Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-09-08 00:00:00

though, Heaven

knows we have pretended little—e
power, predictions of our downfal, and self-

?nvy at our

appropriation of the office of chastiser and

scourge

The last demonstration of this sort in the form

of a latter, from one known to be deep in Im-
perial counsels, and published in the Indepen-

deice Beige, has been already referred to in our
columns. We do not wish to attach too much

importance to it—though we are confidently
assured that it may fairly challenge to itself a

semi-official character

-but we cannot be far

wrong in using it as a commentary on the rela-
tive positions taken up by the Press of the two-
countries.. The 'bugbear is, as always, the moral

and material influence among the nations pos-
sessed by this country, and the glorious mission
of France is, as always, to diminish and ultimately

destroy it. The EMPEROR, as English critics

haye been blamed for conjecturing, broke up' the
Italian war in order to make peace with Austria,

and commence an active alliance, the ultimate

object of which is the subjugatiOn of England.
Louis NAPOLEON, having established his 'super-

eminent military prestige, has returned to France

for the purpose of continuing that naval organisa-
tiOn, which is to secure him the " Sovereignty of the

seas." Russia is to be, of course, a party to the
little arrangement. The mutual spoliation of
Turkey supplying the nefarious bond, which is to
keep these thieves together. The moment for
letting loose the confederate burglars, with their
Godless hosts, over Christendom, it is not for

common men to predict. Louis NAPOLEON is
himself the Archpriest who sits upon the tripod,
and at whose lips all nations tremblingly expect
the oracle. But on,e means of possible or even

probable postponement of her fate, is consider-
ately placed within the reach of England, lest
she should become helplessly struck, with the
desperation of a premature despair. The only
chance she has of delaying for a brief and gener-
ous moment, the march of the great Incendiary,

is by keeping in power Lord PALMERSTON and a
Liberal Ministry who will continue to mince and
talk small, and profess their willingness to lick
the dust off LOUIS NAPOLEON'S feet! Whether
England will be content to propitiate the evil
passions of a foreign marauder, by the degrading
subserviency of her Ministers is. a question which
we may ask in passing, but which there is

scarcely any need to ask. Only,,if the reputation

which a Whig• Ministry seems to have contracted

among our foreign critics have any truth in it,

take sooner rAigianct• thrusts theta fr 0 ro- ber:the

better for her own honour, and even for her own
ultimate 'salvation. England loathes and scorns
the idea of buying off Louis. NAPOLEON. It

was because she instinctively disdained the

slightest taint of such a suspicion, that she 'threw

out the conspiracy bill in Parliament two years

ago ; though,- quite possibly, a measure in the
abstract just and expedient. Rut she cannot buy
him off if she would; and if she take the hint,

she will seize the first opportunity of consigning
her honour to Conservative hands, where it will

be safe

Now, if it were our manner to indulge in pro-
jects of invasion and schemes for lowering the

status of France among European powers, we

should. not for a moment question the justice of

the complaint, that our journals were violating
the conditions_ .pf. international friendship, and

rioting in the wanton language of provocation,
where the best interests of both nations demanded

the reciprocations of sympathy. But where is

the desire that France should be deposed from

her place in the European family ? Where is the

jealous feeling rankling through the bosoms of
public men, which prompts a national envy, and

gives an edge and a sinister meaning to re-

proach ? But to suppose that our public writers

and monitors should have been silent at all

the flagitious acts of Louis NAPOLEON ; or at

that avowed concentration of the " NAPOLEON
ideas," which threatens the peace of Europe, is to
pre-suppose the extinction of the press, and that
the English character has lapsed into cowardice
or madness. It is the French papers who delight

to represent their modern idol as a ruthless

invader, and the meditated march of his armies,

as though it were to be some " irruption of the
Goths." If we accept their representation, then
it is a sufficient explanation of the aspect which

our public sentiments assume, to say that we
have not begun to be Imperial flatterers, nor

ceased to be Englishmen who by no means
despair of the fortunes of their country.

-~--

THE present state of politics in Europe does not
justify England in depending on any security
short of her own prowess and power. In order
that she may continue to herself, under the very

complicated aspect of Continental affairs, the

same. supremacy which she has hitherto, under
the blessing of Providence, maintained, she must

be watchful and on the qui vive. That we may
ascertain whether she is able to uphold a con-
dition which has hitherto been hers, we must

review her present relative forces, with those
which she possessed in the past, and which gave
her that priority that she must now be active

We have been invaded before, as
MARKIIAM very pleasingly and instruct-
inglv teaches in the books

to preserve,

which she has pub-

lished

more,

not prevent it, as we gather

Agricola, when navigation Av

the history of India, than ca

present age, with all the intensific

scoverws

of an exceedingly progressive and,scientific spirit'

it is the more necessary to take care that out

advancement keeps pace with the march of the dilY

in which our destinies and.fortuns are cast• Thei

Celtic and Cambrian may pride themselves upon
. _

having still preserved in their 'fastnesses the
Original race of the' ancient = Btiton,.. unmixed
with Roman, Saxon, or Norman blood ; but yet it

, • . . _
would be by no means to Celt or Saxon, acceptable,
that any foreign importation should supersede the
present race of tkese Isles. Now the ald strength
. _

of our Navy was one hundred sail of the line

To quote the words of an able article which

has appeared in Blackwood's Magazine f°l.

this current month,

it often ros,

-‘ sometimes, on an emergency, doubled itself, but
" never fell below, until peace agitators and
" financial expedients tampered with our strength'

and. stagnated, our resources

What is our

present naval force ? We have, according to

statement made in a book on

Position and Policy," said to. be by a Nav
Peer, the foll Owing tabular co'mpat
the French and English maritime, forces. `'ghat
then, the noble lord asks, is the actual state !.

son- between

- -
Our fleet ? We have Sir CHARLES WOOD

statement made in 1857

SHIPS OF THE LIN

English
. 131

French

In: 1817
.1840

89 • • 46
42(screw) 40(screw)

FRIGATES

Tn 1817
1840.

English
. 192'
. 1101

Frencl
46
91

42(screw)

37 (screw)

So we see, that while in 1817

we had "P'