The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1838-09-21 00:00:00

Then shall, gorgeous as a gem,
Shine thv mount, Jerusalem;
Then shill in the desert rise
Fruits of snore than paradise;
Earth by angel feet be trod,
One great garden of her God,
Till are dried the martyr's tears
Through a glorious thousand years;
Now in hope of him we trust,
" Earth to earth, and dust to dust."

CONTEMPORARY PRESS.

THE GREAT RADICAL "DEMONSTRATION."
( Front the Morning Herald.)
The "great meeting," convened yesterday, in Pa-
lace-yard, by the " Working Men's Association,"
proved a ludicrous failure. Infinite was the trouble
taken to secure the attendance of large numbers. The
meeting had been carefully advertised, for weeks past,
in all parts of the kingdom. Deputations from every
quarter had been solicited to attend. The meeting it-
self possessed a perfectly legal character, from the fact
of its being presided over by the high bailiff of West-
minster. Other circumstances favoured the plans of
the projectors of the meeting. The day selected was
a holy day. The spot chosen was, perhaps,- the most
eligible in the metropolis. Yet, despite these aids
and appliances, the meeting was contemptible in point
of numbers. Not more than 6,000 persons were, at
any time, present :—nay, it may be doubted whether
the number of 3,000 he not much nearer the mark.
The vanity of the getters-up of the meeting has not
ventured to state the numbers higher than 15,000;
yet even if the meeting had comprehended fifteen
thousand persons, would not such a number—when
the objects announced, the locality, the time, and the
circumstances of the meeting are taken into account—
have involved utter failure? The Birmingham meet-
ing for the same objects is stated to have been attend
ed by one hundred thousand persons.
Whatever'may be thought of the principles embo-
died in the "national petition"—of this fact there can
now exist not the slightest doubt--that the "Work-
ing Men's Association" of London possesses not the
smallest portion of influence over the working men of
the metropolis. If that " Association" did, in truth,
represent the feelings, and enjoy the confidence of the
mechanics and artisans of London, the leaders of the
association would be able, at any time, to bring to-
gether two or three hundred thousand men. Mr. Att-
wood, for instance—we say nothing, for the moment,
as to the soundness of his views—does possess the
confidence of the operatives of Bilmingliam ; and the
consequence is seen in the crowded meetings which
be can always command. But the leaders of the
"Working Men's Association" of London are mere
tools of Leader, and Malesworth, and Warburton, and
the rest of that party;—nor are they unwilling, when
occasion serves, to toay Mr. O'Connell. So lately as
November last, they gave that worthy personage a
public dinner—although, at that very time, Mr. O'Con-
nell would scarcely have ventured to attend a public
meeting (not packed) of working men, in any part of
England.
The speeches yesterday were in the usual strain,
and of the average quality. Mr. Ebenezer Elliot
would, however, appear to have uttered a greater num-
ber of sillinesses than any of his competitors for ora•
torical distinction.

THE FOREIGN POLICY OF FRANCE.
( From the Times.)
The iniquity of the foreign policy of France, whim
has so suddenly burst forth within a few months, as-
sumes on every side so fearful and identical a charac-
ter, that our columns hardly suffice to enumerate the
variety of her designs or of the means she has recourse
to in their execution.
Scarcely is our attention rivetted on her transatlan-
tic projects, when the revelations at the Court-martial
in the citadel of Perpignan expose a series of tran-
sactions calculated to affix a stain on the military Ito•
nour of France in Africa as deep as that which dis-
graces her diplomacy in Europe and America.
Here not only the corruption of the system and the
rapacity of the individuals filling the very highest sta-
tion are questions of deep and melancholy interest as
affecting the character of Europe, and of civilization
in Africa; but the revelation of such characters leads-
as necessarily to reflect on the spirit of the French
army and government, and overwhelms the mind with
the contemplation of principles, motives, and incent-
ives common to the higher ot, of the state, to the
court, the military, and the di tic departments of
the government, well calculate. to recall to our minds
the events of 179'2, 1803, and 1815. Now, indeed,
there is no Napoleon, but, alas! there is no Austria,
there is no Spain, there is no Prussia, there is noEng-
land. There is but Russia ready to repeat the offer
of European partition of 1807, and there is France
ready to grant to Russia that bone of contention which
led to the rupture of the conference at Erfurt and to
the hostility of Alexander and Napoleon.
But to return to the trial of General Brossard.
The most important question connected with this
trial, in an international point of view, is the allusion
to secret articles in the convention of the Tafna, the
existence of which, although denied by General
Bogeand, is rendered more than probable by inciden-
tal circumstances connected with the treaty, and bear-
ing on the general policy of France, whose sovereignty
is recognised by the first article of the convention in
"Africa."
The expression, "The Emir acknowledges the so-
vereignty of France in Africa," proves the inequality
of the contracting parties, and that France merely in-
tended to establish a vassal recognising her own
suzerainete and subject to her control, and considering
that France in the ostensible articles of that treaty
excluded British commerce from the ports to which she
then for the first time acquired even a nominal title,
and that the Emir engaged to direct the commerce of
the interior to no other ports, the several articles as
well as the ostensible treaty itself must have been
framed with a view of bindirig the Emir against the
interests of England. It is impossible otherwise to
account either for the neglect by ABD-EL-KADER of
the diplomatic advantages of his position, and his ab-
staining to form direct relations with England, whilst
maintaining an envoy at Paris, or for his not remain-
ing neutral in the affairs of Africa, instead of attack-
ing the Bey of Constantine.
But it is with reference to the interior of Africa that
this treaty derives its chief importance, by establish-
ing in the populous, wealthy, but untutored tribes of
the desert, the belief of the European ascendancy of
France, and the extinction of the name and influence
of the Ottoman Emperor.
The present attitude of France in Africa is, in fact,
the disguised revival of the projects of Napoleon,
steadily pursued during the last twelve years by every
successive administration.
The formation, by French officers, of the Egyptian
marine in 1826 and 1827, which, by the sagacious
manceuyres of Admiral Codrington, Admiral de Rigny
himself was compelled to destroy in the battle of Na-
varino—the intimacy so shortly afterwards renewed
and proved by the project, in 1830, of attacking Al-
giers by an Egyptian army, which would have sitnul
taneously overthrown the regencies of Tripoli x
Tunis, show the intimate union between Mehemet
Ali and Fiance against both the interests and the
treaties of England and of Turkey, and the ulterior
designs of Russia, of which they are both -rendered
the subservient instruments against our Indian pos-
sessions.
The following extract of an official work, published
at Paris in 1802, will serve to explain the extent o'
the positions and dominion so long aimed at by the