Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1854-09-30

LONDON, SEPTEMBER I, 1854.

y
We have never had apeep behind the political
curtain or been in the confidence of those who are
behind it. We are not quite sure however, that
had we enjoyed these advantages tie partial gancos
afforded by the one or the individual opinions COM
municated by the other would have materially i'm
proved our correspondence. Weprefer our present
mode OF purveying for our communications. We
peruse carefully and diligently the leading daily
and weekly journals and are not needless Of the
monthly and quarterly publications. We visit al
most daily the great marts of business, hear what
people say upon Exchange, and seek the opinions of
men experienced and well-informcd upon matters Of
leading interest where conflicting reports exist We
strive to avoid being governed by the dca Of any
journal and are not welded to the opinions any party
We believe that the Daily News Is often day ahead Of
all other papers in its information and that its early in
tegence may in general be relied upon but it is rather
ultra in its opinions and sometimes advocates rapidty of
action danger Of sacrificing security of position The
Times admirable for the variety and power of its leading
articles, for the beautiful style in which it enunciates its
opinions for its unbounded resources and for its learned
and elegant dsqusitions many Of which deserve to take
permanent place in English literature but it often
raises large supersruStures upon insufficient foundations
often deduces most important conclusions from unsound
premises, and not unfequenty receives and communi
Gates Observation-Disclosures from own correspondent"
1t probably acknowledges allegiance to party, and is
truly independent journal but it seems to have no
very clear conceptions Of political truth, and very
advocate Of the Of and progress The
Morning Chronicle has frequently early information of
the intentions of Government although be called
the organ Of the Government Its editorial articles are
indferently written, and often very trhing and unm-
portant is it famous for the extent Of its intelligence
the variety Of its contents. The Examiner (weeky
ourna is liberal and talented its leaders have always
powerful bearing upon the subjects of the day and its
literary and artistic articles of superior quality The
Economist is high authority for all matters Of sta
tistcs, commerce, and finance; and the Ahenaum for
whatever relates to literature and the fine The Mark
Lane Express gives extensive information in relation to
the crops and the market and the Observer cee
brated for its weekly and for its condensed intel
gence The Liverpool Mercury occupies high ground for
the berality of its opinions and the ability with which
advocates them The Manchester Guardian is another
journal Of high character and very great utility and the
Stamford Mercury is perhaps the very Oldest provincial
journal in the Kingdom with the largest circuation and
printed Upon the largest sheet permitted to be used
is noted for having line of editorial matter in its
columns and famous for containing the greatest possible
quantity Of we'll arranged local and general intelligence
Surely from these sources, and from Frasers and Black
woods Magazines and from the various quarterly Reviews
abundance Of materials may be collected. How
range them, what cay respecting them and what is
the value Of the opinions deduce from hem is not for
say word about As to the past and the passing
we aim rather to be correct than clever and commune
the useful and the interesting rather than what is
startling merely from its novelty As to the future,
endeayor make reasonable differences from ascerained
facts Oar opinions may sometimes be in striking opposi
ton to those of trusted authorities but are con-
tent wait for the result and to abide the revelations
tetale time
The anecedents of NAPOLEON H. are not calculated to
inspire confidence, but he has been consistent decided
and apparently since he has the ally Great
Britain. Both his interests and his nclnations will
cure, we think his cordial cooperation with England
through the war; and cannotantcpae any quarrel at
its close the division of the poils, since leading
article in the treaty between France and England is that
neither country is to acquire any extension of territory
in consequence of the war.
The meeting of NApoLEoN III. and Prince ALBERT on
the French coast is the great event Of the week To find
parallel to it must go back to the era Of the Field
Of the Cloth of Gold. The spectacle will lose nothing in
comparison. There is probably much real power in
the squadron that attends Prince ALBERT as guard Of
honor as there in the feet of cockboats that attend
ed HENnY VIII; and for martial show to theseye of
connoisseur, there is Of purposeke and bust
ness air about the French soldery to be reviewed
the French camp than there about the mailed war
riors of whom it sad less than century later that
they had brought the art of arming themselves to such
perfection to be incapable of either receiving hurt
themselves nficting it upon others What has
Europe gone through since q French and English mon
arch embraced each other the Field of the Cloth Of
Gold France the of the League, the troubles of
the Fronde the revocation aof the edct of Nantes the
Mississippi scheme, the great literary and scientific
epoch Of Votare the encyclopedias and Rousseau the
great French Revolution, the European wars, and the
Empire Of Napoleon In England the Reformation, the
Spanish Armada and its destruction the great literary
era of Shakespeare and Bacon the civil wars and the Com
monweah the revolution Of $685. the loss Of America
and tho conquest Of India the Peninsular struggle the
Reform R the progress of civilization the development
Of national character the growth of national wealth
tegence and power have been marked by widely differ
ing and even contrasting features in the two countries
And yet it cannot be said that either has got ahead of
the other When look to phass Of their social
states we may be disposed to assign the palm to one
country but Immediately superior excellence of
the other different respect attracts attention and in
duces doubt. The Daily News says:
It is to be regretted that national antagonism in
hered the times when the Kings of the Franks in
Paris aud the Dukes Of Normandy struggling for
ascendancy should often have placed the two nations
in hostile array against each other during these three
have had their influence in mpartng acuteness
tility self-possesson and hardihood to the national
cba racter Of either country And their antagonsm has
ot ALWAYS been useless to the world ut large conr