The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-30 00:00:00

come.

At first calumniated, suspected, and misunder-
stood in this country, the EMPEROR, with admi-
rable foresight and patience, left to time the
justification of his real character and intentions,
contenting himself with meriting the confidence
and respect he failed to receive. The reliance
was justified by the result. His number of his
admires gradually increased, and, before many
years had elapsed, calumny had grown compara-
tively powerless against him. The Eastern ques-

lion began to darken the horizon, and at this
period the friendly feeling of the EMPEROR for
this country, and the unity of his aims with ours,
became too manifest to be disputed. A memo-
rable alliance was formed, and at Alma and
Inkerman and before the walls of Sebastopol it
was cemented with heroic blood. For the first time
for many centuries Frenchmen and Englishmen
hailed each other as companions in fight, and the
people of both countries rejoiced in their common
glory. The EMPEROR. came among us, and then
was seen how rapid and how deep had been the
growth of good feeling towards him, and how
great was the admiration of the public for his
character. By policy and inclination he had
contracted an alliance which augured well for the
destinies of Europe—by his presence he estab-
lished it as a living reality. The boastful wordi
of C.ESAR, veni, vidi, vici, hardly exceed the truth
when applied to the impression made by the
EMPEROR during his visit. The moment of de-
parture arrived, and, amid the loudest acclama-
tions, he left the British shores, where no breath
of insult nor one particle of danger had awaited
him, and took back the best wishes of a nation
for his welfare.

And but little more than a week has elapsed,
and he is fired upon point blank by an assassin
in his own capital. He whose deeds have
made him " the foremost man of all the world,"
and on whose life so mmch depends, has escaped
assassination, as it were, by a hair's breadth !

Seldom have the instability of human greatness
and worldly policy been more forcibly illustrated,
and rarely have we, as a people, had more cause
for gratitude. The assassin-arm failed of its
purpol3e. The EMPEROR. escaped unhurt, and
passed calmly on, elevated in his own high courage
and faith in his destiny beyond the reach of ordi-
nary fear. The motive of the assassin is said
to have been political. If so, the execra-
tions of France and England will teach his fellow-
fanatics, if they can be taught, that it is not by
such acts the cause of liberty can be advanced, or
rather, perhaps, we should say, that the times are
not ripe for license. In the absence of positive
information we would fain ascribe the act to the
wild prompting of insanity.

This evening the House of Commons will be
called on to abolish the liberty of the Press in
England. We repeat it deliberately and ad;
visedly, that a desperate, and what may possibly
prove to be a fatal blow, has been aimed at the
freedom of the Fourth Estate in the United
Kingdom ; and, if the bill of pains and penalties,
now before Parliament, should unhappily receive
the legislative sanction—if " trial by jury" should
tender
be abolished, so far as public journalists are con-
cerned, and every person investing capital in
ci 1
Is
independencegti sh tr a e ,
newspaper property should be handed overls,to the
mercies ,of either stipendiary or unpaid
isouubject.ed to heavy amercements
will
most frivolous and vexatious grounds, it
la be
impossible to maintain the efficiency and
entire letisinesait
A virtual monopoly
publications, ;:e
created, which will throw the
Journalism. Either there will be
hands of one or two levia-
thanearly intelligence t .13"/"Is desirous of obtaining
twill have
and brought concisely dozen cliffcrpnl ~„„r . to seek through a
ti W. lix ,nt now col-
lectedl4 9,9 s thAtt , .lihia .
Y 11114er view in ei Rini