The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-20 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF T.

(From the Times of this day.)

•, ,
A successful ovation may mean a great deal, and it 1
may mean nothing at all. It would be unwise to build 1
rnuch upon what, after all, is the voice of a multitude, 1
proverbially fickle. So we shall not describe what Lon-'
don has witnessed this week in words of the same gravity I
that we should give, for example, to the pacification of
Europe. But, on the other hand, there can be no occa-
sion for any writer to deny the fact as if it were worth
denying. In plain matter of fact, the reception given
by the people of London to the French Emperor and
Empress is not a mere repetition of that given to Louis
Philippe. Whatever the feeling, or the pretence of feel-
ing, or the absence of feeling that may be alleged, no-
body with the use of his eyes can dispute that the metro-
polis has greeted Napoleon 111. and his Consort with
an enthusiasm bordering on extravagance. Our fellow-
cifzens gathered from the suburbs, selected some point
on the various r_mtes taken by the Imperial visitors,
and stood patiently for hours just to catch a glimpse of
the man who has restored order and prosperity to
France, become our Ally, and entered heartily with us
into the arduous task of keeping Russia within bounds.
They wished to ,ee the man who has done this, so to
speak, wit his own hand,—the man who actually
governs a °Teat nation by no mean-, easy to be governed.
They wished also to tee the lady whom they somehow
rea-ar,l with a romantic interest, as one who owes her
elevation, not merely to birth or the advantage of for-
tune, hut her beauty, goodness. and wit. Mere Royal
alliances were never Popular in this country, and about
the greatest crime a Mi iister could commit in the eyes
of the people would be a Royal marriage in which the
heart was put out of the question. Napol.on ill, de-
rives more real greatness from his union with the object
of his affection than if he had married a daughter of the
house of Austria on the isith of a portrait or a diplomatic
report. These may, perhaps, be thought no very suffi-
cient reasons for a grand ovation ; and the Londoners
may be set down as a crowd of gaping spectacle-hunters,
ready to go anywhere to look at an Emperor, and joist
now in crowds, simply because this week is positively
the last as well as the first of the exhibition. Be it so.
Let the thing be as vulgar as it may, nevertheless the
fact remains that the spectacle of this week is not a mere
repeti:ion of that of 1845.
The scene at the Royal Italian Opera last night speaks
for the feeling of those who can afford to pay a hundred
guineas for a box, or ten, and eve,' 'fifteenguineas, for a
stall ticket. No one can deny that
something more
than curiosity prompted many of that numerous but
very select body of spectators. It was something more
than the knowledge that they saw before them what
England and France had wished in vain to see for five
several centuries, The British people may or may not
be under a mistake or a delusion, but
they certainly saw
in that group a picture of amity and friendly union that
may List as long as the previous reign of jealousy and
distrust. Every street through which the friendly caval-
cade passed yesterday to the city, and afterwards to
Covent-garden, was hung with the national flags of the
Allies, so as to form a vista not unlike that in Henry
the Seventh's or St. George's Chapel. The same story
was told by the illuminations last night, and, though it
may be urged that people always like an opportunity of
decorating and lighting np their houses, and that just I
now there happens to be rather fewer opportunities than
usual, we must beg to observe that we have never seen
the like before on such an occasion, unless it were the
very remarkable rejoicing at the visit of the three allied
Sovereigns in 1814. But it is sot our present purpose
to argue for any one particular significance to be given
to congratulations which Heaven itself has countenanced
with its smiles, and which may, perhaps, express a very
superficial feeling, and a too transient blessing. We
only think it bad philosophy, as well as had taste, to dis-
parage this brilliant recepti n as a matter of course, and
a " vain repetition." This is simply not the fact.

