POETRY.-Faith and Reason, 338. Nil Admirari; or, Don't be Astonished, 338. Seashore Fancies, 384. Day-Dreams, 384. Heaven, 384.

SHORT ARTICLES.-The Triple Episcopal Consecration, 359. Acres and Wiseacres, 359. Shutting Up and Walking Out, 379. Beauty Unsatisfied, 379. A Wicked Suggestion, 379. A new Disinfectant, 379. A Rational Objection, 379. The Perils of Emptiness, 379. Surat Cotton Unhealthy, 379.

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From Blackwood's Magazine.

carrying a submarine railway under the British Channel,- -a project which we have no desire to see accomplished until a new epoch has dawned upon Europe, and the relations between the two countries have been established upon a more reliable basis of friendship. Lastly, among those projects of material as well as of political interest, we come to the intervention in Mexico, undertaken professedly, though not primarily, with a view to regenerate that fine country, to rescue it from impending ruin, to restore it to a place among the nations, and launch it upon a new and independent career.

THE NAPOLEONIC IDEA IN MEXICO. NAPOLEON THE THIRD is a monarch of rare genius as well as of great power; and it is a pleasure to review the policy of such a man in a sphere which is free from the influences of international rivalry. The French in Mexico is a different question from the French on the Rhine. As Englishmen, we cannot regard without a feeling of mistrust and dislike the policy of Napoleon in Europe; but happily we can do so when the scene of his farreaching projects is the old empire of Montezuma. We do not demand of any monarch that he shall consult the good of the Of all the projects of Napoleon III., this world irrespective of the interests of his own is the one which is most to be applauded for country; but unquestionably the greatest the good which it will accomplish for the monarch, the one who will longest live in the world at large. Nevertheless,—and this is memory of men, is he who shall achieve the a compliment to his sagacity rather than a greatest triumphs for mankind at large. In detraction from the merits of the project,exile and in prison, Louis Napoleon had am- the motive which inspired it was connected ple time to meditate on the high mission to with the interests of France, and still more which, by a strong and strange presentiment, with those of his own dynasty. The emperor he felt himself called. He reviewed, as a po- was desirous to find some enterprise which litical philosopher, the requirements of the should employ his army, and engage the atage; and thus when he came to the throne, tention of his restless and glory-loving subhe brought with him many high designs al- jects, until the affairs of Europe should open ready formed, which he was resolved to ac- to him a favorable opportunity for completcomplish so far as the opportunities of his ing his grand scheme of rectifying "the career should permit. One of the earliest- frontiers of France. And in this he has sucformed of his great schemes was the construc- ceeded. Even though the enterprise has not tion of a ship canal which should cross the been popular in France, it at least served to Isthmus of Darien, and form a highway of attract the thoughts of the French to a forcommerce between the oceans of the Atlan-eign topic,-it has furnished a subject of tic and Pacific. Such a work is less needed conversation and debate,—and it has, morenow that the age of railways has succeeded over, shut the mouths of the war-party in to the age of canals; nevertheless, it will France, and established a solid excuse for the probably be accomplished in the future. As emperor not engaging in a European conflict emperor, Louis Napoleon has taken no meas- until he had got this transatlantic affair off ures to carry out this project, his other his hands. These were considerations of schemes having hitherto absorbed his atten- present value which Napoleon was not likely tion and fully taxed his powers. But he has to under-estimate, though he could not frankly energetically supported the sister project of avow them. Nevertheless, they would have the Suez Canal, designed to connect the east-been void of force if the expedition could not ern and western seas; and however doubtful have been justified upon intrinsic grounds. may be the success of the scheme at present, we doubt not it will be realized in the end. The project of tunnelling the Alps likewise owes its initiative to Napoleon III., and will connect his name with a greater work than the road of the Simplon, which was one of the glories of his uncle's reign. With a boldness which pays little regard to what ordinary men call impossibilities, he has also proposed to unite England and France by

And it is to the peculiar character of those grounds, as illustrative of the scope of the emperor's views, that we desire briefly to draw attention, before considering what are likely to be the actual results of the enterprise.

