The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-19 00:00:00

A LETTER FROM M. GUIZOT.

M. Guizot has, addiessed a letter to the Government of
National Defence, praising them highly for their exer-
tions in a difficult situation. The name they have assumed
is worthy and modest, for they have undertaken to save
France from the foreigner and from anarchy, and have
believed in the heroic resistance of Paris, and. the
patriotic elan of the provinces when almost every one else
doubted. M. Guizot has regretted that they have
done some acts and have not done others, but
he considers that on the whole they have acted like
men of heart and good citizens. Ho addresses them
with no other authority than that given by theexperienCe
of a long life and the disinterestedness of an approaching
death, which conditions enable one to catch a glimpse of
the truth. He proceeds to recommend the election' of a
Constituent Assembly at all risks, and exhorts the
Government to allow no personal considerations
to cloud their judgment. He will not, he says,
'speak of • the Second Empire, not wishing to sPeak
of the conquered, even of those conquered by their
faults ;- but in respect' to au Imperial resurrection, he
says to France that she will find in it neither wisdoth nor
the services of a strong power, nor the benefits of lib'rty.
The Legitimists can insure an established Government,
but cannot by establish their own Gcivern-
xnent. The time for conspiracies and risings is past akriong
them. In future they can effect nothing except by uniting
• themselves to the national sentiment, whether the ques-
t Lion lie of We internal or external affairs of the country.
Monarchists and Conservatives, they are held to be at the

same time Liberals and patriots ; for they are the natural
allies of order in the bosom of liberty. M. Berryer
celled in the art of thus serving his party and of keeping,
it up by giving it a new form. M. Charette and M. Catheli-
veau are at this time serving the Republic under the same
uniform as they served the Papacy. The House of Bourbon
might have been able, by rallying all together under the
national flag, to take to itself a newer and stronger posi-
tion, and rejuvenate, instead of mutilating itself. It has
not been able to do it. The Count de Chambord remains
with dignity a monarchical claimant, but a clainas
isolated and inert, pledged to wait without doing allY°
thing and without hoping much. The Princes of the
House of Orleans are Princes, but not Pretenders. TheY
have said and proved this themselves during and since
1848. Neither at the moment of their fall, nor under
the Republic, nor under the Second Empire, love
they presented themselves to France as heirs of the throne'
Always ready to serve France, they never claim any tide
to govern it. They have done more—they have asked
from the Republic leave to serve it ; and as they are essen-
tially men of honour, if the Republic had asked of thenl
the oath of fidelity, and if they had taken it, they would
have kept it. Whatever they do, they remain—and
they will remain—Princes ; they will never be usurpers.
The Orleanists, he maintained, represented the mass of
men of order and of sense, the vast labouring population
often called the juste milieu that occupies so much room in
France. This population, he said, was almost alwol°
too timid, too yielding for those who, in the name of order
refuse it the necessary liberty, or, in the name of liberty,
compromise its laborious repose. The Republicans have
two duties, to separate' themselves from their pernicious
allies, the fanatical Republicans, and to live constantlY
in presence of. France itself, of its freely elected represely
tatives sharing in the work of the Government.