The National Register.
London, England, 1816-05-26 00:00:00

Dr 0

No. 437.—V0i.. IX.

•I'OLIT7C.IL DISQUISITION.

•COMMOTIONS IN FRANCE.

more imrortant considerations than the Alien
Pill, tie progress of which has been further delayed,
have arisen to attract our attention, and alarm our fears.
The security of the European edifice is once more shaken:
neither aee the shocks slight•and transient ; but threaten-
ing in their violence, and prolonged in their dorutiou.
Whilst earthquakes, in almost every land, giw awful
warningt to mankind, the revolutionary volcano heaves
again, and menaces the poliskal world with fresh eon-
ettlsions. 'France is at wartwith herself; or, to speak
tinge -trtiy, with her Gowemment. Whatever be the
cause of this eontest,—whether the measures of the one
have been fiend offensive, or the hostility of the other
irreconcilable, ;it is not our present purpose to inquire.
Much might, anti will be said upon that branch of the
subject, when it comes again under our view. Our task
is now only to look for filets, and to explain them:: to
examine their nature; and to calculate their probable
amsequences.
How great must bernse surprise of those, who, over-
looking the annihilaiden 'of the liberty of the pants in
ranee, believe the assurances of peace and popular sa-
tisfaction with which *a Parisian Journals abounded !
Every assertion to the contrary was regarded its the work
of faction. The Vrentlit 'were contented ; the Govern-
ment beloved ; and all nonce was the seat of dm most
inviting tranquility. What dispelled this credulity ?
Not the vague reports of travellers, or the exaggerated
statements of private letters. The French papers them-
*lves were forced to break their cautious silence, and
suddenly to announce, that, instead of contentment and
epeacts,lthe 'gag and the South were in open rebellion.
'The assembling of an armr of insurgents, the attack of,
we believe, the only fortress' n the hands of the French
Government ; and the battlefought under its walls, came
at once, without any preporetion, upon the public mind.
It was true, that ,fur want of cannon, the first effort of
-the insurgents was defeated, but they retired in 'good
order to the mountains. In vain did the Parisian journals,
os though repenting to have said so much, teem shortly
after with accounts of the total dispersion of the rebels.
In vain were some suppressed, that dared to mention the
disturbances and risings that had taken 16(2 in other
towns and departments. The measures of alerm, ofsle-
fence, and of punishment, adopted and announced sAlici-
slly, revealed, rotti•continne to display, the extent an va-
riety of enterprise planned, and in some parts attempted
with a degree df eagerness which defeated their success.
The arrest of thousands of persons who are not brought
'before the tribunals, but are either confined or
secretly executed on suspicion ; the rpration of the
national guards, and the march of the epurated divisions
to certain points; the trecautions adopted, even in the
metropolis ; where, besides two parks of artillery of 25
pieces of cannon each, cannons are planted in various
farts, in order to overawe the disaffected : the trebling
of the guards round the Royal Palaces ; all these are
symptoms of peril eminent and extensive. For the me.
ment it may, and we believe will he, repressed. The con-
spirators, if that name can be given to a large portion
of the people, feel thnt they hare acted with too great
precipitation. They will therefore shrink back fiom
action, till their plans are better matured their numbers
better organised, and their means augmented. This
disposition on their part, joined with the exertions of the
government may produce a general, but, we tear, a de-
ceitful appearance of tranquillity. The very severities
exercised against the guilty, will exasperate their friends,
and foster a spirit of revenge, which the execution of
convicted or suspeeted rebels will not damp ; for the number
ofthelisaffected appears too'great to allow their strength to
be materially impaired by the less of a few. A fitture
sod not very distant explosion seem therefore preparing, the
oileet which may b.: felt throughout Europe. It may