The Sun.
London, England, 1853-09-29 00:00:00

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ignoble in man, fraud was fraud, robbery •••'- ;
murder was murder. It would need s .;o,ll`.
meat to prove that the distinction
present day—in matters of politics at
more ignored by the votaries of Islam, than b ta7dSMAINI
religionists of Prince Gortschakoff. Those who are
ready to say, with that eminent Christian philanthropist,
" Long life to the god of the Russians !" might possibly
find it neither easy nor agreeable to define the exact
essence and attributes of the, apparently, not immortal
divinity before whom they are prepared to offer the
costly sacrifice of the plain rights of a nation. It is
better to spare them and ourselves such unprofitable
theological efforts, and to resume the moral of all that
has been said, in a short reference to what, as known to
us on the highest authority, is the present state and
probable future of the Ottoman Empire.
Let those whose sympathies with right need more to
rouse them than the reiterated demonstration that it is
right, recall the general drift and bearing of a recent
speech of Lord Palmerston. Let those, too, who, with
every feeling that
" Because right is right, to follow right
Were wisdom, in the scorn of consequence,"
would yet gladly find themselves relieved from the idea
of being bound up in the same cause with a set of unim-
provable barbarians, recall the positive statements of
the same speech in answer to Mr. Cobden. When the
late Foreign Minister gave the sanction of his know-
ledge and judgment to the opinion that the moral and
material condition of Turkey was neither desperate nor
unimprovable--when he flatly contradicted the counter-
assertions of the calumniators of the Porte—when he
finally stated, amid the expressions of a generous satis-
faction on the part of his audience, that in no country
in Europe had greater advances been made than in the
Ottoman Empire within the last thirty years—he gave,
by anticipation, an answer to much that has been since
and recently said—an answer sufficient to convert the
candid, and, it might have been thought, to silence
the cautious, whether candid or not. And, when he
added that, with what may be called fair play on the
part of other Powers—with the mere abstinence from open
attack and injury—there was not a doubt of the power of
Turkey, and every hope of her readiness, to continue
to advance, to improve, and gradually regenerate herself
to the point of becoming a fit member of the civilised
community of the world, his declaration led every other
mind to draw the irresistible inference which the states-
man might have scrupled to express. That inevitable
inference was, that such improvement—desired by, and
acceptable to all the rest of the civilised world—was the
one thing feared by that Power whose interest lies in
the continued degradation of Turkey, and which, because
feared, was the true cause of the attack on her inde-
pendence. Russia alone has a continuing interest in the
barbarism which is weakness, for weakness is the road
to subjugation. Therefore is it that, rightly appreciating
the progress of improvement, which may be loss to her,
though gain to all others, she assails it before it be too
strong for her. Hers, and not the Ottoman Porte's, is
the rbarian interest in the matter. True in every
sense, this would be true even in the restricted meaning
which would be given it by the assumption, in itself er.
roneous, that the interests of justice and truth can ever
be separated from or be found in conflict with the proper
interests of civilisation.

THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON'S FIRST
VISIT TO THE NORTHERN DEPART-
MENTS OF FRANCE.

BOULOGNE, WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
After the departure of my hurried letter of yesterday
the Emperor and Empress proceeded to the Napoleon
column, where they were received by a number of vete-
rans of the Empire, drawn up in two lines. After in-
specting the column and the troops, their Majesties re-
turned through all the principal streets of the town, pro-
ceeding twice along the quay and through eight or nine
triumphal arches, some of which were covered with
evergreens and flowers, nd others made to represent
marble columns ; one of the most remarkable of these
latter was situated on the quay, close to the Custom-
house. It was surmounted with a representation of
Napoleon le Grand, as he is generally depicted crossing
the Alps, and the one pillar was dedicated to the glory of
the war of 1804, and the other to the glory of the peace
of 1853.

