The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-26 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNEgDA

which recently polluted the city of the acropolis !
with its plots, under the auspices of the
leceased COLETTI. At Copenhagen the Right Hon.
W. W. \VTYN observes, with an interest that can

.carcely be appreciated in the soporific and lulling
lgioni of Belgravia, the fortunes attendant upon the
Danish standard on the banks of the Eider, and
under the wa;ls of Friederichstadt. From the revo-
lutionary movement of Lombardy, the irritable de-
,miinds of Bohemia, the imperative petitions from
Ganicht, and the annihilation of the power exercised

(or half a century over the Austrian councils
by the Lord of Johannisburg, the Em-
peror FERDINAND has been compelled to
adopt a policy such as three months ago could never
have suggested itself to the sanguine imagination of
Viscount PONSONBT. Even among the pageantries
~f Saint PAersburzh Lord BLOOMFIELD must recog-

rise the precarious posture of affairs along the con •
dries of Lithuania and in the interior of Russian
Poland. At Lisbon Sir HAMILTON SEYMOUR is com-
pelled to witness the insane and retrogressive system
enforced by the Ministerial advisers of the
SOVEREIGN. And at Madrid the Right
Honourable HENRY BULWER has received a
polite intimation that his recal by Lord
PALMERSTON will be regarded as a pleasant frag-
ment of intelligence by the members of the Narvaez
Administration. Everywhere is doubt, trepidation,
or annoyance to our Ambassadors and Plenipoten-
tiaries. Everywhere are the representatives of her
Britannic MAJESTY tormented, worried, importuned,
threatened, badgered, or regarded with suspicions.
And through the whole of this Lord PALMERSTON is
expected to preserve an equable temperament. Teazed
-o distraction himself in the House of Commons, one
while by the petulant personalities of Mr. URQUHART,
at another by the monstrous impeachments of Mr
CitismoLm ANSTEY, the Chief Secretary for Foreign
Affairs is expected to preserve the equanimity of his
disposition, despite all the annoyances pouring into
his official portfolio through the medium of his con-

tinental dispatches.
Of all the shades and diversities of insolence evinced
by certain of the Cabinets of Europe towards the re-
sident Ambassadors from Great Britain, the conduct
of NARVAEZ to her Britannic MAJESTY'S representa•
rive at Madrid is the most insolent and the most un-
justifiable. It is a becoming sequel to that ill-
tempered act of the Duke of VALENCIA—the banish-
ment of MONTPENSIER to Seville, possibly with a view
-o the assuagement of his thirst for intrigue by po
..itions of inimitable orangeade. If a rumour
.thanating from the most authentic sources can be
Tedited, Mr. BULWER has acquired the antipathy of
the present Ministry of Queen ISABELLA, and a
direct demand for his recal is said to have been for-
warded by that Ministry to the Foreign-office in '
Downing•street. The reason for this sudden dislike
to a man who has hitherto been regarded with
deferential respect, if not with positive cordiality
will not be for one instant incomprehensible to
those who have perused the communication addressed
to Mr. BULWER on the 10th inst. by the Duke
DE Sorosiairou. That communication is a very
restive, and, in truth, an absolutely impertinent re-
joinder to one penned on the 7th instant by the Right
Hon. HENRY LYTTON BULWER, inclosing an official
letter received by that Ambassador from Viscount
PALMERSTON. Lord PALMERSTON'S letter, it must
not be forgotten, was dated March 16th, and conveyed
t salutary recommendation to the Spanish Govern
tnent in reference to the adoption of a more legal
Ind constitutional system" than the one hitherto
adopted by NARVAEZ and his colleagues. The
communication in which this letter was trans-
mitted to the Duke DE SOTOMATOR by his
Excellency the British Ambassador was couched in
language befitting the representatives of that Sove-
reignty which had been principally instrumental in
raising ISABELLA 11. to the throne; and Mr. BULWER
specified as much when he reminded the Spanish
Minister for Foreign Affairs, that " what especially
distinguished the cause of Queen ISABELLA from that
of her Royal competitor was the promise of constitu-
tional liberty inscribed upon the banners of her Ca-
tholic MAJESTY." In reply the Duke DE SOTO
MAYOR perversely and indeed insolently inquired what
would be the response of Lord PALSSERSTON supposing
the Spanish Government interfered in reference to
the administration of the British Cabinet, to the
friv,htful condition of Ireland, or to the unfortunate
people of Asia ? " What," continued the irritated
diplomatist, " what, in fine, would he do if we were

