The Press.
London, England, 1858-09-18 00:00:00

lortign dorresponbentr.

PARIS, Thursday.
IT was said a few days ago that the Emperor had
determined on prolonging his stay at Biarritz to the
end of the month. It is now reported that he will
come back very shortly, and that several of his atten-
dants, with part of his baggage, have already arrived.
some persons suppose that this early return has been
rendered necessary by the occurrence of political
events of importance. If, however, anything has
taken place, or is on the tapis, it is thus far a secret
to all but Sovereigns and their Cabinets. To the
outer world, look where it will, matters appear as
calm as they have been since the interview at Cher-
bourg. The only things that present an appearance
of interest are the approaching establishment of a
regency in Prussia, and the report that an attempt is
being made to induce the King of Naples to abdicate,
or, at all events, to alter completely his system of
government, so as to enable England and France to
resume diplomatic relations with the Two Sicilies ;
but neither of these is of a nature to require the
Emperor's presence in his capital.
From an announcement in the Moniteur, it appears
that, after the signing of the treaty of peace with
Russia, the Emperor, " desiring to recognize the
services of Count Walewski, Minister of Foreign
Affairs, and to give him a special proof of satisfac-
tion," presented him with some extensive marshes
(about 3,0(x acres) at a place called Orx, in the
department of the Lander, and kindly undertook to
drain them for the count at his own expense. The
announcement says that the fact of this donation
"is well known," but the truth is that the public
never heard of it before. If anything were required
to show the wonderful and almost incredible change
which has taken place in France in late years, the
Imperial gift to Count IValewski would show it.
King Louis Philippe was bitterly assailed, and his
downfall was in part hastened, for having, as was
alleged (and untruly alleged too, I believe), cut
down rather too many trees in the Government
forests, the profits of which forests formed part of
his revenue ; and yet the Emperor can give away
thousands of acres of Government property in a
distant province without exciting a word of remark.
The vehement manner in which some Roman
Catholic prelates and priests, and, above all, that
furious organ of Ultramontisrn, the Univers, have of
late assailed Protestants—combined with the pro-
hibitions to hawk about Protestant Bibles, and the
obstacles thrown in the way of Protestant meetings
for public worship—have created a profound sensa-
tion in the Protestant community, and have even
caused not a few of its members to suppose that it
is on the eve of a new persecution. The sensation
is natural enough, but the fears are certainly exag-
gerated. l see that the Rev. A. Coquerel, the able
and highly respected minister of the French Pro-
testant Church in the Rue St. Honore, has just
published a sermon on the subject which he preached
three weeks back. His opinion is, that the Ultramon-
tunes having, as they believe, silenced the Gallica°
and Jansenist patties in the Roman Catholic Church
of France, imagine themselves strong enough to
assail Protestants; but he does not appear to appre-
hend that their attacks can do any horm to the
good cause--au contraire. Fom some remarks iu
his preface, M. Coquerel seems to think that in
France there are, amongst the intelligent classes, a
great number who conform to Catholicism without
believing it, and who want but a little moral courage
to declare themselves Protestants.
Instead of assailing Protestants, the Catholic
clergy would do well to occupy themselves in per-
suading their own people—those I mean who
nominally belong to them—to attend church. The
Parisians were never, it is true, much given to
church going ; but at present the number of them
who make a point of attending Divine service form a
very small, I had almost said an imperceptible,
minority of the population. Let any of your readers
who happen to come to this city, go—not to the
Madeleine or Notre Dame de Lorette, where there
are grand theatrical displays and splendid singing,
and where consequently the curious throng—but to
the churches which are situated in the populous
quarters, such as St. Eustache near the markets, or
those in the Rue St. Denis, the flue St. Martin, or
the Rue St. Victor, and they will, I am certain, be
astonished to see ie small, the very small, congre-
gations assembled ; and still more astonished will
they be to notice that those congregations consist
almost exclusively of very old women, who are un-
doubtedlyt little there because they have nothing else to
o
do, or girls of the parish schools, who arc
there because they are made to go; whilst hardly a
man—no not one—will be seen amongst them !To
the Christian, whatever his creed, this scandalous
neglect of public worship is very painful ; and it is