The Sun.
London, England, 1862-11-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 21, 1862.

and partly from pity for a man whose countrymen,
and even his colleagues in office, had praised the
WILKES outrage. We certainly never supposed
thzt a man of so much higher intelligence than Mr.
sEviAs3s, p, diplomatist of experience too, would
have openly announced the same disregard for inter-
national law. There is it seems but one law for

France—her own interest. Justice to weaker
nations is no interest of hers, but the injustice

which would keep them weak ie so. It is the
" interest" of France to parade her troops in the old

capital of Europe—in the city where dwells the
ecclesiastical Head of all Roman Catholics—to strut
and chatter before all the world in the borrowed
plumes of the Papacy ; or, in the more serious
aspect of the case, to gnaw like a vulture at the
vitals of Italy, through craven fear of the fettered
giant—Vanity, injustice, cruelty, coward fear of a
nation's strength—these things are the interest of
France ! Well, they may seem to be so for a time.
But the day of reward will surely come. If the
French people do not awaken to their own disgrace,
if they go on to shape their policy to please women
and priests, and to gratify the wilful selfishness and
unworthy fears of a despot, they will in some way,
as unexpected as all that has happened in Italy,
find Rome freed, and Italy emancipated—but, at
the same time, alienated from them for ever. We
believe Frenchmen are not mean, unjust, and
cowardly. Why do they let an Emperor present
them to the world in that unworthy light ?
M. DROUYN DE L'HUTS is not content without
a little fling at England. It is we who are sup-
posed to " menace her flag," and who are warned
that the French flag does not perform the feats
which it once did at Trafalgar and Waterloo. It
is the old story "The Guard dies, &c." What the
menaces refer to we can hardly tell. Hyde Park
and the Mound, we suppose—for he lectures us
about " tumultuous manifestations which were to
affect the Resolutions of the Government of the
EMPEROR." We do not remember any other
" tumultuous " meetings ; and the tumults, the
French Foreign Secretary ought to know, were
all created by those who broke other persons'
heads in behalf of the EMPEROR'S Resolutions.
The tumult was all on his own side. That the
numerous able men in England who have spoken
at the most respectable meetings have all
joined in denouncing the injustiee of the
Roman occupation is, we presume, the stinging fact
which has called forth this silly complaint of
threats, and this bragging about the French flag.
Assuredly none of the speakers thought of any
other threat than uttering the moral truth respect-
ing the tyrannical occupation. If truth could shame
him, as it is said to shame another too great per-
sonage in the world's history—well ; if not, as-
suredly no one thought of molesting the French
flag. It is disgraced enough in all conscience by
supplying the place of the Swiss mercenary flag.
It is hard to imagine a more humbling contrast
than that between the contempt of all Italy and
Europe for the French flag at Rome, and the sym-
pathy of all the world—the enthusiastic sympathy
of Italians with the wounded GARIBALDI—
wounded to save that miserable flag from the up-
rising of the Roman people.

It cannot but be interesting to note down a few
particulars as to the antecedents of Baron GRos,
before the arrival of his Excellency in this country
as the newly-appointed French Ambassador to the
Court of St. James's. Though a younger man than
his veteran predecessor, the Count DE FLAHAULT,
the Baron Gros has himself, nevertheless, taken
part conspicuously in the diplomatic service of
France during a period extending now over an in-
terval of forty-two years' duration. Entering the
department of Foreign Affairs, in 1820, when at the
age of twenty-seven (the Baron having been born
in the year 1793)—his Excellency was so far suc-
cessful in his career, even at the outset, that nine
years only had elapsed when, in recognition of his
services, he was, in 1829, created a Baron. If the
Count DE FLAHAULT, the Going Ambassador, enter-
ing earlier upon public life, took part personally
in more memorable events than any with which
the name of the Baron GROS, the Coming Ambas-
sador, has become associated, the former had ob-
viously the advantage of living in an
epoch when, alike to soldier, to statesman,
and to diplomatist, public life abounded with im-
mense opportunities. Enough, in testimony
of this, if the fact be recalled to mind,
that the veteran Count DE FLAHAULT, yes-
terday representative of the Emperor NAPO-
LEON M. at the Court of Queen VICTORIA, toek
part in his youth (as a stripling soldier) in that
memorable .13twa... —c art......a0„ with which the First
Consul, NAPOLEON BONAPARTE (but then newly
arrived from the conquest of Egypt) inaugurated
the wonderful succession of Victories that carried
him afterwards in triumph successively into all the
capitals of continental Europe, rendering him for a
while the Arbiter of the Destinies of the World. At
Marengo the young Count DE FLAHAULT began in
earnest to follow the fortunes of the future Em-
peror and King. Those fortunes, which, after con-
ducting him,now in arms,now in di plomacy,through
a series of wondrous successes,led him eventually also
into the midst of all the closing disasters of the