to remind him that the late events on the Continent
gave a salutary lesson to all Governments without
excepting Great Britain, and that consequently the
administration of the State should be given up to the
illustrious PEEL, to the skilful man, who, after having
conciliated the general opinion of his country, has
known how to merit the sympathies and the esteem
of all the Governments of Europe ?" As if the
Constitution of England had been established through
the assistance of Spanish valour and Spanish negotia-
tion, as if in any respect whatever Spain was
authorised to catechise the Statesmen of
Great Britain ! In presuming to discern an
analogy between his imaginary proposition and the
recommendation of Lord PALMERSTON, the Duke DE
SOTOMATOR misrepresents entirely the character of
that communication. Instead of being a dictatorial
interposition in the internal government of Spain, it
was a friendly whisper of advice uttered in a period
of terrible and momentous catastrophes. Let
NARVAEZ beware I or, so soon as Mr. BuLwEa shall
have departed homewards, the Voice of CASSANDRA
may become audible in the streets of Madrid.

The peaceable and loyal inhabitants of Dublin, and
indeed, of by far the greatest portion of Ireland, have
been kept in constant anxiety and alarm in conse-
quence of the feverish and excited state of the public
wind, and the possibility of some speedy collision be-
tween the authorities and those who openly profess
their disaffection, and avow their readiness to have
recourse to armed resistance upon any the slightest
provocation, or rather what they may be pleased to
consider as such. The Government have adopted
every possible precaution, and have made the most
judicious arrangements for the maintenance of public
order and tranquillity. There is no undue inter•
ference with the people by which an outbreak might
possibly be occasioned. They manifest a perfect
consciousness of their strength, and suffer events to
pass apparently without notice that, under other
circumstances,,
wuld immediately arouse them into
activity. The prudent and sagacious statesman who
annoyances, and raehodf
otchethdeanagliegrhotuesstreiislutelrtsruopfttiohnosoefpeatntyy
ntooowwso ably fills the throne of Ticeroyalty in Ireland is
popular meetings for which a legitimate pretext can
be put forward, to adopt such a course. He keeps
strictly within the limits of constitutional law, which
ande
hreernednecres
tthheer
etmoreo.
soin inapr:enedriniggisd,
however, so manifestly illegal, 5o clearlyme
resorted
al cla organising
t ed to bring
hepeople
i l to
police, fe m
or
acsisvei sl
,wy•
ai trh, tahned i ns
ot emn tui oc
1111 co
into hostile collision with the military or
to create terror in the minds of the well-dis-
posed, posed, that they could not possibly be suffered-
to prevail without the Executive being thereby
subjected to the charge of gross and culpable
negligence ; we allude more particularly to the
recent practice of numerous bodies of people assem-
bling together for the purpose of being trained and
drilled to the use of arms, and of practising military
movements and evolutions. Such conduct is in QX•
press opposition to the provisions of an Act passed
nearly thirty years
since, and which, although seldom
enforced, owing to the adoption of the moral force
principle
by the late Leader of
the Irish nation during
the entire of his triumphant career, still remains on
the statute book in full force and Efficiency. Hence-
forward these enactments will be strictly enforced,
and all persons violating the law, by drilling or in-
struetinz others in military tactics without the sanc-
tion of the niagistrates, will be subjected to trans-
portation for a term of seven years ; while those who
receive these instructions will be liable to be fined
andimprisoned therefor.
The
promulgation of the enactments thus oppor-
tur-ly
1 brought to light, of the severe penalties to
which parties may be '
exposed for thus playing at
soldit,rs, have had the
aid that the trade most beneficial effects. It is
of the seditious triumv iint
rawhat the most truculent
"the Queen of weapor;has been pleased to term
abated. Persons wills peech),
I
rn has already materially I
y discover the folly of
expending their scanty I
ems in the acquisition of

