia to France ; and his
first concern is to show that the untruthfulness of
those Governments is such that it matters not
what they deny or what they admit, and that the
annexation is in rapid progress. We say this is
essentially a practical question. It is not one of
sentiment. If any Power intervenes between a suf-
fering foreign population and itsfate from sentiment'
Great Britain is certainly not that power. Neither
is it a question of international law, or of the con-
struction of treaties. Mr. K INGLAKi knows very
well what was the answer returned by the Great
Powers to the appeals of England when Savoy and
Nice were annexed. It was then seen that the
received public law of Europe authorised the trans-
fer of the people of those countries from one sove-
reign to another without their consent, as if they
had been a flock of sheep. It is so in the case
brought forward. No law forbids the transaction
deprecated. Tho sovereign possession of the Island
of Sardinia is a matter to which we cannot be in-
different, but we can only approach the question
on one side. We can say that a transfer will
be highly injurious to our interests, and that
we will oppose it by force. That is an intelligible
ground, and it is not an insufficient ground of
action because it is not eked out by pretences of
law and treaty. Every nation must protect its
own interests to the extent of its power. It is a
duty and a necessity, and does not need vindication
by fictions copied from the former.

But then, we repeat, this is a practical ques-
tion—a question of the strength of the Mediterra-
nean fleet, and the elasticity of British credit. It
is one which the Government naturally thinks of,
but how the House of Commons can help its solu-
tion in any other sense than that of hastening on
a crisis, we fail to discover from Mr. KINGLAKE'S
speech. That hon. gentleman appears to be doing
a work like that of the old sergeant in his anec-
dote, who, by telling the EMPEROR that the honour
of the army required a satisfaction, compelled the
annexation of Savoy and Nice. He is doing his
best to make the annexation of Sardinia necessary
to the French EMPEROR, as a means of preserving
his credit with the nation prejudiced by aspersions
in the English Parliament. We assume, though only
for the moment, the correctness of the hon. gen-
tleman's information ; because it would be idle to
enter into controversy as to facts with a gentleman
who has a private key to every diplomatic port-
folio in Europe. The terms are unequal. Some
day, perhaps, when he has become Under-Secre-
tary fur Foreign Affairs, and has to do with real
business, we may venture to offer a few sugges-
tions for h:s consideration.

Lord J4)IIN RCSALLL spoke the common sense of
the matter when he reminded the House that an
event so important as the transfer of Sardinia to
France could not possibly take place as a mere in-
cident of French policy in Italy. It is one which
must, from its very nature, be governed by the
intention of the French EMPEROR to preserve or
renounce the alliance with this country. Having
surrendered, or being prepared to surrender, that
alliance, the French Government would no doubt
make a strong effort to obtain the Island of Sar•
dinia, but not until then. This is the broad, states-
man's survey, as distinguished from the minute,
sectional view of Mr. KINGLAKE. The noble lord
looks at the whole map of Europe, while the hon.
member studios it in parcels. The Government,
the noble lord said, did not believe that the French
EIIITHoR was ready to attempt the annexe,
ation in the circumstances. But he took care to
add that no blind confidence would lead it to
neglect its duty. This is the right answer to
fidgety politicians, who fancy that everybody is
hoodwinked but themselves. The noble lord, en•
larging his view, spoke of the general state of
Europe, but although his language was elevated,
his meaning was less clear than could be desired.
It is a curious illustration of the state of our
relations with France that the Emperor of the
FRENCH will read this debate, so full of mistrust
of his designs, at the very time when our great
capitalists aad men of enterprise are anxiously
inquiring fur bulletins from Vichy, and
hoping for the complete restoration of
his health, as the security of a life
so necessa.-y to the maintenance of peace and
friendship between the two countries. Pretenders
will have one motive the less for stirring up strife
between the two peoples if they duly reflect on
the fact that no Englishman ever dreams that we
have anything to gain by a change in the occupa-
tion of the throne of France.

THE public will variously think the Lords well
or ill spent an hour last night in talking of the
affairs of Poland, according as they agree or dis-
agree with the opinion of Lord STRATFORD
DE REDCLIFFZ as to one of the functions of Par-

liament. "It was satisfactory," the noble lord
said, "to find that the voice of truth should be
" heard in the British Parliament, and that those
" who had succeeded in carrying out their am-
" bilious views had at last to find that they stood
" opposed to the opinion of Europe expressed by
" a Parliament which more than any other body
"in Europe had a right to express that
" opinion." We are quite prepared to learn
that, in an age which worships success, there
us some to whom the voice of truth is

wearisome and contemptible, and who can scarce
forbear a smile at the thought that prosperous
ambition should be supposed to bestow a thought
on any opinion not represented by the chastising
sword. Nevertheless we agree with Lord STRAT-
FORD, and believe that good will result to Poland,
to Russia, and to England, from the expression
last night of the unanimous opinion of a body en-
joying so much authority on the Continent as our
House of Lords.

