The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-27 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1854.

The Speech of the Emperor NAPOLEON the
Third at the opening of the Legislative Session of
1855 is an instructive and deeply interesting
document. We look forward with intense anxiety
to the views and feelings of our distinguished
ally, not from any doubt that he will be found
wanting in the existing emergency, or from any
supposition that he will exhibit any deficiency,
but rather that by the nobility of his sentiments
and expressions he may inspire our rather apa-
thetic Ministers with a portion of his fire and
energy. We gladly hail .the terms that testify
the closeness of his union with our own country—
that prove that old jealousies have vanished for
ever, that Waterloo has been fully avenged at the
Alma and Inkerman, and that the only rivalry
hereafter to be displayed will be which of the
nations can best promote the sacred cause in which
they are engaged, and the glorious emulation of
chivalrous hearts burning to distinguish them-
selves in the presence of worthy witnesses, whose
praise would indeed be sweet, as coming from
congenial spirits, capableof thoroughly appreciating
the deeds accomplished.
The EMPEROR speaks of the great events that
have taken place since their last meeting. He
speaks exultingly, and well he may, of the result
of the appeal which he made to the country to
provide for the expenses of the War—a response
which was highly honourable to the people, and
which indeed afforded a striking contrast to the
humiliating failure of our own Financial Minister
at the time. It is true that the causes of that
failure were clearly perceptible—that the red-tape
fetters in which the Chancellor of the Exchequer
suffered himself to be bound crippled his exertions
and paralysed his energies. But still, when we

look to the glorious response returned by the
French to the appeal of their Sovereign, we cannot
help repining at the blunders that placed the
English character in a light so very unfavourable.

The Earrenon speaks of the alliance concluded
with Austria, " defensive now, to be offensive,
perhaps, soon, which unites his cause with
France and England," and expresses a hope that
he may next year, if peace should not then be re-
established, give the same thanks which he so
cordially and gracefully bestows on England and
the English army, to give to Austria, and to that
Germany whose union and prosperity he desired.
There is a significant silence as to Prussia—a
silence truly ominous, but which has been well
merited by the vacillation of that OLICQUOT and
his scarcely concealed pro-Russian tendencies.
But it is of England and the English that he
speaks with the utmost enthusiasm.' He grace-
fully alludes to the triumphs achieved in the Bal-
tic as well as in the Black Sea--of the " two
great battles that have shed lustre on their flag,"
and the striking testimony afforded of the inti-
macy of the connection with England in the vote
of thanks passed by the Parliament of the United
Kingdom to the generals and soldiers of France.
This honourable tribute—honourable alike to
those by whom it was rendered and to those by
whom it was received, has been thoroughly appre-
ciated, and will, we trust, go far to cement, and
render indissoluble, the union so happily subsist-
ing. On this point the Emperor has been pecu-
liarly felicitous in tone and expression. " What
ties, indeed," he asks, " what ties can be more
binding than the names of the victories belong-
ing to the two armies, and recalling a glory in
common—when the same uneasiness and the
same hope agitate the two countries, and when
the same intentions animate the two Govern-
ments upon every point of the globe ?
Thus the alliance with England is not the effect
of a fleeting interest or a policy of circurn•
stanoes ; it is the union of two powerful nations,
associated to ~other to obtain the triumph of a
cAuse in which for more than a century were in-
volved their greatness, the interests of Civilisation,
and at the same time the liberty of Europe. Join
with me, then, upon this solemn occasion in thank
ing, in the name of France, the Parliament for
its cordial and hearty demonstration, and the
English army and its worthy chief for their valiant
co-operation." It is indeed "no fleeting interest,
no policy of circumstances," that bind those who
have shed the best blood of their respective chil-
dren in the sacred cause of Truth and Justice ; and
as the motives that have drawn them together are
pure, so we hope will the union be eternal.
It is expressive of gratitude to the army and
navy of France. Of the former, he says—"Epi-
demy, incendiarism, tempests, and privations—a
town unceasingly provisioned, defended by for-
midable artillery by sea and land—two enemies'
armies superior in number—nothing could weaken
its courage or arrest its ardour. Every one has
nobly done his duty, from the Marshal, who ap-
peared to compel death to wait until he had con-
quered, down to the soldier and the sailor, whose
last cry in expiring was an aspiration for France,
au acclamation for the chosen of the country"—
adding, "Let ue, then, declare it together, the
army and the fleet have merited well of their

country."
The French Army, now composed of 581,000
soldiers, and 113,000 horses, and the Navy of
62,000 sailors afloat, are to be fully kept up to
the standard. For that purpose he asks for a
levy of 140,000 men ! This is, indeed, proving
himself to be in earnest, while at the same time
he suggests an amelioration in the condition of
the old soldiers who re-engage. An example
which we should do well to follow, and to which
we shall again allude. He also asks authority to
raise a fresh National Lean, the resources from
which are to be kept apart for, and solely applied to
meet, the exigencies of the war. Here, too, is a preee-
dent for Mr. GLADSTONE, which ho might judiciously
follow, before the disgusted and indignant People,
enraged at his perverse adhesion to his crotchet,
hurl himself and his more obstinate colleagues

from power.
The Speech is indeed a model in many respects,
and it is couched in terms of graceful eloquence,
that adds to its intrinsic excellence. All will
count-in the Imperial aspirations respecting the
their al
Westernl
i aPnocwe, Esto-
els,anyderpbeetitpar.epared to exclaim of

The Polish question must be no longer burked.
The 'Ness of the country and the representatives
of the country must do their duty towards it.
The too-late policy has been the very instrument
of all our reverses. It has sacrificed half our
to deht (Iy€(1 hal ftheatility of our navy, and