The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-01 00:00:00

gut ewelifs.

OUTGOING NAILS.
The Wert Isdia Melodies Bermuda, Smug'lt,
Names, lin,derm, New Orleans, sad Muth" sad euladieg
awes few Markin. Bt. saa-de-Niseressa, New Gresada,
awl P
otenman be aide up armoire°. marelag. Jae. 2.
Ti. milk Ise Iterbeele. tit* Brune, sad Baum Apree,well
be
made up ea the rade, Jut. 4.
The malls he Lobes, ilpela, sad Gibraltar will be made
up es Jan. 7.
The mile Marseillee, te the Mediterramem,
Ceplau, tedie„ lieurieep, !a,
tie be made up on
the *amigo et Joe. 7.
The mods fee Brh Nardi Amities arid the
Status will be mute apes the maim of Jas. 11. Tithed
The snag ice Gibraltar, Malts, Greece, the Isaiah Wends,
Egypt, Ceylon, Incite, sod Cbtss. eta Beathamptos, will
be made up es the eversirg of Jas. 19.

141014 WATS% AT LONDON 1101110411.
Tau Dal —14444d4g. TN. 405 Aftersois. 4 %Ala
14•••••444-11rAling. 414. /44. AAosies. 4 14. Wm

LONDON, TUESDAY. JANUARY 1.