Great NAPOLEON. Through what Lord BROUGHAM
has called, and with justice, the most successful of
all the EMPEROR'S astonishing campaigns—the
campaign of Moscow—the campaign, however, that
the Elements, under the Will of GOD, terminated
with such awful and overwhelming disasters !
First, by the mightiest conflagration of modern
times, the Burning of Moscow ! Afterwards, and
most disastrously, by the rigours of a winter earlier
by two months, and severer in its inclemency than
had been known even in those snowy regions of
Russia for half a century ! Through the all but
miraculous campaigns of Lutzen and Bautzen, in
which NAPOLEON almost redeemed his then to all
appearance inevitably ruined fortunes—through
the astonishing defensive campaign of 1814, upon

the soil of France herself—through the in-
cidents of the Hundreds Days, and the
brief but stormy vicisitudes of the final crash
in Belgium—the personal recollections of the late
imperial French Ambassador at our Court extend.

Unlike this, the public career of Baron GROG, as
we have seen, dates, at its very commencement,
from a period as recent as the year 1820. Before
the first ten years of that career had elapsed (after
his creation as Baron in 1829), he was nominated
First Secretary to the French Legation in Mexico.
Fourteen years after his entrance into the diplo-
matic service, namely, in 1834, he was named

Charge d'Affaires in New Grenada, at Santa-Fe de

Bogota. A few years afterwards he was charge
crafaires at Athens, in which responsible capacity
he had the credit of bringing to a satisfac-
tory conclusion, when it was least expected,
the memorable difference which threatened
Europe with war because of one small atom
of humanity thenceforth renowned in his-
tory as Don PACIFICO ! As recently as 1856 he
appeared again conspicuously before Europe as a
successful negotiator, when, in his capacity sa the
representative or delegate of the French Imperial
viciuheiac
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French and Spanish dominions. In consequence
of this and of his previous career, but a very brief
interval had elapsed when, on the 20th of Septem-
ber in that same year, Baron GROS was raised tothe
dignity of Senator. Subsequently, in June, 1858,
he signed, in his ambassadorial character in China,
as a Plenipotentiary Extraordinary, the First
Treaty negotiated by the Allied Powers of England
and France with the Court of Pekin. In the
November of the same year negotiating with equal
success the notable Treaty entered into by the Allies
with Japan, when Baron GRos and Lord ELGIN
proceeded on together for that purpose to Nangasaki.
Together with Lord ELQIN, he, two years after-
wards, in 1860, signed that final Treaty of Peace
with the Chinese which followed immediately upon
the advance of the Allied Forces to Pekin, and the
capture of that famous city (for the first time in the
annals of China),.by the outer barbarians ! It is
consequently as one who has been thus signally a
friendly participator with our English diploma-
tists in the negotiation of great events, events
worthy of being henceforth held in grateful
remembrance as among the most beneficent
triumphs of Modern Diplomacy, that Baron GROS
comes amongst us, not by any means as a
stranger : but rather as a friend of England, and as
a sympathiser with her nobler ambition as one of the
two dominant'promoters end champions, throughout
the world, of European/civilisation. Baron GROS
is secure, therefore, of a cordial welcome when he
sets foot upon English soil as Ambassador to the
Court of St. James's, as the representative of the
Emperor NAPOLEON and the emissary of his Impe-
rial Government.

The Confederate cruisers have been wonderfully
lucky. The ricketty little Sumter, with boilers that
would hardly hold steam, and sides that the dis-
charge of a gun almost shook to pieces, has left
quite an interesting little naval history of escapes,
and dodges, and seizures of the enemy's property,
who never could tell where she was between Europe
and America. The Alabama, a better equipped ship,
seems likely, under the same skilful management,
to rival the Sumter. She is always catching, never
caught. Frigates sail where they suppose her to
be, only to find her gone. Ships:of war leave the
blockade, only to make it easier for some rakish
craft with contraband of war on board from Nassau,
to get through those which are left. New York
merchants find their consignments in their own
vessels appropriated to Confederate purposes,
or burnt with the vssel, and have, as a con-
sequence, to pay at last war rates of insurance.
Hitherto they have escaped all, or nearly all, the
marine penalties of war, and inflicted them merci-
lessly on the Confederates ; now they are come home
to themselves. New York itself fears a dash into
port by the Alabama, such as it still more feared
from the Merrimac not long ago. Worst of all—
Mr. STANTON cannot get his contraband of war
English ships felt no fear
across with Airtillalnitaictewlyith impunity, as he has done
from carrying guns and ammunition for the Fede-
rals, not apprehending a visit from a Confederate
ship of war. Now, the Alabama has changed
everything; an English merchant ship, or mail
steamer, no longer takes on board artillery,
and cases of rifles and ammunition, asking
no question for conscience sake; as a neutral ship
she cannot afford to compromise her character in
case of a visit by the Alabama.
No wonder, then, we have a loud though unre-

fleeting outcry from New York merchants, and
even from Washington Secretaries of State. It is
altogether unendurable that the North, with such a
large commercial marine, and such a powerful navy
to protect it, shou►d be subjected to such losses and
such obstructions by the navy-less South. What
right have these presumptuous rebels to beard the
navally omnipotent North on the ocean. The ship
which does so is a "pirate," because she was bought
in a foreign nation. The foreign nation where she
was built " sent her out," because she did not find
her out and stop her. Every one must be atrociously
wrong, since the North is suffering what she made
the South suffer.

