Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-01-25
FOREIGN.
FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
LONDON, JANUARY 3, 1851,

FROM OUR LONDON CORRESPONDENT.
LONDON, JANUARY 3, 1851.
There can no longer be any doubt that the first
half of the nineteenth century has closed. Last
year. at this time, that question very learnedly
discussed and the discussion ended where it began,
in both parties retaining their opinions. Whoever
lives until January !, 1900, may witness its arrival
in altered shape; the question then recurring on
the commencement of the century.
We are not disposed, nor able, if we had the dis
position to inquire into what has been done in the
world during the expired half century; but, in one
word, would say that its distinguishing character
istic has been PROGRESS, or, to use more distinct
kind-moral, social, POLITICAL and religious. Sci
ence, real practical man-serving science, has taken
numerous and important steps. The great end of
Literature has been to cvilize and socialize man
kind. The science Of government has been more
directly exerted towards its proper object, the good
of the governed; whilst religion has been more
liberalized and more conformed to the spirit Of
Christianity. And, to crown the whole, there has
been less of war and carnage during the last fifty
years than in any half century since the Christian
era. Shall we not, therefore, laud the time we live
in, and be thankful that we SO live?* But let US
limit our view for while to the gear which has just
closed upon us, and ask what has it contributed of
good or evil to the condition of mankind Gene
rally speaking, the last five years have each had
distinguishing characteristic. In ls46 occurred
what the protectionists of this country would call
an inficon by man, in the shape of Sir ROBERT
PEEL's free-trade measures in l647, Providence
visited us with bad harvest; in lS4S, Revolution
and its disturbing and distressing consequences
shook continental Europe; and in ls49 pestilence,
in the guse of cholera, hurried its victims by thou
sands to their graves. The last year will not be
numbered among the most eventful ones. After its
stirring predecessors, it must appear dull one.
The two great events affecting England were the
inception Of the great Industrial Exhibition of 1851
and the Papal aggressions both of which have yet
to bear their fruit, and very different will be their
tendency. The first will, we trust, yield rich
harvest of kind and liberalzng feeling, tending to
promote all the best interests of mankind, and to
unite all nations and all peoples in one vast fellow
ship. The latter, il may be feared, will bear bit
ter crop of anti-soca and antichristan tendencies,
the extent Of which cannot at present be even
guessed at. If 1850 has been year Of compara-
tive sumber, its successor will, we think, be one of
equally noticeable action. If 1850 has not been
decidedly progressive we have no right to accuse
it with having been retrograde; and we will trust
thathe inactivity and rest Of the past year has i'm
parted strength and vitality to the present one,
which will mark its history with many steps in the
right direction.
Several Of our leading journalists charge the past
year with having been decidedly retrograde, on the
continent Of Europe, and that the absolutist and
bigot principle has triumphed there, in relapse,
not only to the condition of lS47, but to that of
1900. We have now, say they, as we had then,
great military autocrat, pressing like an incubus
upon all liberal and liberalizing influences we
have merely changed NAPoLEoN for NICHOLAS,
with the disadvantage that the latter has all the abb
soutst tendencies without the military glory of the
former. NAPOLEON presided over the meeting of
Kings at Dresden half century ago. NICHOLAS,
through the agency of ScHwARzENBURa, the repre-
sentative of his ally, AUsTRIA, governs the free
conferences" at Dresden at the present day. If
French armies were triumphant in Germany in
1900, Russian armies subdued Hungary into vas
salage in Is49, and Russian policy settles the
affairs of Holstein and Hesse in 1850. We are
forced to admit that there is good deal of truth in
this representation, but not disposed to anti
cipate the submission of Prussia to the dctation of
AUSTRIA, even at the bidding Of RUSSIA. We do
not suppose there are score of people in Prussia
who would quietly submit to such dictation, and
quite that there is widespread and deeply
seated spirit among the sons of the Fdfherland, call
them what you will, Prussians, Saxons Bavarians,
Hanoverians, Hessians, or Holsteiners, which would
arm them as one man against the triple alliance
even could il be formed, which we are unwilling to
admit-of Austria, Prussia, and Russia. Already
Bavaria, in an understanding with the other minor
Kings of Germany, has perceived the duplicity Of
Austria; and the minor Princes Of Germany, COM
prisng be it remembered, the greater portion Of the
German population, are looking out for powerful
protector against the despodc alliance of the three
great Powers, should they attempt to form it.
This is not a desirable state of things, but we
.NorE BIZ THE EDrToRs.-We lot our correspondent
speak for himself this all other occasions when he
speaks at ALL We not confident, however, as ne
seems to be- that all "progress Including in the term all
innovations upon old laws old habits and old modes Of think
ing-s to be considered advance for which we ought to
be doubly thankful. Much Of it undoubtedly s All the
qualification Of this sentiment Of correspondent that we
should desie however, would be accomplished BY adding the
words, Perceptions excepted"