The Sun.
London, England, 1846-08-21 00:00:00

Paris to the leader of the Anti-Corn-law League.

a banquet of the more particular importance, first, as
a symbol that the lustre of intellect and the gene-
rosity of heart by the development of which Mr.
COBDEN has acquired the admiration and affection of
his fellow-countrymen, are appreciated by foreign
nations ; and, secondly, as an augury that the
triumphs of free trade arG not destined to be restricted
to a single empire, but that that moral revolution
will ultimately pervade all the civilised territories of
the globe without exception. It is but consonant with

that exalted position which France has assumed
among the nations of Europe, that her children should
be foremost in welcoming the eminent man whose
tongue first pronounced the doom of monopoly and
emancipated the commerce of Great Britain. Much
that is instructive, and much likewise that is encourag-
ing may be gleaned from this demonstration in the
metropolis of the French empire. The facts that the
notion of such a tribute originated with the
.Societe
des Economistes—that the banquet was presided over
by the Duc DITARCOURT, a Peer of France, and
President of the. Societe des Libres Echangistes—
that many distinguished political economists were
present on the occasion—that among the most
remarkable personages were M. VERNEZ (De-
puty Governor of the Bank of France) ;
Baron BILLING (Minister of France at the
Court of Denmark), M. MICHAEL CIIEVALLIER
(Professor of Political Economy in the College de
France), and M. JOSEPH GARNIER ( Professor of Po-
litical Economy at the Athenee), besides various
Peers and Deput.es, and literary and commercial men
—form a sufficient testimony that the demonstration
was not one of those pieces of domestic adulation
which are occasionally presumed to be the embodi-
ment of public opinion and the spontaneous indica-
_ _ _ _

ion of a principle. And what makes the knowledge
of this demonstration so peculiarly gratifying to our-
selves, is the earnestness and enthusiasm which it
tended to elicit. The speeches delivered during
the evening were no mere bandying of com-
pliment; the punctilios and formalities, too fre-
quently the characteristics of an after-dinner
oration, were altogether subordinate to those hearts
emotions which animated the utterance of the differ-
ent speakers with such graceful and potent eloquence.
On rising to propose the toast of the evening,
HORACE SAY exclaimed, "To RICHARD COBDEN !
Is it necessary, gentlemen, I should say more ? This
name is on every lip; it kindles in each of us the
same feelings, the same sympathy, and the same ideas.
COBDEN ! It is to us the tableau of the downfal of
feudality in England, consummated under the reite-
rated blows of good sense. COBDEN ! It is the eman-
cipation of those who work, and find in the freedom
of exchanges the complement of their right of pro-
perty in the produce of their labour. COBDEN ! It is the
peace of the world in consequence of the ties which
free trade will establish between all nations."
Those were the beautiful and stirring epithets
which were coupled with the name of our great re-
former. The' downfal of feudality !—the emancipa-
tion of the poor !—the peace of the whole world !
We welcome those few, but significant, sen-
tences, because in them we recognise an as-
surance that a foreign population comprehends
the motives which have actuated the bene-
ficent consequences which will reward, and
the ultimate consummation which will immorta!ise,
the members, and especially the great leader, -of the
Anti-Corn-law League. Those sentiments an
avowal that Frenchmen do not perceive in our. recent
struggle for the abolition of the protectivek imposts
any of the ignominious palterings of private interest,
but rather the striving of a whole people for their
own improvement and the benefaction of the entire
human family : that while we were endeavouring to
prevent the enrichment of the indolent and affluent
by the taxation of the bread of the industrious and the
poor, we were riving asunder the last fetters of hu-
manity, and making one friendly race out of many
hostile nations. As Mr. ConnErtlimself most nobly
expressed it, we wanted " the liberty of industry" as
well as " the rights of conscience, the liberty of
speech, and the inviolability of the press"--we wanted
to destroy, beyond all reparation, that villanous
system " by. which the balance of peace and war
between two great nations trtnibles upon the finger