We imagine, however, Mr. SEWARD, in his in-
structions to Mr. ADAMS and to American consuls
in England, accompanied the documents which
could, should occasion require, be made public by a
covering note, apprising all his representatives that
they must proceed very cautiously. He would tell
them that it was necessary to " talk tall" on his side
the Atlantic, but that they must take no step which
would had the Governments of Europe to prevent
their manufacturers and merchants, if they could pre-
vent them, from sending contraband of war to
America. lie would tell his agents that as these
Governments recognised both sides as belligerents,
any preventive measure, would tell more on
military supplies for M'CLELLAN than on
those for LEE. We can, for our part, be
very patient with Mr. SEWARD. We
know that to talk " bunkum," to parties who de-
claim against England, is a necessity of politics awl.
office with him. He would less like than any man
that England should alter her present practice in
regard to shipping contraband of war, provided she
altered it with regard to both parties, which she
must certainly do.

However, there is nothing in it all. Our Go-
vernment will not and cannot visit her shipbuilders/
yards, any more than she will her manufacturers'
shops, in behalf of either or both belligerents.
She will not permit open aiding and abetting
either. Nothing like an expedition, or send-
ing an armed ship from her ports. But,
as America herself, in the time of the
Russian war, claimed for her merchants and
shipbuilders the right to take orders and execute
them without prying inquiries into their destina-
tion and object, so assuredly Great Britain will
claim a similar right for hers. We lose enough, in
all conscience, by the Federal mode of carrying on
the war ; we do not mean to lose, also, such orders
as are created by the war. If either side can get a
good ship built here, can get her out to sea, can
send her to a certain latitude and longitude, where
she will find other crafts ready to arm and provi-
sion her, no neutral Government can undertake to
frustrate such arrangements; they are the fair
tricks of war.

His Excellency the Ambassador of France and
the Countess de Flahault will leave Albert-gate• house, on
Monday, to join the circle assembled at Wrest Park, Bed-
fordshire,
The Duke of Hamilton arrived at his mansion, in
Arlington-street, yesterday.
Maria Marchioness of Ailesbury arrived in town
yesterday from visiting Frances Countess waldegrave, at
Strawberry Hill.

The Earl and Countess of Maitnesbury, who ar-
rive(l in town a few days ago from a tour of visits, will
leave on or about the 25th inst. for Knowsley Hall, on a
visit to the Earl and Countess of Derby.
'1 he Earl and Countess of Tankerville have been
entertaining a select party at Chillingham Castle, North-
umberland.

The Earl and Countess of Fife will come to town
on Wednesday neat, from Lanes House, Moray, where they
have been receiving a succession of visitors.
The Countess of Stradbroke was safely delivered
of a son and heir on *Wednesday, at the family residence in
Belgrave-square. Her ladyship and infant are progress-
ing favourably.
Viscount Palmerston returned to town yesterday
from 'Windsor Castle. Her ladyship returned to town yes-
terday from Brocket Hall,

LATEST NEWS.

VERA CRUZ, OCT. 19.

General Forey is at Orizaba making preparations
for occupying all thu passes which command

Puebla.

General Ortega has been appointed commander
of the Mexican troops.

ATHENS, Nov. 18, MIDNIGHT.
The telegraph is re-established.
All is quiet.
The electoral lists are ready.
The elections are expected about the 6th of De-

cember.

BERLIN, Nov. 20.

The Neue Preussische Kreuz Zeitung this even-
ing publishes the reply of- the King to an address
expressing attachment from several districts of
Prussian Saxony. His NJsjesty says :
" I shall continue to maintain the reorganisation
of the military force. I have been misrepresented
in many quarters, and my words have been mis-
understood. I have sworn to uphold the Con-
stitution received from my brother, his late Ma-
jesty, and I shall conscientiously keep my oath
in the sense expressed in my programme of No-
vember, 1858. But it is also requisite to govern
constitutionally, so as to promote the welfare of
the country. The Sovereign alone can do this in
Prussia. The representatives of the people should
assist him by constitutional co-operation in legis-
lation, and not further obstruct his Government,"