The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-03-20


programme has not yet reached us, but we may
infer its style from that of the announcement
which NJ. Belly has caused to be printed of his
departure from Southampton, elsewhere trans
lated, but of which ordinary prose fails to con-
vey the spirit, and can never catch the glow.
We are, therefore, forced to attempt a para
phrase, tame it is true as compared with the
original, but nevertheless somewhat in the
same strain
Belly
Belly Belly! I
Beiy's gone to Ncaragual
Belly has engaged real Priucc as seeretary'
Belly has live Plenipotentiary IS
Assistant Secretary
Belly has Field Marshal
for Engineer
Belly has, in fact, lots OF Engineers
Captain OF Frigste
az Physician
Bely's concession has Protectors
Humboldt protects 1t
Commodore Van jerbiit protects /.
William q. Aspinwa protects it
Belly himself protects it,
Belly ga,, Belly
Now, if this sort Of thing does not charm the
eighty or hundred millions which M. Belly re.
quires for his canal from the pockets of CAPT.
talists it will be because they arc made of obdu-
rate material, and are insensible to the charms
Of rhetoric and capital letters. And if we can
suppose Frenchman who is an exponent Of the
Latin race to have fair proportion of intel
ligence, and to be guided by the ordinary prin-
ciples of human action, we must also believe
that NJ. Belly regards all men, and especially
those who have money, as simple fools, ready to
bow their heads and unbutton their pockets at
the mere suggestion Of real prince; or else-and
that supposition is of course inadmssiblc- that
NJ. Belly is himself in that unhappy category.
For it is really more than obvious than that
nothing in the way Of a serious work like
canal in Nicaragua was ever achieved by harle-
quins in tinscl, nor even attempted seriously by
persons capable Of such extravaganza as runs
through everything which has been printed in con
nection with M. Belly's concession" The soon
cession" itself has all the internal evidences of
having been intended as burlesque- perhaps
Gallo parody on the dozen or twenty anterior
concessions which Nicaragua has granted with
equal facility for similar purpose. But French
wit, however puDgent. is always cheap, and we
do not conceive that NJ. Belly, who is scarcely
Rothschild financially, could feel disposed to
indulge in fun so expensive. And the idea is
further opposed by the overpowering pageant at
tending n. Belly's departure from Southampton.
A man who has princes and plenipo-
tentiaries as servitors can hardly be supposed
to dine on soup naaigrf; and TO vulgar conception
even prince may want to eat occasionally.
And hence we infer. not unreasoHably we think,
that Belly must really have some available cash
wherein to proceed: and that, as Lebnitz says
nothing occurs without a reason, there really
must be mover and motive behind this out
ward barliquinade, wirepullcr to this fantastic
Punchinello
We must confess to having entertained notion
that there was nothing beneath nor beyond this
Belly demonstration that it was ut most an
attempt to get up come ephcmeral stock jobbery
on the Paris Bourse, or to gain temporary no
toriety for man to whom notoriety would be
quite as acceptable as q sound reputation. This,
We think, has also been the general notion Of the
public here and in England, where the most that
the mention Of NJ. Belly and bis project ever eli
cited was perhaps an unsavory pun on his name.
But now it may be worth while seriously
to inquire If there be anything in NJ Belly's
scheme Of bona ide character, and looking
really to the opening an interoceauic canal,
or if he has been thrown forward m eronauts
throw mp pilot balloons to test the force and d.
rections of arial currents not perceptible
TO the unaided senses. If it should appear, ON
mllest evidence, that the scheme Of canal is
IDLE and visionary, and utterly beyond the range
oil rational enterprise, then we must look for
other explanations of this French Intervention
Ia TIC affairs Of Central America irrespective of
the iudicrous form which it may bear for the
moment ; and IT may then appear that the some
"hat vague and cloudy paragraph in the recent
speech u the French Emperor, about the mission
OF his red-brecched legions in the interests of
civilization all over the world, was not without
Its significance. 1t may appear that M. Belly is
laying up pretexts for Imperial Intervention
Of the nature Of which he ia himself unconscious
We may smile at his bombast, and ridicuie his
prctcnsions, but We should not forget that there
is nothing mo dangerous than monkey in q
powder magashe, unless, perhaps, il bc an I'M
scrupulous man at the head of six hundred thou
sand soldiers, with newly organized feet at his
command second TO none in the world In extent |
and efficiency, and the necessities Of whose posi-
ton are irreconclablc with protracted condition
ofpcace. war in Europe may avert any hos.
tile Intervention OF France on this continent but |
IL Iu.nrr.r ocr,yf,o.;opo IN .-.... !