(From tlie Morning Herald of Vas day.)
The enthusiasm manifested towards the Emperor and
Empress of the French has hitherto experienced no dimi-
nution. Yesterday all the approaches which marked
the Imperial visit to the city were crowded with throngs
of earnest and expectant spectators. London had turned
out for a holiday. A glimpse a-, the Empress who,
whatever may he said to the contrary of John Bull's
gallantry, constituted not the least interesting personage
in the spectacle, was thought by thousands of our wea-
ther-beaten countrymen and countrywomen worth some
few miles of rail ; some few hours of standing in the dry
and dusty streets ; some few hundred thumps and shov-
ings, which fail to the lot of all thorough-paced sight-
seers in this empire. Her Majesty seemed to feel and
understand this, for she made her frequent acknowledg-
ments with wonderful ease, affability, and good-nature.
As the carriage rolled on which contained her and her
Royal Consort, we could see her bowing her thanks to
the sooty and dusty urchins who crowded the church-
yards in the line of road, or clustered on the lamp posts,
highly delighted to be able to return home and pay they
bad beheld her whose reputation has spread, fir beauty,
grace, and kindliness far beyond the limits of that em-
pire in the rule of which she has been associated. For
n'neteen persons whose first query will be made in re-
ferenee to the Emperor, ninety and nine will have in-
quired about the E.npress. The good folks in Seven-dials
and Drury.lane, utterly ignorant and careless of diplo-
macy, indifferent to our doings at Sebastopol, except so
far as they would be glad to see " the Rooshians" well
drubbed, were discussing con amore, in our own hear-
ing, the white chip bonnet and white feathers,
which nodded and moved as they cleared their
throats for an English hurrah, or pressed forward, regard-
less of carabiniers, policerneo, car, iages, anl carts.
All this must be familiar enough to Napoleon 111.
He has not passed so many years in this country as not
to know oar national peculiarities. .He io not tr. igno-
rant of the nature of Eigliehmen as not to be aware
that our homage rendered to practical objects which
mainly remind us of our own homes, and are connected
with our homely feelings. Our own gracious Sovereign
must come in for her share in this respect. She has
made us understand and value the rule of a female e she
has not merely continued but enlivened the traditional
belief which has attached so much that is glorious in
our annals with female Sovereigns. We like net un-
married kings or unmarried clergy. Even in our rulers
we desire to see an image of that home and that house-
hold with which.so much is connected that concerns the
honour, the safety, and the prosperity of this nation. It
is the presence of the Empress on this occash,n which
has brought out therentbusiasm of the population of this
country ; and by making her a participator in this visit,
Napoleon has not only shown his prudence and the
knowledge he possesses of the national character, but
bee put himself- before the crowd in the only light in
which they could, or cared to m
Of Course we intend no disparagement to the Em-
peror himself or theebigher purport of his visit by these
remarks. Iq a political point of view, and as a guarantee
of amity between the two nations, that visit is of ines-
timable worth. It is a pledge for that peace by which
not we only, but all Europe--it is not too much to say
the whole world—must be eventually benefited. But
then these advantages are patent to men of thought and
reflection. It is not for the wise or the politic that the
benefits of this visit are intended. They had no doubts
of the Emperor's intentions ; they had sufficient proof
of his cordial support from circumstances not so obvious
to the people. Their belief was not shaken by those ordi-
nary prejudices which find a facile receptacle in ordinary
minds. But it is far different with the great masses of
their uneducated countrymen. Could they believe that
the ruler of the French nation, one bearing also tbe r ame
of him whom their fathers regarded as the incarnation
of all that was hostile and terrible to this country, could
b© a warm friend to England ? Could they do otherwise
than consider him as a Frenchman, as an enemy, as a
man in all his interests, his feelings, and his sympathies
totally different to themselves?
It is in this light, then, that we regard the visit of
the Empress as one of the most important consequences
of this august presence. Alexander, Caesar, Napoleon
1., or any other personage who has taken hold of our
imagination by the splendour of his victories, or the
greatness of his name, comes near to ourselves, and loses
something of the distant and the terrible, when lie is
seen as a husband or a father, as being in his dearest
relations exactly like ourselves. Napoleon 111. might
have put out a great many manifestoes and proctols, he
might have exhausted half the rhetoric of his very rhe-
torical nation, before be could have hoped to have pro-
duced half the impression which he has produced by
bringing the Empress amongst us. Nor is the fact that
theherself Empress traces her descent to the sister
•
kingdom, and has been educated in England, without
its effect.
Let us hope that this is not the only instance of Stich
visits. Let us hopethat the time has come when Sove-
reigns as well as their
subjects may view each others'
kingdoms without fear and without suspicions. The
period is past for both when true patriotism was con-
Long since has the
notion beeen exploded
*ere('
violatedby.iltuhcaht avistsdionce to see and profit by
countries was a necessary
the improvements of foreign
indication of being discontented
with one's own. Cer-
was witnessed yesterday,
the
tainly, after such a gig" 881
find it hard to persuade
country will
people of this
themselves that Napoleon or the Empress
to
can ever be their ettEny• kl
gine that the trusted themselves so fran y
We shall all be lotbe
who have
Oin ever be among the number of
its
generally from
ion
that netninz e—elaminda of
tn It is a great thing to have removed
Englishmen the persuasion
French, icid%.-„-- render n the faithful allies of tbb
of those whes"" inure have8 hnnkated in the minds
tion that a V:e linger welcomed b ruler evoti be
the longest
tion with an by
tanaiute as dear to us as our own
the convic-
tion
aermwonlsiaa,„
rYsf the people of this us-
they
ed to pay to taP!et, not leas than what
tk. m
'3" Sovereign.
Themost • "4, Chr
inters - ""e
--"'"f 17
the Guildlaall yesterday
yroight L„,,13/41Proceedieg8 at
Teidfarit t. 11:" &Y.)
those who have careful!
reer of the Emperor Nap4otuled.ed tll
ehaantiteipate.,l by
inatituti:o"Vy
Lie policy, since he has been °„4 the l'hirZe n't ea-
eignntth th,orte,
tztt'aough
to the consolidation of soy
elevating it from a tradition into
of modern times has more persevering-lytYron°,aMfkeeareh
the trammels of mere custom or etiquette, kef-;""('‘agli
his fixed rules of conduct, never to omit seizit ""
occasion offered to him for putting- tee,„eifuitell
an f
communication with the public. Among the ,lire
causes of success that are peculiar to himself:ahiY,
habit of personally expressing his opinions, sentiments,
and purposes, in personal addresses to public assemblies,
or in direct written communications through accredited
Ministerial organ., has taken a prominent place. ft is
in this way, indeed, that the Emperor has striven to a
certain extent to- compensate for that denial of free
public discus4fon Which the peculiar state of France,
politically speakin
his people. gi has compelled him to impose upon
We are not serprised therefore that his Imperial Ha-
-1h.u144 bare tb"ght fit to deliTSr a TtaVh yester•