The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-21 00:00:00

rtirb Wintions

LINCOLN RACES.

(THIS DAY.)

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)
THE TRIAL STAKES.

Xing David
Chilton

Five ran.

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

We find the following in the Union on the in•
teresting and always popular subject of liberty :...._

" Wh;.t is the use of disputing about liberty ? Liberty
--we speak of oivil or political liberty—is something
dative, and cannot be either judged or defined without
taking into consideration the habits and wants of each
People and each period. How, therefore, can the liberty
of one period be compared to the liberty of another ?
Liberty is not an abstraction, is not an absolute idea,
and is not subordinate to inflexible conditions or forms.
Was France in 1789 free ? Certainly not, if liberty is
what was seen in 1791 or 1793, and afterwards in 1797,
and again in 1801, er in 1804, or in 1851, or, if one liken
it better, in 1848, or, in fine, in 1851. Still more, has
Prance ever been free ? No, if her liberty be compared
ate that of all other States, from Greece to the United
'Wes. But ask the same question of any people what-
ever, and you will inevitably have the same reply. The
liberty of Sparta was not that of Athens ; far from it !
The liberty of the Cretans had nothing in common
With that of the Sicilians or Carthagenians. And what
was the liberty of Rome ? A dominating Senate, patri-
cians masters of the people, a perpetuity of empire
finder the name of customs of their ancestors, and
run 30,000 or 40,000 citizens with 300,000 slaves.
that the veritable and unchangeable type of
libertyl For a century, English liberty has been made
the
universal model of all constitutions to be established.
Whatt is that liberty ? Could we support the most feeble
imitation of it ? The Charter of 1814 was at most a
parody of it. English liberty is a classification of society
with a landed aristocracy at the top armed with political
Privileges. Just attempt to propose something similar
to that in France, broken up as it is into little morsels
of land, to that scattered democracy, ricketty but
haughty, extenuated but sovereign. It would break
everything to pieces rather than subject itself to a pri-
Vileged class of that kind. How chimerical, therefore,
is it to attempt to render liberty subordinate to certain
typical and preconceived forms, according to which per-
sons would deem themselves entitled to affirm that one
People is free, and that another is not ! At most it can
be declared that there are institutions in themselves
In._ re in conformity with the natural right of defence
u ,_r of protection in a political society ; but in that
Itething is absolute. The institutions of the middle
.an were not without connection with that right of
defence, but they were themselves of very different
I_ll.l • The communal constitution of France was
Zot the same as that in Italy, or in Flanders, or in
gain ; and yet it was everywhere the real basis of
erty. To speak only of France, it is an historical
truth that her liberty followed infinite variations with-
21t any one being able to affirm that it ceased to exist.
e establishments of St. Louis were establishments of
""rty, and the ordonnances of Louis XIV., even in
:?!ir despotic form, were a new modification of enfran-
,'
miaentent. To deny this would be to fall into the
tgnorance and silliness of liberalism ; parties, since 1825,
tare had time to learn a little history. Does it follow
;at the new times ought to bring back the old forms of
I,?erty To all appearance no one has any such idea in
to mind. It is sufficient to knoW that each period, in
BPite of constraints or resistances, produces its liberty
ith its most natural forms. And it is of no use abus-
i lg the old liberty, for no one can say if the new will be
better. Posterity alone has a right to decide the point.
us then leave aside 'B9, and let us not be proud !
~e Would not certainly support what then remained of
nodal right ; let us not boast to have supported the
:lueunt of revolutionary impost levied on us. Each
Zueiety has its acts of servitude even in liberty, and the
Says
established society is that which in submission is
wlltays the most certain of its dignity."
Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, English Ambas-
nador at Constantinople who has been passing
iwte days at Paris, has left for Vienna, on his way
to
tr, his post. From Vienna he will proceed to
ifeste, where a steam-frigate is waiting to receive
• M. de Bourquency, and M. Delacour, French
~,'-clbassadors at Vienna and Constantinople, have
'4411 left for their respective destinations.
The Moniteur contains the official promulgation
f the treaty of commerce and navigation concluded
between France and Tuscany, and which will come
4'oo operattOn on the 10th of April next.
It commission has just been appointed to exa-
,,,ne whether the special exercises of the Chasseurs
Vincennes cannot, be applied to the French in-
4antry in general.
The Senate met yesterday for the reception of
Eno senators nominated by the decrees of the 9th
of February and the 4th and Bth of March. They
took the oaths, and the Senate then occupied itself
with the 23 bills adopted by the Legislative Body.
The Moniteur publishes a decree by which ores
'of all kinds except sulphur are exempt from duty
when imported by French vessels, and subject to
the payment of lfr. per 100 kilos. by foreign ves-
sels. Liquorice root, imported by French vessels,
g
Autos. by
exempt from duty, and chared.2fr. per 100
Autos. by foreign vessels or by land.
The cold on Saturday was severe. The thermo-
rneter of M. Chevalier stood, at six o'clock in the
lacrnin' g, at 4 deg. 9-10ths centigrade (23k Fahren-
heit), and at noon at 1 deg. 4-10ths centigrade (29k
Fahrenheit)
below the freezing point.
•,Yesterday the Emperor gave private audiences to
cuseigneur Garribaldi, the Pope's Nuncio,
to, M. de Hubner, the Austrian Minister, when
presented the answers to the notification of the
'4llPeror's marriage.
The Debats declares that the English fleet was
sent for by Colonel Rose spontaneously, and not at
the request of the Porte.
Madame de Montijo left Paris for Madrid.
, A leading Nantes journal, the Union Bretanne,
States that it is the resolve of the Pope to com-
mence his journey to. France early in May, where
he
intends remaining for about two months.
The Emperor has ordered an opera to be pre-
Pared in honour of his approaching coronation,
t° be called The Coronation of Charles the 'Seventh.
The conflicting reports which have agitated the
45curse for the last few days, have not tended to
!,aise the drooping prices of our late quotations.
4.11 e Three per Cents. have experienced a decline
,of 50c. for cash, and 95c. for the account ; the
,„A.t'cur-and-a-Half per Cents. (cash), sc. lower, and
t"c. ditto for the account. The depreciation of
flank Stock amounts to 25f. The following are the
.I.gltest quotations :—Three per Cents. (cash), 79f.
; ditto, for the account, 79f. 40e ; Four-an
Half per Cents. (cash), 103 f. 25c. ; ditto, for the
account, 103 f. ; Bank Stock, 2,700.
At the Casino yesterday the French Three per
were at first constantly offered, and declined
b° 76f. 70c. Afterwards, some purchases having
been made, a reaction took place, and the last price
Vas 77f. 80c.