Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-09-13

in the progress Of particular questions. We ma,
doubt that the danger real very grave at any
juncture or whether the diusive patriotism and goot
sense of the People were not absolute security.
/ You may remember that the great disasters il
our Union--steam. explosions, conhagrations, ant
SO forth--were imputed in Europe to American and
Democratic reckessness to disregard Of human
suffering and life The recent destructive acct
dents on the railroads in England-one equallinp
any American or French-and the fires at Quebec
Toulon, Smyrna, rivalling those Of New York and
Pittsburg, admonish the journals Of this side Of
the Atlantic to be little more charitable. II is
not doubted the fire in the arsenal Of Touon was
the effect of design, and the object nothing less
than the destruction Of all the naval and military
stores and all the vessels Of war on the stocks. We
infer from the various estimates, that the timber in
preparation for the navy which could not be res
cued exceeded in cost three millions Of francs In
regard to time and the quality Of the wood, this
loss is nearly rreparable. AT first the convcts at
the galeys, many of whom are employed in the
public stores and yards, were supposed to be the
incendiaries but none of them disappeared, and
all exerted themselves to subdue the flames. Then
some Of our Opposition writers imagined and more
than insinuated that the mischief must have been
the work of British jealousy OF French naval
means and plans. The Legitimist organ, La France,
cites the maxim, Is fecit cui prodest, and adds,
ironically, that England might be suspected, il
France did not live under the regime of the entente
cordiale. At Nantz, at the races, high scaffold-
| ing, with many hundred spectators on it, broke
down, and at least one hundred were severely in
ljured. The details are scarcely less painful than
those of the catastrophe of the Northern and East
ern Railway in England.-American character and
institutions abundanty traduced abroad on ac-
count of the speculation-mania which begot so much
evil to individuals and States. No allowance was
tolerated for the vehement spirit of enerprise-the
sanguine hopes and caculations-natur to young
people, whose resources seemed inexhaustble, as,
doubtless, they will ultimately prove. To say no.
thing of the present rage for railroad stock, and the
competition of companies in France, if you will
look Great Britain and Ireland and read the state
ments in Parliament and the press of the immensi-
ty Of The undertakings and the frauds, and corrup-
ton, and passionate widespread cupidity (which
they marked, you will learn that all and every
American disorder and excess of the kind must fade
in the comparison. There is something piquant
and curious in the short speech of the Duke of We'll
LENGToN:
first is to get possession Of property for the purposes Of these
schemes the second to found upon them system Of gam
bling and the last and only in which the public have
any interest, is form the railroad should my lords
agree any which would give the public chance
of having the railroads. II is in my opinion, impossible
prevent the getting possession Of property and the system
gambling That appears to out of the question: and
think therefore that all should do is that the public
should have the railroads. HEAR
Opening, yesterday, paper of Scotland, was
first struck with this sentence " In sober
land, all sober business is showed aside specu-
lation, peculation-railway shares and railway de-
posite, scrip and premium, seem to be the order of
the day.
1t is mentioned, in recent letter from Constan-
tinope, that the friends of Mr.. CARTWRIGHT, who
for thirty years British Consul General in that
capital caused the portrait of the worthy man to be
taken; and the writer, an Englishman, says:
sThis portrait is the work of young American artist Of
high promise, who soournng here for months
Mr. kellogg This country attracts many artists and is
prsng does not attract for country in scenery
variety Of costume and in the still greater variety of human
feature presents to the eye, emineny pictorial
Besides the portrait Of Mr. Cartwright Mr. kellogg has painted
one of Ria Pacha."
Mr.. G. BUTLER, the able member (English) of
Parliament, Delivered on the It'll instant, an inte-
resting speech to his constituents which he express
ed the full belief that throughout the world there
does not exist such alienation of one people from
another as exists between the Irish and the Eng
: lish." And he asked " Can we exist with one
third of great nation thus aenated seeing the
position of England with Europe and the world !!
Is it not prospect frightfu to any man who loves
: his country! Should we lose any time in re-
Z moving, if possible the causes of the evil?" In
fact, Ireland is a more formidable danger for Great
Britain than slavery for Southern States or Ra-
dicalism for the French monarchy and, on the Br-
fish side, the entente cordale between the Cabinets
of London and Paris can have no stronger motive
than the total abstinence of the French Government
from tampering with Irish disafection.
An old vaporous Mexican decree, in anticipation
of the annexation of Texas, was resuscitated last
week by the London press, and converted into
formal. solemn, magnanimous declaration of war
by Mexico against the United States. New tor
rents of invective issued from the oracles, both
Tory and Wing. The Paris press, not given to
critical inquiry in such Matters received the neUs
implicitly, and for several days conjectured and de-
scanted on the nature and incidents and conse-
quences Of the Mexican struggle. The National
ascribed the declaration to British and French in
trigues, in long article the Steele advised France
to remain neutral at least, she having no poacer in
America, but only interests which required that
policy or an alliance with the American Union !;
La Presse ridiculed all Mexican belligerent mani
esoes idle bravado; the Constitutional thought
that the fear of exciting Great Britain and France
would deter the United States from invading Mexi-
co.. and, BESIDES vast interjacent deserts, impassa-
bic floods, thousands Of rugged miles must render
invasion impossible. The journal des Debafs pub
lished the declaration, with very little land that eau
tious) remark. Galignani's Messenger makes this
correct report:
Mos Of the Opposition journals have articles on the news
from Mexico One would be disposed TO conclude from them
that the writers had previously held meeting for the purpose
Of coming understanding TO the manner OF treating
the subject for they unanimous points, and use
nearly the same They doubt whether the Mexican