The Sun.
London, England, 1864-07-02 00:00:00

The French Press on the Conference,

The able London correspondent of the Independ-
ance Beige has done good service in correcting the
misapprehensions created here as to the state of
public opinion in England, wilfully distorted by
certain Liberal contemporaries. This writer is so
dispassionate and impartial that his views have
acquired great weight among the Parisian public;
he faithfully reports the impression prevalent on
your side of the Channel, and that he has felt the
public pulse to some purpose is proved by your
articles as well as by the drooping of the Funds,
That unfailing thermometer, the Stock Exchange,

refuFes to endorse the pacific acclamations of the

Ti lies, and shows that the writer in the Independ•
ancc has accurately gauged the sentiment of the
public in the question which involves the honour
as well as the interests of England. I specially
direct your ottentinti to the following passage i❑
his last letter :

It must be admitted that the destiny of some of the most
illustrious of statesmen is to have a most inglorious end.
Metternich did not survive his successes ; Nesselrode was
engulphed in the Crimean disaster; Palmerston has, with
his own hands, dug the grave of his popularity. On the 3d
of February, 1808, then 24 years of age, ha energetically
vindicated in the House of Commons the bombardment of
Copenhagen, and the destruction of the Danish by the Eng-
lish fleet. On that occasion the noble lord argued that
" the law of self-preservation, which was the fundamental
principle of the law of nations, justified England in having
torced upon Denmark a neutrality which, had it been left to
its discretion, France would speedily have converted into
active hostility." Fifl y-six years later the same Minister,
before the same House of Commons, declares that England
is not bound to prevent the dismemberment of Denmark,
and sacrifices it a second time, after having encouraged it
with delusive hopes of assistance "
The coincidence id curious, but it is not easy to
see what inference the writer wishes to draw from

it. He then prcceeds to say :
Opinions aro divided as to the issue of the forthcoming
Parliamentary struggle, and even the friends of the Minis-
try do not expect a majority sufficient to ratify its policy.
My opinion is that the Government will be defeated, or
that its majority will be so utterly insignificant that in any
case it will have to go to the country. That measure will
be disastrous for Denmark, which in the interval will have
had time to be crushed by the overwhelming forces it has
to contend with. The path of Lord Palmerston is one on
which it is not easy to stop, but rely upon it he will not
be supported by the country, and the fate of the Minis-
try is certain. People are already talking of Lord
Clarendon as Lord Russell's successor. That sort of patch
work won't strengthen the Government. Truth compels
me to add that Lord Palmerston has greatly fallen off both
as a Minister and as a speaker. The fact is he can no
longer impart a direction to the affairs of the country, but
allows a policy to be forced upon him. It is sad to say it,
but it is the literal Ulu h.

The Debats has an article on the policy of her
Majesty's Ministers, and the feeling which it has
excited here, which will convince the friends of
the Cabinet that the contempt with which it is
regarded in Franca is not confined to any mere
party : _ _

The great question, it says, is at last decided, The Eng-
lish Cabinet has fallen on the side towards which it was
obviously leaning. The Ministers of England have aban-
doned Danmark to its fate, and means to look on with
folded arms, so long as the unequal struggle which has
just recommenced is confined to limits beyond which it is
not likely the German Powers are willing to carry it.
The English fleet, which was awaiting orders to pro•
ceed to the Baltic, will remain quietly at Spithead.
The srmies of Austria and Prussia are quite at liberty
to march forward and to complete the conquest of the
whole of Schleswig, about the possession of which the
English Plenipotentiaries wrangled so much at the Con-
ference. There is nothing to prevent their conquering
Jutland, if they be so inclined. But let Austria and
Prussia beware I If perchance they are not satisfied
with the prey which is thus left at their mercy ; if
they touch the Danish Islands, bombard Copen-
hagen, or capture the person of King Christian I then
indeed we shall see I England may, perhaps, get angry
and lose her patience, Such, in a few words, is the atti-
tude which Lord Palmerston and Lord Russell have
asaumed in the name of the great country they govern,
The general impression which this very meek policy has
produced in France has been one of surprise, to use a mild
phrase, Not assuredly because France and Europe have
any reason to regret the resolution taken by the British
Government, not that enlightened and moderate minds
would reproach England with preferring peace to war,
or with having been unwilling to involve England in the
perils of a conflict with Germany. But after disturbing
Europe for a whole year with noisy claims on behalf of
Denmark—at. er addressing so many threats and protests
to Austria, Prussia, and the Germanic Confederation—now
about &tilesw g, now about Jutland—alter summoning a
Conference, to wind up by laying down eventual castes belli,
which have not the remotest prospect of being realised I Is
such a course, we demand, worthy of the rank which a great
country like England has the right to occupy in Europe?
Such, if we are not very greatly mistaken, is the question
public opinion is raising in France and elsewhere.
In the Prase Emile de Girardin devotes three
columns to show that the British Government is
being crushed beneath the weight of public con-
tempt, and poin!s out that the primary cause of
its being lowered in public estimation is that it
talks in one way and acts in another. He sees only
one remedy—the appointment of a Gladstone ann
Cobden Ministry whose speeches and despatches
ould be in perfect consonance with the policy of
Lords Palmerston and Russell. He's adjures" the
"British press and the British people" to open their
eyes, and prevent their country from subsiding from
contempt into ridicule. M. Emile de Girardin's
eecenincity occasionally blossoms into perfect insa•
nity, but there is no denying that there is a certain
degree of method in his madness.

