The Sun.
London, England, 1847-01-14 00:00:00

Marta= .altitt

LONDON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 14, 1847.

Yesterday, a translation of the speech addressed by
his Majesty King Louis PHILIPPE to the Peers and
Deputies on (naming the Legislative Chambers of
France was duly published in our columns. If any
expectations were entertained that in this remarkable
oration would be discovered the motives of the
French Government in certain occurrences which
have recently transpired, or the intentions of the
French Government in regard to certain proceedings
which are likely to he undertaken, those expectations
are very far from having been realised. Rumours
were prevalent that his Gallic MAJESTY would, in
some measure, unbosom himself with reference to the
complicated transactions whereby the tranquillity of
the European continent has been latterly endangered.
Mysterious inuendoes were whispered about the salons
in the more fashionablefaubourgs, intimating the pro-
bability of some royal explanations upon the mar-
riage in the Peninsula, upon the annexation of
neutral territories in the northern empires, and upon
tha sudden interruption of the friendship hitherto
subsisting between France and Great Britain. All
those rumours and inuendoes have however " melted
into thin air." From the parturient mountain of
anticipation has crept forth the veriest mouse of a
speech-from-the-throne ever delivered. ' Hitherto
the addresses of Loris PHILIPPE to Messieurs les
Pairs et Messieurs les Deputes have been characterised
by something beyond the mere conventional small-
talk of royalty. His MAJESTY has heretofore illustrated
the commencement of the different sessions with the
delivery of sentences not only gracefully turned, but
singularly suggestive. In the present instance there
no departure whatever from the ordinary nothings
of royal eloquence. Some considerable time since a
delightful sarcasm upon the Parliamentary addresses
of the SOVEREIGN appeared in the Charivari—
namely, a blank column, headed " The Speech from
the Throne." That sarcasm at this moment would
have " told " with admirable effect. The flattering
promise and actual emptiness of the Address to the
French Chambers irresistibly recal to our recollection
the simile employed by SPENSER in his " Colin
Clout's come home again ;" the sentences being
literally—

" Like bladders bloc 4n up with wind,
Which being prick'd du vanish into noughts."
Even in the opening paragraph there is an affecta-
on of explicitness which is quite ludicrous, seeing
,hat it is composed of the most vague and unsatisfac-
,ory generalities. As is befitting him in the charac-
ter of the guardian or patriarch of a great people, the
KING expresses his anxiety to witness the earnest co-
operation of the legislators in forwarding those mea-
'ures which his MAJESTY'S Government deem neces-
sary for the alleviation of the present sufferings of the
community. What are those measures ? Listen
" I hope," says the Monarch, "that by the firm main•
tenance of order, by the liberty and security of com-
mercial transactions, by an ample and judicious ap-
plication of the public fortune, efficiently aiding the
zeal of private charity, we shall mitigate these trials
with which PROVIDENCE sometimes visits the most
prosperous states." Assuredly this is a marvellous
way of meeting an extraordinary emergency. As it'
the maintenance of order, and the freedom and security
of commei cial transactions, and the ample and j udi-
cious application of the public fortune, and the
sympathising assistance of individual alms, were not
advisable, nay, as if they were not absolutely requisite
at all times and under all circumstances ! As if
these were not actually the very motors of the ma-
chinery of civilised society ! 'Why, the simplest
tyro in legi'sLtion could have strung together phrases
of equal ingenuity and prettiness.
After this benevolent induction, King Louis
Psi-
LIPPE proceeds by the utterance of a gigantic fallacy,
" Jly relations with ALL the Foreign Powers," says
he, " aflord the firm confidence that the peace of the
world continues secured !" Wonderful assurance !
What, the peace of the world secured—with the alli-
ance between Northern and Western Europe utterly
destroyed by the violation of the Vienna treaty !
with the cordial understanding between England and
Prance interrupted by the perfidious violation of the
Utrecht treaty!—with the Spanish population embroiled
with their rulers through the odious interference of the
Gallic Cabinet! —with the provinces of Portugal
ravaged by intestine warfare, through the instru-
mentality of the pedagogue DIETZ !—with the Swiss
Confederation still encompassed with the dangers of
a religious antagonism, fomented by the policy of the
crowned diplomatist of the Tuileries ! Marvellous

security ! Bewildering confidence I Most pernicious

peace ! It is matter of astonishment how the French

Monarch could utter that sentence with an

unperturbed countenance, when scarcely five se

conch afterwards he had to speak as follows :
"An unexpected event has impaired the state of
things founded in Europe by the late treaty of
Vienna. The Republic of Cracow, an independent
and neutral state, has been incorporated with the
empire of Austria. I have protested against that in-
fraction of the treaties." Why, here is a flat c.m-
tradiction of the preceding assertion. Here is a
sufficient testimony of itself that European tran-
quillity is based upon a very rotten foundation.
How, in the name of all that is rational and

comprehensible, can the peace of Europe
be regarded as secured when a treaty like that of
Vienna—a treaty solemnly made between the
assembled monarchs and plenipotentiaries of the most

- -
powerful nations in the most civilised quarter of the

globe—is violated by the Sovereigns of Russia, of
Prussia, and of Austria ? How can European peace
be established simultaneously with the transmission

of emphatic protests upon such a crime from the
foreign offices of London and Paris to the

Ambassadors of Vienna, of Berlin, and of St

Petersburgh ? Is anything calculated to excite so much

and such rancorous feelings of hostility amongst the

'3-overnments of the earth as these execrable deeds o

spoliation, as these despotical acts of robbery, as

,h.•se larcenies of imperial marauders ? Are not

;hose occurrences more detrimental to the cause of

international quiescence than the squabbles of n few

merchants over ca3ual cargoes of opium or inter-
mittent cases of tea and ivory ? Is there not

more reason to tremble for the continuance of

Peaceth
duringduring t
ht
eh the
manifestation transmission
9 Yet " the
peace of the world is secured," according to King
animosities among contiguous races .
ooffthseucmhosdtoicruamsceibnites
Lotus PutraerE! This is unquestionably an unpa-
ralleled instance of a monarch paltering with words
for the purposes of a venal duplicity.
But there is, if that be ss
po ible, a yet
specimen of inconsistency
in this unequalledgeater
oration. In one paragraph his MAJESTY con
gratulates himself and his subjects upon the
union of " his beloved son; the Due nu MONT-
PEINSIER with his beloved neiee the Infanta LouisA