The Express.
London, England, 1850-11-16 00:00:00

Vitt. entreoA.

TO CORRESPONDIDITS.
Owned bedew of Outgoing Malta will. future, be bond nadir
lbe howl at Shipping
hieetelonowits intended for " The Espies,. Loneon Vowing pew,
mot to is the 011ie, 10. Bouronwetreet, by Two o'clock as the
day at yobashios.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE•
Tiro DiT—Monble, Ilk. 32a. Afternoon, Int. O.
Te.mmOW —minim is. is.. ..thaso" 1111. 33E12.

LONDON, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16.

Nevita was anything so much wanting in this
country as what is called a Peace Society. Oar good
public is in the habit of troubling ite head or
putting out its feelers even for the gathering of infor-
mation upon soy foreign subject or dispute until it
produces or threatens war. With the tint blast of
the trumpet weget excited, and everyone desires ft
know what is the matter. But before the war-signal'
has sounded, who cares for or inquires into the cue?
Now a society which had for its object the mainte-
nance of peace, and the making of such inquiries into
those iniquities, ambitions, and oppressing, which lead
to war, would have for its first duty to acquire jut
ideas on all those subjects which are really sealed to
the nation, which form the private domain of diple.
macy, and which, in the midst of the mass of popular
ignorance on the subject, the journals are at HMV
to misrepresent, as it may suit their own or
patrons' whims.
A society, formed from amongst the most think-
ing aid philanthropic of the middle climes, and
led by men to whom these chimes look up—this
society, taking
.pains to acquire a just knowledge of
the greet questions of foreign policy, and to arrive at
just conclusions respecting them, making known their
knowledge and their conclusions to the public, would
do more for peace, and for England's taking up in
Europe the right position to maintain peace, and to
favour that constitutional freedom on which peace is
beet founded, than the few bald speeches, got up and
spoken by such dilettanti members of parliament as
deign to give ten minutes' consideration and research
to the faire of Europe.
Somi hundreds of Englishmen have been at Frank-
fort, and there held a Congress of I'. ace. The object
they went for brought them not merely to Germany,
but placed them in immediate communication with the
most intelligent Gerinans,with men neither absolutists
nor democrats, but with those best able to judge, and
least lately to misrepresent the state of this country.
Why, this is an immense gain. Instead of trusting
to dandy trevellers, " our own correspondents,"
Foreign-office mnisearies, or merely mercantile travel-
lers with their eyes on the price of funds and com-
modities, the British public have men to whose
voice and judgment they can appeil for an opinion
on the great questions of peace or war, constitution-
alism or despotism in Germany.
The British press is, we are sorry to say, for the
most part utterly untrustworthy on question', or even
facts, of foreign policy. On all domestic matters our
journals dare not go very wrong, and dust not per-
vert the truth to any dangerous or extravagant de-
lint of foreign politics they presume that no one
knows anything save themselves, and that they may
go on fur months representing affairs and movements
so as to please • Russian or an Austrian patron,
treating the Jono M 0.,. public as if it was composed
of children or idiots, so barefaced and persistent is their
daily mendacity and imposition.
If representatives of our middle classes were to go
abroad and see for themselves, this could not be much
longer done. We all have seen what has been reported
and asserted and argued in the matter of the difference
between Denmark and the duchies of Schleswig-Hol-
tein. People have read Chronicle and Times; and people
will read Lord WERTYOSELAND'S and Mr. Wesee's
despatches in a blue book. And to judge from which,
as set down there, the Schleswig-Holsteiners are no
doubt Jacobins and Socialists, without the lust right
or pretension to homily; whilst the Danes are angels.
Now, however, businesslike Englishmen have
one from Frankfort to the scene of strife, Mr.
Emu BURRITT, a man whose Christian feelings
do not preclude much shrewdness; Mr. Sreeral,
whose acquaintance with popular and political ques-
tions need not be characteriaed; Mr. WHEELER, a
resident in Norwich, who trades in that commodity
which the duchies chiefly produce. Well, these gen-
tlemen have been to Kiel, and have visited the
duchies; they have gone to Copenhagen, and con-
versed with the ministers there, as well as with the
leading and popular men on both sides. Now we
should recommend the British public to hear the
opinion of these men, and to give that opinion
its due weight on a question, respecting which they
have hitherto received information almost exclusively
from Lord Pouseastote's agents, who ars all, to a
man, ultra-Write in that quarter of the werid,cs from
the agents of the soi-diront libsul pewee The
merely echo the opinion of three diplemalkb.
We can easily conceive why these jeans* these
organs of tory and absolutist diplomacy, should
open all their batteries of ridicule and abuse upon
the Peace Society, and expose its delegates aid
orators ; for these gentlemen have been really poach-
ing upon what has hitherto been the exclusive
manors of their excellencies and their "own cone.
epondents." They are sot only poaching, but throw-
ing down the fume which surround these immense
of ignorance. They are bringing the public in to
hunt the game of information and political facts
themselves, and they are, in fact, destroying the sport
and the monopoly of these diplomatic sad journalistic
exclusives.
The fact is, that foreign politics will never be na-
aerstood in this country until the middle chime um
to take an interest in, and have a knowledge of them,
as well as they have of the great questions of domestic
politics. When our middle elapses do this, and come
to regard the questions which agitate Europe, and
which affect us with regard to Euroge, in a humane, a
liberal, and a commercial point of view, instead of 1
allowing them, as at present, to be treated diplomati-
cally—then, and not till then, will British statesmen
and British journals be compelled to treat these goes
Lions in common fairness and in a liberal spirit. And
then, and not till then, will the English government
assume a respectable position, acquire rever-
ence, and wield a real, and at the same time
a pacific, influence in Europe. If we have
little influence or weight at present, it is because it is
known end seen, that our foreign policy is the mere
attribute of oar Foreign-office, which more often gulls
the public than makes use of its intelligence and sup-
port. In nine cues out of ten our diplomacy expresses
anti-national opinions, and abets anti-English and
anti liberal interests. And foreigners see, that whilst
a liberal majority exerts its influence in parliament I
on domestic legialatios, an illiberal and aristocratical
minority amongst us disposes of cur foreign system.
Nothing can mote tend to correct this pernicious
state of things than Peace Societies and meetings,
specially those which will actually go to hold their
settings abroad, in the heart of that very Europe,
whole welfare and peace they have at heart. The
men who went last year to Frankfort have drawn
closer liske between England and Germany than all
the diplomatic agents that have been mutually accre-
dited in both countries. And from the delegates who
visited Copenhagen and Kiel, we shall gather a clearer
Wight into the great Soandinevian and Osman