The Sun.
London, England, 1848-09-08 00:00:00

111 It Ming .Z),

LONDON, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1848.

Since the day when ROUSEAU penned his Contrat
locial, political Utopianism has been insensibly de-
veloping its resources, while it has scattered abroad
those dogmas of government which have proved as
sterile and repulsive as they have been fantastic and,
disastrous, The first germ of this pernicious theory
VIM nurtured at once by the credulity and the fana-
ticism of its admirers. Born in the imaginative sen-
sibility of the author of the Nouvelle Heloise, it
gradually expanded from a dream into a system, im-
bibing nourishment from the most contrary sources
--from the ambition of ROBESPIERRE, as well as from
the philosophy of CONDORCET. The names of this
system are almost a 3 numberless as the evils which it
has produced, or the absurdities which it has
originated. By some it is called Socialism, by others
Communism ; among one class its watchword is
socialite, among another ideology; it gave rise at one
period to a spurious religion, half-Christian, half-
Mythological, the votaries of which, during the reign
of the Directory, were known by the title of Theo-
philanthropists ; but in she majority of instances it
has only tended to promote the spread of infidelity, it
has endeavoured to subvert the very foundations of
society by pronouncing the illegality of competition
it has striven to paralyse industry by declaring pro-
perty to be a crime, it has justified conspiracy, autho-
rised spoliation, ridiculed morality, travestied the
nature of Man, and denied the existence
of GOD. This is the system which has
latterly swelled into such extraordinary magnitude
under the shelter of the French Republic, and which,
after having raised the red hand of rebellion on the
barricades' of June, has been recently vomiting forth
its indecencies and blasphemies from the tribune of
the National Assembly.
During the discussions which have taken place
vvithia the last few days among the nine hundred re-
presentatives, the advocates of Communism have at-
tacked the prpiiiibleof-the New Republican Consti-
tution, asserting the frivelity of the abstract principles
embodied in that preamble, and declaring that the re-
volution of February has not e,arned for itself the
right of dictating upon such matters to the intellect of
posterity.' In the sitting of Wednesday Al. DE LA.
MARTINE atcocle;:l the trO une, -forth,e-first time since
the retirement of the-Execifivi'isistirissien, in order'
to repel with all the Icofn-of--171s--genins Ihele exe-
crable sacf Ailieiriiisldiiarines7o It'" cannot but be
remarked ,that he has abstained fr©m presenting
himself before the Legislature of his country until
after his IrsOfication had •been published, and it
must be'acknowledged that the occasion which he
selected' for his, re-appearance as a statesman was
worthy alike of the purity of his career and the great-
ness of his reputation. After reading his magnificent
oration—in some respects the most eloquent that has ever
fallen even from his lips—we observe with the less
MirPriSe the statement recorded by the reporters on
the French newspapers, that "the orator descended
from WO tribune in the midst of the most tumultuous
sPPlause,and was surrounded by a crowd of Members,
whc' l'fkTed 'bins the* felititations." The speech,
from it.-
ewnmencernent to its close, was one prolonged
inspiration. It appealed at one moment to the judg-
ments of its auditor,b and at another carried their
imaginations away
mere force of its splendid
and beautiful enthus(asm the
ll
de-
clared at ewe that around a
: DE LAMARTINE
question of such vital
consideration no -doubts or obscurities whatever
should be ' allowed toccumulate.
" that "It is
necessary," he exclaimed,
,all the veils should
'be rent asunder ; it is necessary that
all thes
l abysses e
a .
should be sounded." To this end he himself
ef h
attack, and
um of his
vered those veils with the sharpness opf_
his
has plumbed those abysses with the met
genius. After maintaining the right of the young '
Republic to write upon the frontispiece of its donsti• '
tu'fion the sublime principles which, besides acknow—
ledging the presence of the DIVINITY, proclaims, the
necessity of J.iberty, Equality,!and Fraternity, M. DE
-Lasiarerisia 'acknowledges the difficulty of marking
out the trove limits of Phose
.glorious and humane
principles.,..From title douhts of ,this character which
exist in regard to- the meaning of fraternity;,
maintains that Communism has originated ; and in
asserting the fact be apostrophizes and repudiates that
infamous system. It is from this hesitation as to the
real limits of fratemitr, says he, that is born that
popular Communism which is the most dangerous
because jt is thn most insinuating. "It is from this