The Sun.
London, England, 1823-03-01 00:00:00

[MOANING HERALD.)

We yesterday gave a sketch of the harangue
of M. de Chateaubriand, in the Chamber of De.
puties. it seemed to have less even than the usual
calibre of this great dealer in phrases. What
appears to.be a literal copy.of.it, as It came from
his lips—or, to speak more correctly, as it came
from his pen (forthis declaimer had hawked. his
intended speech through half the Ultra•coteries
of Paris),. has. since been received through the
Moniteur. Though: spread ever a large surface,
it adds little to the sketch previously-given in
the other Journals—or only places in a more
striking: light the self-complacent pretension 'of
the rhetorician. A Nisi Prizes advocate, .witha
mind of ordinary force and fervour, would ad;
dress a Jury with as much power, and more so-
lidity and sincerity 'of argument, in a case of or•
dinary interest, than this Secretary of State dis.
plays in 'a .haringue addreSsed not only to, the
Chainbet of Deputies, but to all Europe ; and
upon a queitiOn involving the liVes and liberties
of millions, tie opened "with announcing that he
was.then going to answer every_ think that had
been spoken or written against the invasion of
Spain ; not' unlike the pedant encountered by
Sir. 'l'. Moore in his travels; wh6 challenged all
adversaries de omni scibili et de omni existente.
The policy of the British . Government 'in the
Spanish question, of course occupied Isis eaten.
tion,.nnd we notice two points in this petit of his
speech, rather as specimens, than for any pur.
pose of refutation. lie quotes the war declared
by England against France in 1793, as a pa.
rallel case to that which France is now
declaring—indeed, has actually declared—
against Spain. There is not, even in the Ve.
rona Circulars, a more flimsy pretence, a
More, gross outrage upon the common, sense
of Europe, than this assimilating of the
actual state of. Spain, the Acts and spirit
of her Government and her Cortes, • with the
herrtirs of the French Revolution and the spirit'
of the Convention. Ile further , urges, that by
adinitting tbe right of Austria „to; interfere in
Naples, and occupy her territory, the British
Government virtually admitted: the right of
pranc6 to March into, and (if she can) occupy'
Spain. Without wasting a' word "upon this as.
gumption, it may be' said that the events of
Naples, coupled w ith the measures at present taken
against Spain, suggest matter for serious regret,
Although some change has taken place in the
composition of. his Majesty's Ministers since the
affair of Naples, and his change is supposed
to have,, given a more decisive tone to its fo.
reign policy, yet We belieVe that if it had been
then foreseen that the Italian interference was
but a prelude to a similar attempt. on. Spain,
the occupation of the Two Aicilies . by Au.
stills would have been assented -to. The
great error, howeVer, Vas of earlier date. Why
is it that England:did not in lill4.retain.the pos.
and improving—the people contented, and in
session of Sicily ? Vie island was prosperous
possessionof a SUlistantial.ihaie of.the British
Constitution.:' The change of dominion---or
rather the continuance of British ,dominion—
would have been no less consonant to the inter.
fists, than tci 'the inclinations Of the Sicilians
who, after the gpollationa committed upon
the. King of Saxony, would• have thought
Ferdinand of Naples other .than most ,liberally
used, in Wag confined to the peninsular
dom. of Nintat ? find this arrangement taken

place Nit probable tharthvbfetrimlltittrevolu.
tion never would have broken out, and Austria
would not as at present, have virtual command
over all Italy. But the Government of this
country, it is to be hoped, at length sees the ne-
cessity of stemming this slowly, but formidably
spreading tide, and has taken its stand against
it accordingly.