those useless articles, when they can no longer with
impunity take part in grand spectacles, and attract
the attention and excite the envy of their gaping as-
sociates by their proficiency in military tactics and
evolutions. The consignment of the officers and ring
leaders to the several gaols and houses of correction
throughout the country will moderate the ardour cf
the enthusiastic recruits, and induce them to have
recourse to other pastimes, leading to less unpleasant

results.
Meanwhile the leader par excellence, Mr. JOIIN
MITCHELL, appears resolved that the gagging Act
shall have no effect upon his conduct, and if the tur-
bulent passions of the people should be appeased, it
will not be owing to any failure on his part
of the usual amount of stimulating writing and of
"open and advised speaking." On Monday,
when, as the editor of a public journal, he
must have been well aware that the Bill for the secu-
rity of the Crown and Government had received the
Royal assent on the preceding Saturday, and was,
consequently, at that time part and parcel of the law
of the land, Mr. MiTciisLL presided at a meeting held
at the Princess's Theatre, Abbey-street, when he an-
nounced that the English Chartists and the Irish
people " had one common enemy to destroy—the
Legislature of England." And he further proposed
! that the former " should undertake to make Eng-
land ungovernable by any English Government,
Whig or Tory, which withheld from them
their full rights, while the Irishmen would
engage to make Ireland ungovernable by any Mini-
stry, good, bad, or indifferent." This is certainly
tolerably plain and unequivocal. To do justice,
however, to the " War Editor," he is by no means
mealy-mouthed on such occasions ; and if sufficient
grounds for a prosecution, under the new statute,
were required by the law officers of the Crown, they
would not long be withheld. No religious enthusiast,
in fact, ever loneed for a martyr's crown more fer-
vently than Mr. MITCHELL pines for a prosecution
I for something more than a misdemeanour, and it
would be hard to disappoint so earnest a demand.
If, however, the political horizon is cloudy with so
many portentous and threatening indications, the
prospect is not altogether dark ; there are some blue
spots in the heavens that warrant favourable expecte-

tions that the tempest and storm may pass away
without expending their fury on Irish ground. Ad-
dresses of confidence in the Government, and expres-
sive of the determination of the parties from whom
they have emanated to support the con-
stituted authorities in their efforts to protect the
lives, the liberties, and the furtunes of all
classes, are flowing in from every quarter of the
country. A knowledge of the well-disposed and
loyal inhabitants is thus obtained, and if the Go-
vernment should see a necessity for calling on Irish.
men to come forward and enrol themselves for the
maintenance of the peace of the country, we are sa-
tisfied that they would manifest-similar alacrity to
that which recently reflected so much credit on all
classes of society in the British metropolis.