The grandeur of a nation depends upon the influence of the ideas and interests which it represents not less than upon the material force which it can exert. England, for example, is

now

peculiarly the representative of Constitutional ica which is not a prey to anarchy and desGovernment and of the interests of commerce. olation; and a few years ago, the gradual exIn Russia we behold the head and represen- tension of Anglo-Saxon power over the whole tative power of the Greek Church. France, of the New World appeared to be merely a also, we need hardly say, is a representative question of time. Seizing a favorable oppor'power. Her monarchs for centuries have tunity, the eldest son of the Church borne the title of the "eldest son of the intervenes to repair the fallen fortunes of the Church; " they have been the protectors of, Papacy in Central America, and in so doing and at all events they peculiarly represent, to erect a barrier against the tide of Protesthe Church of Rome. But the Church of tantism, and to reflect new lustre upon the Rome has been losing ground, alike in the Church of which he is the champion, and Old World and in the New. The great king- with whose greatness that of France is indisdom of Poland has dropped out of the map solubly connected. of Europe, and nearly all its parts have gone These considerations affect the moral rathto increase the territories of Protestant Prus-er than the political greatness of France; sia and of Russia, the champion of the Greek but there are others of a different character Church. The loss has not been compen- which moved Napoleon III. to attempt the sated by an adequate increase of power in regeneration of Mexico. The latter, howthe States which adhere to the Latin Church. ever, relate to the same object considered Spain, once the greatest power in Europe, from a different point of view. Europe is has for long been torpid, and though now remodelling herself on the principle of nashowing symptoms of revival, will never re- tionality. Twenty years hence, the Slavogain anything like its former position in the nian race will have experienced a great aug-. world. In America the collapse of the Rom-mentation of power,-partly from increase of ish Church has been still more conspicuous. population, which is proceeding rapidly in On the other hand, the Protestant and Greek Russia, and partly from a more perfect politpowers are prospering and extending them- ical organization and community of action selves. The greatest change which is im- established among the now scattered portions pending in Europe-the downfall of the Ot- of that family of nations. The Teutonic toman rule-will bring a vast extension of race is destined to experience a lesser but power to the Greek Church; and slowly but somewhat similar increase of power. Comsteadily the same Church, following the bat-pelled by disasters which, even in this hour talions of Russia, is spreading over Central, of triumph, may be seen to await them, the and will soon spread likewise over Southwest- Germans will consolidate their strength by ern, Asia. It will extend from the Baltic unification, and will thereby acquire much to the Pacific, from St. Petersburg to Petro- greater power than they now possess, even paulovski. Protestantism has still greater tri- though they lose a considerable portion of umphs to show. Accompanying the colonies their non-German territory. In the face of of England, it has become the dominant faith these contingencies, Napoleon III. meditates, in North America, among the thirty mil- has long been meditating, how France is lions of the Anglo-Saxon race who may be to obtain a commensurate addition to her said to hold the fortunes of the New World strength. Centralization and organization are in their hands. In India, in the Australian already complete in France; no new strength world, at the Cape, and wherever England is to be looked for from these sources. has planted her energetic colonies, it is the population, too,-unlike that of Germany Protestant Church which reigns supreme. and of Russia,—is stationary, and even threatBy his intervention in Mexico, Napoleon III. ens to decline if some new impulse be not endeavors to arrest the decay of the Romish communicated to it. How, then, is she to Church in America, and to check the contin- keep her place in the future? Partly, reuous spread of the Protestant Anglo-Saxons. plies Napoleon, in his secret thoughts, by inThe "Empire of the Indias," reared by Spain, corporating the Rhine provinces and Belgium, and so long a bright gem in the tiara of the thereby acquiring at once an increase of popes, has gone to wreck. Brazil, with its population, and a strong and advantageous enormous territory but mere handful of peo- frontier. Partly, also, he hopes, by estabple, is the only non-Protestant State in Amer-lishing a league, a community of sentiment

Her