The Sun.
London, England, 1848-11-07 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON,

ROLLIN ? Or Louis NAPOLEON ? Before it will be
possible to estimate in any adequate manner the pro-
bability or the improbability of the election of one of
these remarkable candidates, it is necessary to de-
velope in some measure the abrupt nomenclature of
M. EMILE DE GIRARDIN.
" General CAVAIGNAC is the incarnation of the
National." In other words, the ruling President of the
Council is the embodiment of those principles which
have actuated the minds of M. ARMAND MARRAST and
his colleagues ever since the revolutionary detonation
of February. True but not all the truth.
General CAVAIGNAC is more than the incarnation of
any journal, however influential. He is the represen-
tative of Armed Moderation. He is the beau ideal
of that Republicanism which is clad in steel from
head to foot, but which nevertheless, in the very
midst of its martial aptitude and warlike preparation,
is passive in its attitude, genial in its aspirations,
earnest in its sincerity and devoted above all things
to the maintenance of Order and Tranquillity. The
souvenirs associated with the name of CAVAIGNAC
are all of them guarantees for his loyalty to the in-
stitutions of Republicanism. He is not of the
lendemain but of the vielle. If his parentage
be a circumstance obscured by saturnine
reminiscences, the criminality of his father was a
criminality originating in the very exaggeration of
his fanatical love for Democracy. That his son will
adventure upon the emulation of those severe iniquities
is demonstrably impossible. The experience of the
Parisians since the desperate conflict of June has
proved that the fault of EUGENB DE CAVAIGNAC is
the reverse of cruelty—that his heart has imbibed the
delights of lenity with the milk of that mother whose
venerable years are to this day solaced by his noble
and reverential affection. CAVAIGNAC is more, there-
fore, immeasurably more, than a mere emanation
from the newspaper whose name has been consecrated
in the love of all patriots by the recollection of AR-
MAND CARREL.

"LAMARTINE is moderation." Well may the Bien
Public exult in that simple phraseology. " Yes ! all
France admits the truth of that declaration: for the fif-
teen years that this illustrious statesman has been in
political life, there is not one word or act of his that has
not been a pledge of moderation." His genius has
chaunted its apotheosis ; his heart has yearned un-
ceasingly for its realization ; his voice has pronounced
its sublimity in language nerved with the vitality of
conviction and radiant with the glory of eloquence.
Moderation has been not the illusive meteor of his
hopes,:not the ignis fatuus :of his enthusiasm, but the
bright and eternal star which has guided him onwards
in his career, and presided over his destinies in all
the vicissitudes of his active and diversified life.
For the furtherance of the truths of moderation, he
has tasked to its uttermost the fruitfulness
of his pliant and glorious intellect. He has ravished
the souls of the million with a love for that modera-
tion of sentiment which could evoke from the abysses
of his nature lyrical melodies such as had never been
conceived in the language of AUBER. He has be-
come in turn the Bard, and the Dramatist, and the
Orator, and the Historian of Moderation, whether he
sang of the joys of domestic existence, or declaimed
against the refusal of emancipation to the negroes, or
repudiated the pernicious dreams of the Red Re-
publicans, or recorded the patriotic life and heroic
death: of the great VERGNIAUD. These things
would of themselves constitute a magnificent title
to the Presidentship, but to the employment
of his genius in the cause of Moderation
LAMARTINE has added the risking of his life, again
and again, in its defence. For his whole
.political
career, but especially for his extraordinary career
since the days of February, LASLARTINg is deserving
of the suffrages of his fellow-countrymen. His very
name has become a national glory—his eloquence,
his poetry, his patriotism, his earnestness, have all of
them the characteristic signs of nationality. And
these circumstances cannot fail to perpetuate the ad-
miration of his contemporaries if it fail to secure to
him the majority of votes to the Presidency.
While CAVAIGNAC and LAMARTINE may be thus
designated, LBDRU ROLLIN must be regarded as a
man whose elevation would be the inaugura
tion of that rapine which is the result o
Socialism, and of that terror which is the inevitable
concomitant of Red Democracy. On the opposite
hand "Louis NeroLzori is the future"—the future
with all its dimness and incertitude, the future with
all its doubts and awfulness, the future with all its
possible misery and undeveloped misfortunes. Be-
sides the :foregoing terms of elucidation, there is
another which may with the brevity of an epigram
designate in their proper light the characters of the
four principal candidates. CAVAIGNAC tends towards
Security; LAMARTINE towards Happiness; LEDRU
ROLLIN towards Terror ; and Louis NAPOLEON to-
wards the reflection of a Glory which may terminate
in the mimicry of a Despotism.