The French elections are passing over with un-
expected tranquillity. Universal as is the interest
concentrated upon them, and momentous as will be
the result to which they must inevitably lead, their
progress is only marked by an unusual quietude and a
profound calm. And it is but right it should be so. It
is but right that the interest elicited by these elections
should be of too grave and anxious a character to be
manifested by any outward demonstration, even among
a people so demonstrative as the French; and it is more
especially well that an affair of such vital importance
to the whole nation should not be marred by any,
even temporary or trivial, emu-ute. The first general
election of Republican France is for many reasons a
subject of deep interest interesting from the
present circumstances which occasion it, and in-
teresting from the future consequences which
may follow it ; interesting to those who
are actors in the scene, and interesting to the spec-
tators observing it. A general election is at all times
worthy of attention and productive of serious thought,
that is to those who have time to consider its abstract
importance. Generally speaking, when an election
takes place in this country, for example, public atten-
tion is too much occupied with speculating as to who
will get in and who will be rejected to look upon the
affair in any more extended light. But removed
from the immediate scene of action, as we are now in
contemplating the French, the grandeur of the spec-
tacle as a whole, its sublimity as an idea, becomes
apparent to us. We recognise the full merits
of that triumph of civilization—a representative con-
stitution. We witness the marvellous combination of
popular liberty and public order. We see all the advan-
tages of the veriest democracy enjoyed without
their degenerating into the evil consequences of
anarchy. We find a people, at the same time, exer-
cising authority and yielding obedience—exercising
their rightful prerogatives as individual men, or se-
lecting their law-makers, and yielding ready obe-
dience, as loyal citizens, to the Legislature thus
chosen by themselves and their countrymen. By this
proceeding—and by this alone—the power of the
people is at once proclaimed and preserved. By
those unpretending and, apparently, unimportant en-
tries at the polling-booths, a minority of the people
are invested by the rest with that power which is the
birthright of all the members of a free nation, and
hence the acts of that chosen minority become the
acts of the whole people, whose representa-
tives they are. No form of government
could by possibility be devised more liberal
to each, and more just to all, than is a representative
constitution when equitably organized. Errors and
faults, inseparable from all human institutions, too
often detract from the perfect character of this form
of government, for the form of government itself is a
perfect one. Errors and faults have crept into our
own ►node of organizing a representative Legislature
—errors and faults which we are solicitous of having
avoided and amended for the future ; but notwith-
standing their existence the people of this country are
fully impressed with the inestimable advantages of the
Constitution which they enjoy, and consequently they
experience no common interest in the now happily
accelerated progress of other nations towards a parti-
cipation of those advantages. All the people of
Europe will, ere long, be ruled by their own repre-
sentatives. France has for a considerable period
possessed a representative legislature, but the im-
portance of such a Legislature will just now be
manifested in an especial manner. Free from the
control of a Sovereign, and free from the corrupting
influences of a regal Ministry, the French Parlia-
ment will be now invested with peculiar power, and
through recent events become the observed of Europe
and the warning lei.son, or encouraging example, of
surrounding nations. The representatives will be pos-
sessed ot no ordinary responsibility. Their position will
be a most onerous and important one. No selfish de-
sires, no vain ambition, no miserable pride, should,
more especially in the present instance, stimu-
late any citizen to solicit the suffrages
of his countrymen. No interested motives,
no personal friendship, no promised reward, should
induce any elector to give a vote for his representa•
tive—a representative who will have to represent not
his constituents alone, but France and Republicanism.
Let us hope that a due sense of their awful responsibility
now influences the people of France whether electors
or elected. In a few days the result of their delibe-
rations will be made known by the publicatio❑ of
the names of the members of the new Parliament ;
and, ere long, the consequences of the
election must be manifested by the decisions
and resolutions of the Chamber. If—though happily
such a misfortune is hardly probable—if the present
elections be influenced by such a spirit as LEDRU
Roman's, the result will be speedy and inevitable—
trouble for France and destruction to Republicanism.
But such is not likely to be the issue of the trial. It

is more than probable that the new Assembly will be
comprised of men of politics and characters as various
as their occupation*, of which, judging from the lists
of the candidates, they are likely to present an extra-
ordinary variety. No doubt the new Chamber will
be occasionally agitated by some outbursts on the
' part of the violent and ultra-Republicans, and also at
intervals led away by the specious reasoning of some
secret partizan of the old regime. Perhaps there
may be in the list of new representatives some men
of genius and ability, hitherto unknown, who
may speedily make themselves conspicuous in
debate, and perhaps cleft no unimportant influence
over the future destinies of the country. All this,
however, is doubtful. But ono thing is, happily,

