The Express.
London, England, 1852-08-26 00:00:00

FRANCE

PARIS, WIDNIIDAT EVIININO
It becomes daily more evident that the empire Is
the order of the day ; but it is to be the empire of
peace, instead of war. It is remarkable with what
care all the Bonapartist organs take care to put for-
ward their imperialism hand in hand with the most
pacific professions. General Magnan, who is gone
down to Strasbourg to preside over the Council Ge-
neral of the Has-Rhin, talks of peace till you would
think butter would not melt in She mouth of this
leading accomplice of the oowp d'etat. He opens the
session with a speech, in which the following sen-
tence contains the point:
Yesterday at the moment I wee taking leave of him the
Prince told me that he was then oocapying himself with the
formation of a strong sad solid reserve, which, without com-
promising the respect and dignity of France, will permit
the realisation of the redactions which he wishes to make in
the Mention of the country.
Here, then, we have the highest authority for a
promised reduction of the present enormous standing
irmy. For the rest, the soddenness with which the
economical fit has come is remarkable; for at the close
of the session of the Corps Legislatif, so far was
the government from contemplating a redaction of
the taxes, that additional taxation to the tune of '
nearly two millions sterling was proposed; but the
bills had to be withdrawn before the universal mut,
murs raised. The reduction in the army, when pro-
posed by the committee of the budget, was con_
temptuoualy rejected ; but it seems these lessons have
not been lust on the government, which will conform
itself to public opinion, although it take its own time
about it. At the end of his speech Magnan dex-
terously alludes to the prolongation of the President's
powers for life. lie calls upon the council "to aid tho
head of the state in his exertions to make France
happy and prosperous, so that there may be in this
great country only ono unanimous wish—to live and
die under the government al a firm, enlightened, and
benevolent Pnnce." Far lees modestly have other
official jwrsonages, equally trusted by Lads Napoleon,
alluded to the same subject.
It is really remarkable to observe the cool way in
which the highest functionaries of the state, and per-
sons in the nearest confidence of Louis Napoleon,'
choose to overlook the fact of his election for ten
years, and with the moat unblushing contempt of all
law to speak of him as of a king. Thus General
d'Hispinsase, the officer who was commissioned to op-1
cupy the Legislative Palace on the morning of
• 2, having been despatched to Algiers to he present ,
at the inauguration of the statue of Marshal liugesud,
closest his speech with the following expiession,
, which I take from the official Akbar, of the 17th,
just arrived:
The Prince who sends no wishes to make the prosperity
of Meier' one of the principal gloried of his reign.
The empire and peace form also the theme of M.
Amodk de Ceeena, whose name having some time
ago dived nut of the public ken in the Mantel& de
i Suit- has corm to the ant face again to-day in
the l'ays. This gentleman was one of the 1,
loudest and moat wrathful trumpeters of the
against pnrliamentaq institutions, while
such existed. But M. de Cevena has laid aside
his u'd war-whoop, and appears to-day in sheep's
clothing, bleating of peace, prosperity, and progress
of civilisation. fhe end of this rhapsody, which
touches the revolutionary notes of French history,