Those political sceptics whose faith in any
cause is usually measured by its prospects of im-
mediate triumph, naturally regard the nationality
of the Poles as hopelessly extinct, and ridicule the
idea of its effective revival. They would repre-
sent the popular demonstrations at Warsaw as
mere local ;outbreaks of temporary enthusiasm.
No greater mistake in the interpretation of con-
temporary history could well be made. It is
certain that the feeling manifested in the
capital pervades the whole country. The
popular movements at Warsaw but represent
a general uprising of the national sentiment that
extends to every part of the ancient kingdom. All
the reliable intelligence we have received during
the last three months tends to show that the re-
awakened feeling of nationality, and the new effect
it has produced, are marked by singular depth,
Irintensity, and power. Perhaps, however, the
best feature of the movement is, that it
displays as much prudence as resolution ;
I and is, all things considered, as calm 1,
and patient as it is determined and strong. The
Poles, in common wish other oppressed nations,
have learnt wisdom from experience, and the
example of Italy, while kindling new hope and
stimulating to fresh exertions, has inspired them
at the same time with the spirit of caution, teach-
ing lessons not only of quiet labour but of patient
waiting, watchfulness, and heroic endurance. Fully
alive to its importance, the leaders of the new
movement do not cease to act, but their
action is never violent or revolutionary. In-
stead of indulging in inflammatory harangues, or
attempting any premature resort to the sword,
they employ only the most legitimate and pacific
means for giving effect to the national sentiment.
The machinery now in requisition for this purpose
is that of addresses from Vie inhabitants of the
chief towns to their compatriots in the country, or
from the dwellers in one district to those in
another. Our Correspor dent at Warsaw has di-
rected attention to several of these addresses,
described their general object, and given specimens
of the',. contents. The first of these is the ad-
dress from the inhabitants of Warsaw to their
countrymen, encouraging them to persevere in
their moral attitude, and entreating them not to
have recourse for the present to any act of
violence, but to bide with calm and be-
coming dignity their proper time for action.
He also gives at length two other addresses, one
from the nobles of the government of Grodno to
the Emperor of Rues's, praying that Lithuania
may be reunited to the kingdom of Poland, and
enjoy for the future the same political rights and
privileges ; and the other from the citimus of
Volhynia to the inhabitants of Volhynia, Podolia,
and Ukraine, urging on them the importance of
thorough union, not only in political opinion, but
in practical efforts for the preservation of their
nationality and the improvement of the people.
For the latter purpose the address proposes a com-
prehensive plan of popular education, to be carried
into effect by voluntary subscription. This scheme
is specially designed to include the newly-eman-
cipated serfs, one of its main objects being to fit
them for the position and duties of citizens. The
most remarkable fact about these addressee is
tha: they come from those parts of the ancient
kingdom of Poland which, having long since been
incorporated with He Russian Empire, are in all
respects considered and treated as Russian pro-
vinces.

It is, clear, 'therefore, that the patriotism of
these unhappy people—the national spirit of the
Poles—not only lives, but acts with tranquil
power and unanimity throughout the entire race.
But comparatively few of us, perhaps, reflect
how intimately this fact concerns ourselves and
our neighbours across the Channel. The nation-
ality of the Poles is a question in which
the Western peoples and the Western
Powers have a most direct and practical
intereet. If that nationality still exists as a
living, active power, England and France cannot
be indifferent to it, since they are' mainly respon-
sible before Europe for its preservation. It was
these Powers who at the Congress of Vienna
asserted and resolutely maintained that the
separate existence of the Polish nation
was essential to the balance of power and
the peaces of Europe. They accord-
ingly at first demanded that the kingdom
of Poland should be restored, and when the reap-
pearance of NAPOLZON destroyed all immediate
hope of this, they stipulated under express and
stringent conditions for the preservation of the
Polish nationality. It is true these stipulations
I were not long observed, having been set at nought
within a few years after the signing of the treaty.
But their moral effect on the Polish nation was
intense, and the responsibility of this result
thus rests of course on those persons who asserted
in 1815 that Poland had rights which Europe was
bound to recognise and respect. The Poles themselves
through these long years of suffering, have in-
deft', but faithfully kept that nationality which
the Western Powers were so anxious to preserve.
And now, when, after years of silence, they ap-
peal once more for the restoration of their politi-
cal rights, they may at least expect, and are most
justly entitled to receive, the sympat4 and sup•
port of the Western Powers. In this country
that expectation has not been disappointed. Both
the people and the Government have been prompt
in expressing their strong interest in the new
movement, their deep sense of the wrongs the
Poles have suffered, and their earnest i de-
sire for the speedy restoration of their
political rights. It was only a few days
ago that the responsible representatives
of the English Government asserted in the Rouse
of Commons that the Powers in possession of
Poland had forfeited their title-deeds; expressing
at the Mlle time their conviction that the Polish
people would in the end once more take their
place amongst the nations of Europe.
While the English Government has been thus
outspoken on a queetion in which the honour of
both is equally involved, it is curious to observe
the mysterious silence which the French Govern-
ment has maintained. The French people is
well known to cherish feelings of the warmest
friendship towards the gallant nation that has so