The Opinione Nationale suggests that France may
take her revenge on England for her mockery of
France preferring peace at any price. It antici-
pates that the flame coalesced Powers, encouragen
by their present success, will desire to solve the
Eastern question in their common interest; divide
among them the inheritance of the " sick man,"
and shut up the passage to India against England.

It will be a fine occasion for France to repair the
check she will have to meet with in Italy from
Aastria, Prussia, and Russia, and to leave to those
three Powers the duty of avenging the refusal of
England without interfering herself.
To these menities of the Opinione Nationale I
may add those of the Patrie

"It is now averred that a threat from England is no
threat at all ; it is a figure of speech, which nobody need
set any store by. It is averred that a promise made by
England is not of more value than her threats; and that
whoever is tool enough to trust her will find in the moment
of danger that he has clung to a rotten plank. It is averred
that England, long overcharged, as Venice and Holland
were in their time, is in reality only a Power of the second
order. Without the military support of one of the conti-
nental Monarchies she is not able to exercise the sligh. eat
influence in the affairs of Europe. When face to face with
one of the great rowers she is'exactly what Naples, Brazil,
or Gret ce was with regard to her. She way complain of it,
may cry out about injustice and abuse of force, but she
must submit to it."
-

Had an order been sent round to these papers to
Abuse L9rd Palmerston and his Government they
could not have been more violent and more alike. 1
need hardly say that the intense haters of England
look forward with delight to the success of the vote
of censure on Monday.

The following is from the letups, one of the very
few papers which does justice to the English Go-
vernment

" We thought it our duty to devote a very large space to
the debates in the English Parliament, and we particularly
recommend to our readers the speech of Lord Russell, who
has extricated himself from a difficult position, to his great
honour, by his frankness and fair speaking. It is impos-
sible not to admit, after having read that speech, that
England, while feeling real interest for Denmark, coul.d
not but recede in presence of the responsibility of making
war. The Patrie supposes a secret understanding between
the three Courts of Berlin, Vienna, and London. This
hypothesis was never probable, and after reading the de-
bates in the English Parliament it appears to be simply
absurd. We willingly admit, however, that it, is the sole
resource of those who, like the Patric, blame England for
not having done enough for Denmark, while approving
France for having done still less. The Constitutionnel, so
amiable towards England a few days back, contains some
bitter-sweet lines with respect to her, which will appear
singularly out of place after the ample homage rendered
by Lord Russell to Franco and her Government."

LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS FOR THE
ENSUING WEEK.—Monday.—Asiatic, at 3, Jyo-
tish Observation of the Phase of the Colures, A:c ,' Pro-
fessor «'hitney—` Brief Notes on Age and Authenticity
of several Indian Works,' Dr. Bhsu Daji, of Bombay ;
Entomological, at 7 Royal Institution, at 2, General
Monthly Meeting. Tuesday—Ethnological, at 8, ' Cer-
tain Japanese and African Cannibal Skulls,' Professor
Husley—' Kirghia and other Tribes of Central Asia,' Mr.
Vambary. Wedneslay—Hortieultural, Great Show,—
.4thestteuni.