The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-27 00:00:00

M. ()DILLON BARROT'S SPEECH.

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The following is the speech of M. Odillon Barrot,
which made such an impression on the Chamber of
Deputies.. Press of matter has prevented us from
giving it earlier :
" Gentlemen,—lt is not for the sake of any advan-
tage to my political position, or to the party to which I
belong, that I rise to take part in this debate ; and the
Chamber will understand Inc easily, for our political
party acts on the principle of pure abnegation. They
niter have claimed nor now claim any share in power.
Those who talked of a great Coalition Ministry could
not have been serious—at least for myself I can say, I
have never looked upon it as a subject for serious con-
sideration. With regard to a mixed coalition, I had
the honour to be consulted on that point, and I an-
swered according to my individual impressions. I
openly declare that I never attached myself to such a
coalition under any condition,. It is not correct to
say, and in the name of all my friends I will
repel the charge, that after the public feeling
e' iuced at the elections, there was a sort of
division of high political places that stipulations were
made for my party—for my opinions. No, never—we
made neither conditions, demands, nor arrangements—
nay, more, the Presidency of the Chamber, which has
been so often regarded either as an obstable, or as a
cau,si of dissolution, has never been thought of by us,
either as a condition or as a means of facilitating the
formation of this or that Ministerial coalition. Never have
we claimed it as our portion in the political distributions
which were to follow the late election. The Hon. Gentle-
man, M. Tillers, has on this point rendered me complete
justice, and I thank him for it. Again, when the Pre-
sidency of the Chambers was considered as a ground of
embarrassment to the formation of a Left Centre Mi-
nistry, I, at once, and decidedly, declared, without fear
of having my conduct disavowed by one of my friends,
that this subject could not be any serious embarrass-
ment, since at the very moment a renunciation the
most complete and absolute of all claims on that score,
obviated any thing like embarrassment, and took away
all pretext for a dissolution of the coalition. What I
have spoken I have written. I was informed that such
a Ministerial combination was held in check by my
claims to the Presidency, and I considered to the same
effect that I have done now. This, Gentlemen, is the
part which the Opposition has played—it is asked
for nothing. It has not even taken the initiative
in the position created, for it has never made an en-
gagement—it has constantly refused to create any em-
barrassment or throw any obstacle in the way of a Mi-
nisterial arrangement. The Opposition shares none of
the responsibility that attaches to the lengthened crisis
which desolates and ruins the country.—(Cheers.) It
has a right, to proclaim this aloud. Like the country
the Opposition waits in patience, and suffers. Yet graver
reproaches have been heaped on us. We have been
described as a party hostile to Government—to Conser-
vative principles, exclusive in our nature, narrow-
minded in our conditions of Government, and alarming
the country for its security, peace, and best interests.
I confess, Gentlemen, when I heard these attacks, and
saw this old system of warfare revived, I was not sur-
prised. A reconciliation between two parties of the
Chamber was to take place, and it was natural,
according to the old practice, that it should be
at the expense—nay, the sacrifice of the Left. I
will not now speak of the conservative and Parliamentary
party, of those conventional principles which at best
have little reality. I will now speak of the party that
gathered round the Ministry of the 15th of April, and
which sustained it during a struggle of two years ; and
whence do you draw your claims to be the representatives
of that party ? If I analyse it, not according to arbitrary
conventional doctrines, but according to things as they
are in reality, I will tell you that there was a consider-
able fraction of. that party that grouped round the Mi.
nistry only because it was an amnesty Ministry.—
(Loud cheers.) When that party wished to justify in
the eyes of the country its efforts and its fidelity in be-
half of the Ministry of the 13th of April, what did they
say ? We wish to prevent the return of the system of
the men that preceded the formation of that Cabinet.
And as to the other faction which formed the Ministerial
party, and who declared in the most distinct terms their
political faith, do you to the same extent represent
their sentiments. You will not be so far wanting to
your own interests and character as to assert this.
Here then was the tacit compact. It has vanished.
Its elements are dispersed, and I venture to say, with-
out any personal or injurious allusion, that this compact
was a political falsity (ntesonge), and not a reality.
Was it necessary, then, for the sake of such a political
position and reconstituting a political party, to awaken
painfully all the old prejudices and imputations against
the Left ?—(Loud cheers)--to represent it as blindly,
and servilely submitting to the dictates of the press—to
represent it as opposed to Government, or as disposed to
lead the Government by its support into danger, and
as inspiring the country with fears and dread for the
preservation of peace and order? (M. Guizot, on this
said," I claim the right to speak.") You would, indeed,
be very guilty, if these reproaches against the Left
had any real foundation—highly reprehensible would
