The Sun.
London, England, 1824-01-19 00:00:00

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT AT PARIS.

PARIS, JAN. 10, 1824.—As far as the fites
of the New Year, the intrigues of the Opera,
and the delights of this season of bon-bons and
friandises will allow, the attention of the Parisian
public is directed towards the approaching elec-
tions. At such a moment of frivolity, ott the eve
of the bacchanalian follies of the Carnival, it is
not to be expected that the most improvident
race of mankind should bestow great attention
on what requires care, patience, courage, and
perseverance. To be sure the Royalists give
themselves some little trouble in manoeuvring for
the election of their favourite candidates, but the
Ministers have kindly taken great part of the la-
bour on themselves. But, then, in return for
their pains, what brilliant scenes the disin-
terested Royalists have in gay perspective !
Thirty millions of francs a year for those who
have lost their lovers, their favourite poodles, or
their labourets in the revolt!tionary struggles ;
for the Priests, an authority independent of
the civil power, the renewal of the convents,
monasteries, and church immunities—the com-
mand of kings and their mistresses—the joy-
ful return of the blessed times of Pompa-
dour and Dubarry ! On the other hand, the
nation, the French people, have to dread the
restoration of the wretched, demoralizing sys-
tem of entails, corporations, priestcraft, and
villenage. Yet, strange as it may appear, with
this system of retrogradation constantly before
their eyes, there are but few out of the thirty
millions of Frenchmen that give themselves any
trouble about the matter. The Opposition Jour-
nals and the most intelligent merchants and land-
holders in the provinces are making every exer-
tion to rouse the people to a sense ef their, dauger,
and to restore such Deputies to the Legislature
as may avert the evil that hovers over their
country. Yet these patriotic efforts are nearly
without effect! If the present Ministry,' their
successors, or the violent Royalists who corn-
mond the Palace, are desirous of destroying the
trifling portion of liberty that still survives, their
want of success will not arise from the manly op-
position of the people.
After all, this apathy is more apparent than
real. It is difficult for a free-born Englisinran
to conceive the barriers of prejudice, interest, and
fashion that prevent a liberal foreigner from
taking any step that is in seeming opposition to
the wishes of Kings and Ministers. The great
mass of the French people feel intense interest in
the moral and physical benefits acquired by the
Tlevolutien but they want civil courage to pro-
tect them against the slow aggressions of autho-
rity. The dangerous consequences of having a
conscience, or at least of voting against the
agents of power, are well known. if the
proprietor of 500 acres applies to the lhlaire of his
Commune to sign his passport for Paris, or
wherever business calls him, Monsieur le Maire
tells him that he is an enemy to the throne and
the altar, since he voted for one of the cote
gauche, and cannot consequently obtain the visa
that legalizes his journey. The Cure refuses him
the honours of the church in cases of deaths,
burials, or marriages ; and his neighbours ex-
clude him from their society. This is 46 the un-
kindest cut of all"—Live without Society !—as
well be banished to Siberia or the Pole !
As the elective franchise depends en the amo-int
of taxes paid to Government, one of the mauceu-
tvirieesPermerelcotyseadnbd y
the Ministers and their agents,
tax-gatherers, is to diminish the
,um payable by those who are not in their inte-
rest, and thus destroying their right of voting.—
Many that were last year among the 80,000 elec-
tors that give France a semblance of Representa-
tive Government, are by this means erased from
the rolls. When the New Chamber is installed,
and Ultra Royalism is finally triumphant, the
Ministers may then heap on fresh taxes to fill up
the defect arising from electioneering diminu-
tions! In some of the departments the prefet:
have issued circulars, calling upon the electors to
vote in such a sense that the Government may
shower its favours on their heads.—Thie is the
freedom of electors in France !
*** From some accident, which we of course
cannot explain, the foregoing letter, though dated
the 10th, was not received till Saturday last. The
preceding communication, transmitted to us by
our Correspondent (of which he speaks its his
private note), has never come to hand.