literoaT wil amnia flew erects more
than the yearsl which close the first half of the pre-
sent century. No convalMea so rude-et:al has taken
W
mince the religious outburst of the Reformation.
We do not augur for the present a course so long and
so sanguinary as that great struggle. There is not
the same stubborn element of difference in political as
in religious creeds. And government by violence, by
the mere law of the strong hand, is a creed that no
one any longer believes in, not even the military
chiefs who practise it. The mind of the despot and
the spirit of his councillors have had their convictions
@hakes& And popular opinion steeds before them as a
spectre, to be braved for a moment, but not perma-
nently defied.
• The history of the last two years can be briefly
told: first, the compression of the middle and intelli-
gent, as well as of the lower and labouring classes,
to a degree that forced the outburst ; then the
instantaneous and universal triumph of the people
over their blind, imbecile, and pusillanimous
meats; next, the assertion of superiority
Ciretre lower class over toe titnens, with the
pursuit of lower clams theories. Then instantly
ensues division between upper and lower class,
in countries developed, like France and north °tr-
inity, and a division between races in heterogeneous
empire', such as Austria. Of these divisions the old
governments soon took advents e, and aroused them-
selves from torpor end trembling to do so. To their
other follies the people bad added the enormous one'
of insulting the military without crushing or disband-
ing them; and the soldier had his professional pique
to avenge, as well as governments their authority to
recover. S 3 natural a reaction was of court*
ea victorious in 1849, as the onward im-
pulse had been irresistible in 1818. Each year
forms a movement of the mighty pendulum, forwards,
backwards. And if we look solely at the pendulum
we might despair. But on looking to the hands of
the world's time-piece, we shall find them to have
moved imperceptibly on, and that, after all, we are no
longer where we were on the first of January, 1848.
We shall have, no doubt, at this new year's dawn,
loud weans from the laureates of despotism, and con-
gratulations that throughout all Europe the people
have been put down. That victory, however,
is a doubtful one, after which the triumphant
party are obliged to pay court to the de-
feated. We do not find that the kings of the pre-
sent day see either profit or security in beating up
the old buttresses of thrones. They 123 longer rely
upon an aristocracy which they scarcely recognise,
even in their octroyed constitutioas. The armies they
are compelled to mite and to pay for defence against
their neighbours, and for the keeping down their own
people. are necessarily composed of se large a propor-
tion of that people, that the military element is
perhaps of all tee most dangerous and the most demo-
cratic. Nor is there a continental prince who must
not feel that to build desrotism upon an army, such
armies as era now raised. were but to erect a tempo-
rary and floating throne, upon an ever heaving and
fluctuatiog ocean.
There is not one therefore even of the veriest of
tyrants, that is rot compelled to consult public
opinion, and to endeavour to form a system of govern-
ment consonant with, and satisfactory to it. Not
merely the President of the French Republic, but
such monarchs as the King of Prussia, commandi, g
500,000 taithful soldiers, sod the Austrian Em-
peror himself, deleted, like Roman candidates
into the popular Forum, end by act anti word beseech
the people to grant them their sweet voices.
In Prussia, notwithstanding all the tendencies of a
reactionary minieery, we see the great principles of
constitutional government, become of themselves de-
veloped and respected. The freedom of the press,
the judgment by jory, the right of represen-
tation, all display themselves in vigour. Twee
are cotquests of Vele, boons that never would
leave been granted or enjoyed but for that revolu,ion.
And much as one may deplore the excesses of that
great popular convulsion, Germany most for ever
bless the great idea and principle, of which it deve-
loped the existence and secured the survivaL
Of Germany, indeed, and of all German speskiag
races, we now feel assured of the liberation, the
union, and the onward progress. There may be
obstacles and pauses, difficulties and dangers; bat the
impulse is already given; the German mind is all
awake, the steam is np, the train in motion ; and
the princes that refuse to go with it will either
be flung able, or crushed beneath the wheels.
And Germany, we need not say, is now the earths,
well as the central power of Europe. From such a
power as that, burning in bright flame, must issue
rays that will dispel all darkuers from our coati-
neut. Italy, &helve* Poland, cannot crouch in the
night of a military despotism, with the light of a free
and lietelligent people not only turned upon, but
actually toachi:g them.
One might have wished to see the old dynasty
of Austria take part in and accelerate such a
change, and thereby not only aid in German regene-
ration, but employ German power to en-
lighten and emancipate those of its east-
ern provinces inhabited by other races, and speaking
other tongues. Thetreachery,imbecility,and impolicy
of Austria has, however, delivered over its Sclavunian
provinces to Russian influence, leaving its German pro-
vinces to follow German fortunes. Thus weak, bank-
rupt, and torn asunder, Austria is incapable of play-
ing that conservative part which its admirers,
who know it but in the past, still vainly hope from it.
No more marked result has followed the moral earth-
quake of 1848 than the golf which it has created be-
tween Germany and ficlavonis ; and that chasm runs
through the very centre of the Austrian empire,
through its very metropolis. After this, who can
hope to keep such as empire together ?
There is no denying that the depsrition and disap-
pearance of so great a mate seems likely to be at-
tended with disastrous consequences. The aggran-
disement that it gives, and the increased influence
that it offer. to Russia, is alarming. But &Livonia
has a will and a mind, as well as Germany. And we
are much mistaken if it be not found as difficult to
manage the &neoplasm from St. Petersburg, as it
has been found impossible to dominate them from
Vienna. Every day that passes will demonstrate the
impossibility of snatching and bartering and playing
with provinces, as if they were private property.
After the sentiment of a common creed, that of a
common origin and nationality is strongest. And
one of the chief vocations of Usese two years has been
to develop and to strcuthen the principle.
Of France we would gladly be silent, the dire ex-
periment which it has made and which it is still
evolving, has nullified its influence in Europe. France
has, indeed, stepped beyond its frontier with an army,
bat that has been merely to do dirty work for Ant-
trim At home France may be said to have neither go-
vernment, nor legislature, nor policy, nor tendency,
neither intellectual freedom nor material prosperity.
The country might do well either es a republic or as
a monarchy, could it pat faith in either. But the
quarrel between its classes is too profound to admit at
present of its attaining an state more stable than
that of a true in the midst of civil war. Of are
thing, however, we may be certain, which is,
•. • that popular influe nee must prevail, and that
neither tyranny, nor oligarchy, the rule of
a moo, or the rule of a coterie, can long maintain
themselves. The French people are masters and
will remain masters of that fire couetey, and the
sooner they are pacified, instructed, °mediated, and
comp Handed with be the military and political
eller es that straggle for ephemeral power, the sooner
will Frame enter up,n a state of regular government
end universal acquiescence in it.
There are no countries which offer more Jowl for
satirisation at the present menreat than those