inevitable. LAMARTINE cannot fail to exert over the
members sf the new Chamber the same powerful and
salutary influence which he has already exercised
with such effect, not only over Paris and France, but
over all Europe. We anticipate the fervour of his
poetic imaginings and impressive oratory stirring up
the patriotism, and calling forth the latent enthusiasm
of his hearers to the fulfilment of some of those high
aspirations which his genius has long since prefigured.
Or, again, we foresee how happily that gentle and
confiding spirit, which invests with so much splendour
his beautiful and attractive language, may serve to
still the rising storms of ambition, and to create the
institutions of Republicanism out of the chaos of
Anarchy. Conspicuous in the future of the new
French Parliament, LAMARTINE stands before
us somewhat like CANNING as he appeared on
that memorable occasion when he electrified the
House of Commons by this audacious and magnifi-
cent declaration—" I call a new world into existence
to redress the balance of the old !" Even so may
LAMARTINE silence the murmurs of the envious and
refractory. He, too, has called a new world into ex-
istence—the world of peace, and charity, and con-
cord—where confidence is the link which unites
peoples and governments—where sympathies are the
treaties which unite once hostile nations ; he, too, has
called a new world into existence to redress the
balance of the old world, in which very different
feelings predominated. He, or rather let us say, the
better feelings of this age, of which his high intellect
and Christian heart are but the type and the fitting re-
presentative, has summoned into existence this new
world. The future alone can show how much of its
fairpro
promise
e may be realised—to that future we look
with anxious but hopeful anticipation.

Madrid papers of the 20th have arrived.
It is said that sjunction had taken place in Cata-
lonia between the Carlists and the Republicans.
The discount on Bank Notes has risen 12 per cent.
The 20th being Holy Thursday, the Balsa was
closed.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

PROCEEDINGS AT PARIS.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
Great complaints are made of the fraudulent con-
duct of LEDRU ROLLIN, LOUIS BLANC, and ALBERT,
in attempting to falsify the elections by issuing
duplicate voting tickets, by prolonging the time for
registration, and by various other methods. The
proclamation of LEnnu RoLLIN for keeping open the
registration lists until Monday night, was issued
without the knowledge of his colleagues, and has not
been published in the Moniteur. With respect to
the doings of the LOUIS BLANC party, we find the
following in the Commerce:—
" Very grave facts, said to have occurred on Saturday,
have been communicated to us. Emissaries of the
Luxembourg, to the number of more than three hun-
dred, have, it is said, been sent to the banlieue, with the
mission of widely distributing the list of the Commission
des Travailleurs. It is added, that the horses of the
Gardo Republicaine were placed at the disposal of these
emissaries We are also assured that electors' cards
have been delivered to a great number of foreign work-
men resident at Paris, and that these workmen have
been strongly solicited to vote for the candidates of the
Luxembourg. We hope that an investigation will be
made into these facts. Fraud must not be allowed to
slip into our republican elections, and falsify the ex-
pression of the will OE the country.
We find the following on the same subject in the
Patrie

- -
" It is known that a proclamation of the delegates of
the Luxembourg, stuck up on the walls of Paris, invited
workmen to go to-day at six in the morning to the
Champs de Mars in order to agree on the unity of their
votes. In announcing this fact, we did not hesitate to
condemn the proceeding as having all the character of
an abuse of influence, and we added that the working
population would refuse to obey this electoral mot
d'ordre. We were right in reckoning on its good sense
and intelligence. We are assured that a very small
number of workmen responded this morning to the
appeal. from the Luxembourg. They dispersed without
commg to any decision, on the wise observations of some
citizens, who made them comprehend the imprudence
of their conduct."

M. CAustntEßE, the Prefect of Police, has issued
a notice declaring that it having been represented to
him that very grave abuses had taken place in some
of the Mairies, in the mode of distributing the voting
cards to the electors, several electors obtaining two
or more authorisations ; and, moreover, it having
been asserted that certain persons were busied in
buying up votes, he thinks it necessary to publish the
enactment of Art. 113 of the Penal Code relating to
this subject. It is there clearly affirmed, that "who-
ever shall sell or purchase a vote shall be interdicted
from exercising all civic rights for a space of time
not more than ten years, and not less than five ; and
in addition, both the buyer and seller shall be con-
demned to pay a fine double the sum received or