After returning to the sous-prefecture, where their
Majesties arrived about half-past six o'clock, the Em-
peror entertained at dinner a party of the military and
civil authorities of the town, covers being laid for b.-
tween 60 and 70, and a military band being stationed in
front of the house to play during the repast.
In the evening the whole of Boulogne was most bril-
liantly illuminated, scarcely a house, however small or
however obscure, being without some testimonial of re-
spect to their Majesties—whilst the principal streets,
from the quay to the ramparts, presented one continuous
blaze of light, intermingled with flowers and evergreens.
The streets were, throughout the evening, most densely
crowded, not only by the inhabitants, but by thousands
of visitors, there being scarcely such a thing as a vacant
bed to be found in Boulogne, and the numbers would
have been much increased but for the difficulty expe-
rienced in obtaining conveyances from Calais and other
towns, and the unfavourable weather which prevailed
during the three or four previous days.
The ball offered by the municipality of the city to
their Imperial Majesties took place in the evening, and
was a very brilliant affair. The whole interior of the
theatre, from the back of the stage to the boxes, was
converted into one splendid salle de dance, and, in the
centre of the audience portion, state chairs were placed,
under a beautifully decorated canopy, for the use of the
Emperor and Empress. The guests, including the
leading residents of Boulogne ; and all the English
visitors who had taken the trouble to. leave their names
at the Maire had the honour of receiving invitations.
About 1,500 persons may have been present when the
Imperial party entered the theatre. The Emperor and
Empress were received with the warmest acclamations,
cries of " Vive l'Empereur" and " Vire l'lmperatrice"
resounding from every part of the salle. Their Ma-
jesties appeared to be much gratified with their recep-
tion, and, before sitting down, acknowledged in a very
gracious manner the enthusiasm of the assembled company.
Twelve young ladies, attired in white, with wreaths of
violets in their hair, occupied a position immediately
below the throne as demoiselles d'ltonneur to the Empress.
The band of one of the regiments of the line was in at-
tendance, and before dancing commenced a selection of
operatic music was performed. At 10 o'clock the Em-
peror descended to the ball-room, the Empress resting
upon his arm, and the members of the imperial suite fol-
lowing. A quadrille was now formed, in which the
Emperor honoured the wife of the Mayor of Boulogne,
Madame Fontaine, with his hand. The Empress danced
in the same quadrille with the Mayor. The members of
the imperial suite completed the set. The grace and
beauty lof the Empress was now first observed to the
fullest advantage. Her faultless delicacy of feature, and
the elegance of her figure, were well displayed by a very
chaste costume of white lace, ornamented with ribbons
of violet colour, falling half way down the skirt. The
head-dress was exquisitely beautiful. Her Majesty's
hair is of a beautiful light brown tint, and it was dis-
posed last evening in tasteful rolls over the forehead,
leaving disclosed the ears, from which diamond drops
were pendant. Her Majesty wore a diamond necklace,
of marvellous brilliancy, every stone of which reflected
its myriad hues, and a pair of somewhat small bracelets
en suite. During the quadrille the Empress chatted
familiarly with the Mayor and also with some of the
young ladies by whom the Imperial party were sur-
rounded. There was a sad want of unanimity in the
musical direction of the dance—probably arising from
the distance at which the orchestra was situated—and
after passing through the three first figures, and endea-
vouring to proceed with the last, the Empress, with a
charming smile, betokening the utmost good humour
and amiability, gave it up in despair, and returned with
her Imperial Consort to the throne. The shouts of
welcome now again broke forth, and some exuberant
Englishmen, jealous of allowing their French neighbours
to monopolise the vocal expression of their loyal enthu-
siasm, called out in a burly voice, " God save the Em-
peror 1" The sentiment was infectious. In a moment,
others responded with " God bless the beautiful Em-
press," and for a short time John Bull had it all ta him-
self, until, until one hearty fellow, more noisy than the
rest, occasioned a burst of laughter by
calling for One
cheer more 1" The Emperor could not repress a smile
"
at this truly English method of paying respect to his
august person ; but his Majesty appeared much pleased
at the evident good feeling which had prompted the com-
pliment. At this period of the evening the presenta-
tion of several persons to the Emperor and Empress
took place, Mr. Hamilton, the English Consul, was
ameerengetiehne
and
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descension
were remarkable. A second quadrille was
now formed and danced before the Emperor and Em-
press. This was followed by a beautiful cantata, com-
by the pupils of
in the peristyle
pthoesedEfcooriethedeoccamslitosniq,
of the theatre. At 11 o'clock the Emperor and
zievh isetha stationed earl ds be
au
they perambulated,
Empress, attended by their suite, again descended
into the ball-room, round which
receiving as they proceeded the respectful salutations of
the company. After partaking of some slight refreshz,
went at the imperial buffet, their Majesties retired from
the theatre amid renewed shouts of "Vive l'Empereur,"
"Vive l'lmperatrice," agreeably diversified with some
good English cheers.
This morning the Emperor and suite left the sous-
prefecture shortly after ten o'clock, and proceeded in
open carriages, preceded only by about a score of
soldiers as a guard of honour, by the Grand rue, the rue
de la Lampe, the pont d'Ecluse, and the quay, to view
the docks and the new sluice bridge. His Majesty, who
was received at the docks by the municipal authorities,
was received throughout the whole route with the
greatest enthusiasm, the cries of " Vive l'Empereur"
and " Vive Napoleon" being most incessant and hearty,
whilst the ladies in the windows of the various hotels
and private houses were waving their handkerchiefs and.
bouquets. His Majesty returned to the sous-prefecture
shortly before twelve o'clock, and about a quarter to
• one a discharge of artillery announced that their Ma-
jesties were about to take their departure. About ten
minutes to one their Majesties' carriages at rived at the
station of the Chemin de Fer du Nord, which had been
elegantly decorated with flags, eagles, evergreens,
Their Majesties entered the station through an elegant
tent of red velvet, looped with gold and decorated with
' mirrors and flowers, Their Majesties having been con-
ducted to their state railway carriage, the train de-
parted amidst loud cheers at five minutes past one. The
royal train was almost immediately followed by the
ordinary train, which ought to have left Boulogne at
half-past 12, but had been detained a short time in order
to give precedence to the royal train—and a smart
shower of rain soon dispersed the crowds which had
assembled to witness the departure of their Majesties.

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