The National Register.
London, England, 1819-01-03 00:00:00

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No. 6.0.—V0i..

POLITICAL DISQUISI TION.

STATE OF Fa %NU:.

1 THE intelligence just received from Paris re.perting
the changes of Ministry, of the flti:ere of the Due de
Richelieu to form one with a greater leaven of Rey-
alisat, and of the ultimate triumph over him of M. de
Cute and the Liberahi, will net surprise any wha have
ralected on the mailed effects to be expected from the
evacuation of France by the Allied Armies. The
situat' of the French nation is timittly expressed in
the King's decree, declaring that the cities on the
northern frontier arc no longer " in a state of siege."
The sic re of France has indeed been raised, and the
real sentiments of the French people will now tai' play
theuisulvcs. As the Times newspaper justly says, the
Royalists stand in opposition to nine-tenths of the Ito-
pnlation, and the King must tdroose, not those Minis-
ters which he would like best, but those who call best
serve him. Hence the Due de Riehelien's failure, and
M. de Caze's success. The practical question upon
which the two political parties are at issue, appears to
be the recent law of election, by which the Chamber of
Deputies is to be renewed partially every yenr, and not
like our 11. Asc. of Commons, by a general election at
the end of a certain number of years. Tim Liberals re •
Kann this law as the peliadh tot of French liberty, and tho
Royalists are equelly ware! in opposition t ► it. To us,
who are unscqueinted with the practical operation of
this displace law, it is by no mean: visible how its eon-
thluauce !is favourable to liberty; or how its repeal,
mid the substitution of a p_-helical general election,
would be favourable to the Itoyal authority. We can-
not theretbre pronounce an opinion on that dispute ;
but from the relative strength of the parties which is
proved by the result of this dispitte,we. 'lily augur
who arc likely to rule in France, now she is free f're.n
fireign interference; and front the strange remedy for
the King's difficulties, viz. to revive the Chamber of
Is 1 by a simple Royal Oraminaaee, We may also
judge of the crude, itmoesisteat, and abinel notions of
Comeitutiettal liberty entertained in France. These
State doctors seem to think that. upon this the Chamber
of Deputies, which was lid! of Royalists, being re-
vivid, though by the arhitrary and illegal authority of
the King's will, they may pass a Iwo to alter the fibrin
of elections—as if an illegal assembly could pass any
law whatever, The Chruni:le justly observes on this
project, that a Constitution which may be suspen led or
violated at pleasure, is in flret no Constitution ut all
Though there is no probability that the King woull be
:et rash as to have recoarse to such a measure, yet the
serious mention among French politicians of so gross
a violation at' the Charter, is a proof of how unripe
the peblie tn:n.l in France is in its notions of law and
Itherty. No individ,eil would be se silly as to propose
seen a measure is teis country ; and, it' he were, he
would be laughed at—much less woall a party in the
state propose it. Tnis eireentstance is, we think, much
seam unfavourable to the progtese of liberty in France,
than :my laws—then die exclusive pier' ativeof the 1
Kiel; to originate laws, or than any other circumstance,
except the trammels of the press. The public mind
mine be enlightened, and fur this purpose time is ncces-
eery. No netien cait beemne really free, who have not
arrived at this taeterity of 'mind ; us was fully proved
ut . the instance of Spain, where Curtest were toe
eafightened for the nation, nal te the crisis were de-
setted by then. Had this been the ease in Eaglend,
ia thee, the :earlieeteat mil the aristocracy Wo.d.thaVe
'lst vale opposed Jetties 11. The result of these consi-
deratins seems to he, that the French mei In have nut
resulted dia state in which the great work of poll-
freesloin start be Accomplished ; but that else; : ate
it I.l%).ircsa towards it. Thy party of the I, u4rAls