The Sun.
London, England, 1840-10-12 00:00:00

cuments to this country—a note and a memoran_
dum. The note, which in the French journals is
erroneously called an ultimatum, is dated the 3d
inst., and was forwarded to London on the 6th inst.
In this note the French Minister avoids entering
into any details, generally setting forth the sym-
pathy which the French Government feels for ME.
HEMET ALI. The memorandum, which is a reply
to the last memorandum of Lord PALMERSTON,
is dated the Bth inst., and was forwarded to the
British Government on the following day. Its
contents will be soon known, as the Government
will not fail, in justice to the French Minister, to
publish it.
Were M. TRIERS' ultimatum such as the
Constitutionnel describes it, we see no rational
ground for any quarrel with it on the part of the
war faction. MEHEMET ALI is not in the
same condition in which he was when
the operations were commenced by the Allies
before Beyrout, and it would be unfair towards
the Allies even to expect that no result would follow
from their generous interference on behalf of
Syria. It is not to be supposed that they would
hand over to the merciless sway of the VICEROY
any part of a country which they had assisted to
cast oft' his tyrannical yoke. Before Syria was
blockaded it was competent for the Pacha to secure
for himself, or for France to obtain for her ally, the
most favourable terms proposed by the ultimatum
of the Porte; but both having neglected to accept
the terms of the ultimatum, they must expect to
pay that penalty for criminal delay from which no
State or Govermment in the world is either physi-
cally or morally exempted. Not that we are op-
posed to the making of any concession to France,
and her protege MEHEMET ALI. On the con-
trary, we have always strongly recommended to
the British Government to make every concession
compatible with a due regard to the integrity of the
Ottoman Empire to the French Government.

Marshal GERARD'S proclamation to the Na
tional Guards of Paris, which appeared in the
Afternoon Edition of The Sun of Saturday, pain-
fully illustrates the overwhelming influence of the
most violent and reckless portion of the public
press over the feelings and conduct of a most in-
fluential class of French citizens ; and, more than
any other occurrence within the last ten years, de-
monstrates the dissimilarity between the political
tote of society in England and France. Before
dwelling upon the reflections of which this procla-
mation is suggestive, it may be necessary to indi-
cate with clearness its origin .and object. In a
rabid article which appeared in the National of
Wednesday, the writer called upon the National
Guards of Paris to go in a body on Sunday, but
without arms, to the residence of their Comman-
dant, Marshal GERARD, and to declare to him
their eagerness for a war with England, Austria,
Russia, and Prussia, on the principles of the first
Revolution, for which a pretext was to be sought
and found in the self-exclusion of France from the
Treaty of London. What are we to think of the
public intelligence which requires that a Govern-
ment should trouble itself with answering such non-
sense as this ? And yet the French Government
deemed it essential to the peace of the capital to
answer it. The article appeared on Wednesday,
and on the day following every street and lane of
Paris was placarded by a proclamation from the
Chief Commandant of the National Guards of
Paris, Marshal GERARD, reminding them of their
former services to the State and devotion to the
Government, and commanding them not to follow
the advice of the National ! Who after this will
despise the influence of the French Press ; and who
that knows the pernicious principles of the National,
under the disguise of Republicanism, will not pity
the weakness of a Government and the folly of a
people thus exposed to its pernicious attacks upon
the credulity of the one and the authority of the
, other ?

When we first cast our eyes over Marshal
GERARD'S proclamation, the immediate impression
produced on our mind was, that the Government
had unnecessarily given way to its fears. Without
presuming to be as well acquainted with the poli-

tical sentiments of the National Guards of Paris
as their illustrious chief, we were, nevertheless, at
a loss to conceive how a body of men of ordinary
sagacity could be supposed capable of adopting se-
riously the suggestion of the National. But tha
Journal of Saturday, which is now before us, con _
twins an article which clearly demonstrates our mis-
conception of the standard of political feeling in
France, and satisfies us that, had no proclamation
from Marshal GERARD appeared, the meeting on
Sunday, recommended by the National, would cer-
tainly have taken place. The following is a trans

lation of what the National states on the subject :

" The officers, National Guards, and citizens who
had assumed the initiative in the patriotic manifestation
innounced !or to-morrow (Sunday) assembled on Friday
in order to deliberate again upon that resolution.
" They consid' red that in principle the public expres-
sion of the wishes of the citizens was perfectly legal.
" That this right, which has its source in the sove-
reignty of the people, the fundamental doctrine of every
institution, had been besides recognised in formal terms
by Art. 66 of the Charter.
" That this article could not be destroyed by any in-
terpretation of a disciplinary law for the guidance of the
National Guard.
" That if doubts bad arisen on that subject they could
be cleared up by the very conduct of the chiefs of the
legions of Paris, who, under different circumstances,
availed themselves of the opinion which they stated ema-
nated therefrom, in order to exercise an influence on the
direction of those in power.
"That principles and facts evidently establish the
right which the citizens possess to protest publicly
against the conduct of the Government, and that it is
more important than ever to maintain that right.
" Under the circumstances, however, in which we are
placed, it is not the less important to avoid carefully
giving to a cowardly Ministry for abroad the opportu-
nity of resorting to brutal force at home.
" Consequently, the officers, National Guards, and
citizens consider that it is their duty to make the Go-
vernment, as well as foreign Powers, sensible of the in-
dignation of all the Parisian population at the disgrace-
ful policy pursued with respect to the coalition ; but wish-
ing, at the same time, not to give the slightest pretext
for a violent collision, have resolved :
" 1. That a deputatidi of officers and delegates cif
the National Guard shall be charged to protest, before
ihe President of the Council of Ministers, against Mar-
shal Gerard's order of the day, and against the shameful
inaction of the Government with respect to foreign
Powers.
2. That this protest shall be addressed in the form
of a petition to the Chamber, atter having received the
signature of every citizen who was to have taken part in
th manifestation."
We have here an excellent criterion whereby to
judge of the immense difference between the state
of political feeling in England and France. Only
suppose, at any period of our history, what a
world's wonder it would appear sere the British
Government to condescend to answer, by a procla-
mation, an article in an opposition newspaper, call.
ing Upon the Yeomanry to march to Downing-
street with a view to oust the Cabinet
.'Even in
those
London, day
o sf
whichioN'itn
thethat celebrated formidablerated c
triatiizn:nb, j
an dsoHoNf
131t.rtN,wac,
iap,ain, valiantly volunteered to march
as far as Blackwell to
meet and repel the French,
is was never found necessary, on the part of the
Government, to reply by a proclamation to the most
furious tirades of the Anti-Gallican Press. The in-
fluence of the British Press u
Pon public opinion
is, upon the whole, perhaps, greater than that of
France ; but it is a legitimate influence—the in-
fluence of reason and common sense upon a reason-
' ing and sensible people. Frenchmen are influenced
assi
through their feelings and their p 0 n
is h
o.
men through the medium of their understanding
and their interests ; hence the success of wordy al).