The National Register.
London, England, 1817-09-15 00:00:00

ON THE IMPRUDENT POLICY OF THE FRENCH

AIINISTRY.

WE have for some time back looked with considers-
ble alarm at the career of the French Ministry, or, we
should rather say, of the Minister of Police, for the
aspiring genius of M. de Caze has thrown all his col-
leagues into shade. With a low cunning, eminently
fitting him for the duties of a spy, he aspires to the
h mour of ruling the nation. Conscious, however, of
his own want of talent awl consequence, he is inces-
santly on the look out for materials wherewith to
strengthen himself. He tries the Ultras, the Jacobins,
and the Napoleonists in their tarn ; despised by the
first, and hated by the. second, he throws himself into
the arms of the third. Rather than lose the bold
which he has, he will coalesce with the King's worst
enemies. If he cannot gain the confidence and sup-
port of those men who, under every change of fortune
hive still

" seorn'd the tauntings of the rebel hoarde,"
and devoted themselves to their king, he will heap
honours upon those who have ever shewn themselves
ready to betray him. M. de Caze is perhaps not much
in the wrong, as it respects himself, but the conse-
quences must be karful to his country. NV hat is there
in this man that should make the noble spirit of Riche-
lieu stoop before him ? Are hi.; talents of so much va-
lue that his sovereign should permit him to sacrifice
every friend he hag and in their stead place round his
person those who have repeatedly betrayed him.
All men are agreed, that when .a choice is to be
made among conflicting political parties, that party
should be chosen which threatens least danger to the
state, either by theoretical innovation, orby adherence to
:Rawson% proved to be injur ions. tin this principle, we acted
in this country, when the lamented death of Mr. Perce-
val made a gap in the administration. The cry' among
the people was, that the remnant of his party had not the
confidence of the nation ; and with more of conde-
scension than prudence, an attempt was made to unite
men in the service of the state, who were utter
strangers to union among themselves ; happily both
fur Prince and People, the attempt failed, and those
men were continued in their flinctions, whose loyalty
and zeal had been repeatedly tried, and never found
wanting.
Would to GA that the French King bad acted with
equal prudence ! we should not now have seen him
disgracing his loyal nobility, by the honours which he
is heaping upon the despoilers of their property—we
should not now have seen M. de Caze assuming the con-
troul of the administration, and negociating with the
traitors of the " hundred days"—we should not now have
sect those men whom their enemies have invidiously
designated by the title of Ultras, standing aloof, trem-
bling for the fate of their country, placed, as it is,
at the mercy of the friend of the revolutionists, La
Fayette, and La Fitte, and the still more contempti-
ble herd, who, from the dregs, the very lees of so-
ciety, were raised by Napoleon to " principalities and
powers.".

NotJeftst among the crimes of this ill-constituted
alininiitrttion, is the part which it has taken in the
elections... Every where has its influence been used to
promo the return of what arc called the " Inde-
pnulents,' to the exclusion of the royalists. And
when: this could not be accomplished by fair means,
not the most justifiable have been resorted to.
It has ty • been taken us a good omen, that the
:71 lt:uires, (a paper in the pay of M.
Care) urges the necessity of a full attendance of the
electors at the ensuing contest. Phis, indeed, would
Isok wad, did we hot know what arts have -been re-
mit:dm, to inv‘:ure a prepaalcrance is favo-ia of M.