be your conduct. You, who have united with It to make
Parliamentary principle triumplafor it was on that ground
that we admitted your accession, and that we will admit
at all times, in order to make Constitutional principles
triumph. It was you that joined yourselves to the Left
—you aided its triumph—the increase of its ranks, now
so thronged on their benches, is the inevitable result of
that great Parliamentary debate ; and it is on that party,
thus united, and fortified by all the sympathies of the
country, that you cast the reproach of being opposed to
any Government, and of being an object of terror to the
country.—(Great cheering.) I do not speak of the
decisive negative which the country has pronounced
against you, I speak only of your line of policy. I do
not take up the question in a point of view as to the
reality of the supposed facts. Every one sees facts through
the prism of his passions and his political interests. I
speak only of your political baseness. Is it fit for a man who
has not renounced the idea of ruling the destinies of his
country ; for a man who believes himself called, and who
in effect is called, by his high capacity to hold always a
distinguished rank in the Parliament, and in the repre-
sentation of his country—is it fit to come to a systema-
tic conclusion on one class of political opinions—to strike
that class with a political interdict, without considering
either time, individuals, or circumstances, or paying
the slightest regard to the tendency of parties to ap-
proach and mix with each other? Is it proper that
this political system, which is so eminently cheering for 4
the future destiny of the countly:should be held up to us
as"full of danger and terror'—(Cheers from the Left.)
The country has not thought so. Tito country, on the
contrary, has considered the fusion of these different
opinions into one system of moderate progressive re-
form as the most powerful element of strength, and as
the surest guarantee for its duration. It is this fusion
of parties—this union of progressive liberal opinions,
from which, in my opinion, the Constitutional Govern-
' of the country ought chic fly to demo
.s elements of strength. And here, Gentlemen,
i ought to state one of my impressions. In all
the Ministerial combinations we have been reproached
as an exclusive party, while the accusers better merited
such a reproach. We do not deserve such an imputa-
tion. We have explained ourselves sufficiently on the
accession of certain men of the accusing party' to power.
We have said, and I repeat it without fear, and on my
own responsibility, from the Tribune, we do not wish to
revive old quarrels about the past—we do not wish to
recall the battles which we have fought together for the
truth and sincerity of our opinions on the institutions of
the country—we do not wish to accuse of systematic
i exclusion men of indisputable and ndisputed merit, men
of great Parliamentary, talent—we do not wish to de-
prive the country of their services, so necessary for the
government of the country. But when we have made
this concession, do not demand more from us. You
wish to enter into office as a party with colours displayed,
and you compel us to remember that on these colours
are inscribed all the acts and all the laws that we have
most strenuously opposed, and that have compromised
past remedy the Government of our country.—
(Loud cheers.) Gentlemen, these explanations
would not in any way be satisfactory to me,
if they had not for their object the wiping off the re-
proaches cast upon us; that is only one of the secondary
points in the question, and I should reproach myself aff
my life for having taken part—any part—in this debate,
if even this vindication of our conduct should add to
the uncertainty of political positions. I believe that
this idea of uncertainty is founded only on vain and
false assurances. I believe that, in reality, there is in
this Chamber a large and imposing majority. All that
is wanting is to) seek for it—to consult it candidly and
in good faith. Yes, there is in this Chamber a great
and imposing majority ; but when the Hon. Member,
M. Guizot, stipulated for a Conservative party, it was
disavowed. The illustrious orator, the organ of that
party, declared that in this Chamber there is not a ma-
jority—that there are two equal parties, systematically
arranged under two different flags, bound by political
engagements and destinies, calculated to come in con-
stant collision during the whole existence of the Cham
ber. No ; that would indeed be an afflicting circum-
stance—a miserable weakness of our institutions
proclaimed to :the world—if such a result should be
announced and sanctioned front the tribune after two
successive dissolutions, and after such a decided mani-
festation of public opinion at the last election. If such
be the fact, where for the future can we expect to find
a majority ? I base told you that a large fraction of
that conservative party rallied round the Ministry of
the 15th of April, only front the fear of seeing brought
back the 011 system of intimidation, and of violent
political contests. Well, is it to be innagiaed that this
large fraction that rallied round the Cabinet of the 13th
of April will remain systematically opposed to a Left
Centre Ministry, which will remind it of its origin and
of its politics! faith ? Count the votes, and tell me how
many Members of this Chamber will reject the pro-
gramme which constitutes the political faith, the prin-
ciples, and the political tendencies of the Left Centre.
No doubt faults have been committed—the re-
sult, perhaps inevitable, of a contest too long
protracted resentments have arisen, and irn•
prudent words have been csed ; but what signify

men