spope ae r
time before from the f
ollothwein
promised.
It wouldrgeepuairtagofrapay o
paragraph that
it may f
the elections can be known. The Commune de Paris
be
some
says—
" It is generally supposed that the definitive result of
the ballot will he known in two or three days. This is
au error. The army must vote, and in virtue of articles
37 and 38 of the instructions of the Bth of March, the
result of the votes of the different corps will be comprised
in the general list of votes of each department. It is
therefore necessary that the proces verbaux of each corps
be known before the representatives can be known."
The schism existing among the members of the
Provisional Government is now openly avowed.
LEDRU ROLLIN and the Communists have omitted the
names of their moderate colleagues from their elec-
toral lists.
Those colleagues, however, have had the
good sense not to follow such a bad example. The
National thus alludes to the split :
" We have believed it good and wise policy to maintain
the principal of unity in the Government to the period of
the meeting of the constituent assembly. It seemed to us
necessary that the men who took possession of sove-
reignty on the 24th of February should arrive altogether
before the new chamber, to render an account of the
exercise of their power. Faithful to this sentiment we
continue to give the list of the central committee, with-
out being desirous of entering on the system of exclusion.
Our independence towards all the Members of the Pro-
visional Government, without exception, is complete ;
but our personal sympathies are not equal towards all—
we declare that distinctly. Still, on behalf of the repub-
lican cause, we have imposed silence on our private sen-
timents, desirous as we are to secure, before everything,
by the union of all democratic forces, the consolidation
of the Republic. A day will come on which, resuming
our full liberty, we can discuss not persons, w ho interest
us little, but acts. That day cannot be far distant ; but
we are certain that public opinion will thank us for ad-
journing to the meeting of the assembly a discussion
which at present would only embarrass the march of the
Government, and by consequence aid the enemies of the
Republic, who are always alive, always ready to profit by
our faults. It is impossible for moderation and patience
not to prevail in the eed."
M. LxDRU ROLLIN is pursuing his career of con
ruFtion and despotism with a recklessness that pnts to
shame the comparatively puny attempts of M. Du-
CHATEL and the late Government. The Presse says
—" A decree of the Provisional Government,
dated April 12, inserted in the Bulletin dos
Loin, as No. 529, opens to M. LEDRU ROLLIN,
Minister of the Interior, an extraordinary credit
of 500,0001 for extraordinary expenses of pub-
lic safety. The decree is not preceded by an
preamble whatever. We shall not attempt to supply
that silence, and we shall confine ourselves to a single
observation. The opening of this credit involves the
supposition that the sum of 932,000 f. set down for
the same purpose during the present year, by the law
of August 8, 1847, has been completely exhausted.
How comes it to pass that this sum of 932,0001. has
been expended before a third of the year has elapsed?
Does the fault lie with M. DUCHATEL or M. LEDRU
ROLLIN Will it be necessary, in order to ascertain
that fact, to wait for the revelations of some Revue

lietrospe ctive P "
Were we
that U. LEDRU ROLLIN wag Ti() Republican ? The
that
right when we said a few days since
Gazette de Tribuitaux gives the following account of
the Montagnards, some Of whose recent proceedings
have attracted a good deal of public attention :
"The Montaguardi, whose effective force, somewhat
variable, amounts to from 400 to 500 wen, were formed
atthe Prefecture of Police, the first of them having
been that small knot of Republican combatants, who,
headed by
3i" of the hotel on the Qusi des Orfevres, in the midst
M. Caussidiire and M. Sobrier, took posses-
of the struggle of the 24th February. The organization
of this corps has never been regular, neither have its
uniform and equipments. The Montagnards, without
joining any
gentinK to submit to the severe rules of discipline,
other corps, and it must be said without con•
placed themselves at the moment of danger with praise-
worthy devotedness at the disposal 01 the Prefect of
I olive.
They have, however, acquitted themselves
with zeal and intelligent energy of the difficult missions
intrusted to them. As a proof of their want of disci-
pline, it may be stated. that a few days ago, in come-
queuce
or a misunderstanding with the staff, the com-