On Saturday we pointed out some of the extraor-
dinary results that followed the establishment of
railway communication throughout the land, and
showed that the community in general were more
deeply interested in the prosperity and extension of
the railway system than even the shareholders them-
selves ; an i we promised, on a future occasion, to con-
sider how far those interests may be affected by the
proposed amalgamation. We now proceed to redeem
that promise.
The notices that have been published of the con-
templated application shows that it is intended to take
power to unite and consolidate their respective under-
takings and property into one undertaking, or
that any two of the adjoining companies might
unite and consolidate their undertakings, and that the
third company may unite on a future occasion with
the other undertakings that had previously come to
an arrangement. The notice further adds, "that the
Bill will alter the tolls, rates, and duties now autho-
rised to be levied by the several companies, and will
grant exemptions from the same, and will confer such
rights, powers, and privileges as maybe needful for
the attainment of the objects aforesaid, and will extin-
guish all rights and privileges which may prevent the
attainment of these objects.
It is manifest, therefore, that a new compact is to
be entered into between the public generally and a
vast corporation of greater powers and more un-
bounded means than have ever existed at any former
period in any land. A few private individuals will
have under their exclusive control and management a
capital exceeding
.40,000,000/. sterling, realising at
present prices only, and without any extension of
communication, upwards of 10,0001. per diem, or
70,000/. per week, or 3,640,0001. per annum—will
afford employment to a host of subordinates, all
exclusively occupied in and receiving handsome sala-
ries from the company ; and they will basides have
myriads of navigators employed on the works that
will continually be in course of construction,
all of whom will be more or less under the influence
and direction of the fortunate few to whom they must
look for promotion or retention in their daily occupa-
tion. The entire military force of the country will
be far outnumbered by the " railway troops." It
might well.be doubted whether such gigantic powers,
such extraordinary patronage, could safely be en-
trusted in the hands of any private individuals,
without some check or counterpoise, even if un-
doubted national advantages were to arise there-
from. It was •
the
teir
parent
considered necessary to limit
the powers of
East India Company,
although the sphere oft h
operations is many thou-
sands of miles from thestate. What efficient
or adequate control could be
maintainedlth over com-
pany having even still greater wealth
or
at their disposal,
and being enabled to check at their mere will and
Pleasure the entire traffic
from !Portsmouth on the south a district, ' ranging
along the
coast of England, and to Perth in the sister kiwnesterng
the whole of which will be in their exclusive ll
posses-
sion, as it would be vain to hope th .t any min();
company could for a moment compete with the con-
centrated strength that will then have been attained?
We do not desire to be understood as asserting that
the highly respectable gentlemen who at present
constitute the boards of directors of the three com-
panies, and from whom the directors of the united
company, will of course be selected, if the proposed
amalgamation should take place, would be disposed to
make any improper use of the additional powers that
would be placed in their hands. We would place
those powers as readily in their hands as in those of
any other private individuals that could be
selected. But why should they at all be
granted, unless some permanent necessity, some vast

advantage to the community in general should be I
obtained thereby ? Now, we confess that we cannot
discern any such advantage either to the shareholders
or to the public. It will, of course, prevent the ruin-
ous contests, the enormous legal and Parliamentary
expenses that we have formerly witnessed. But might
not the same good end be obtained by other means ?
Why should not a cordial understanding and friendly
communication be maintained between the directing
powers, although they are not amalgamated into one
and the same body ? Might not neighbouring na-
tions remain at peace, and keep up amicable re-
lations, although they should not be placed under
one Government ? All parties have surely suffered
sufficiently from the warfare that was for some time
waged to render it very improbable, indeed, that
there should be a voluntary resumption of hostilities.
The Battle of the Gauges is now a matter of history,
but there is little prospect of the present generation
witnessing a similar conflict. Everything forbids—
the state of the money market opposes an insuperable
obstacle, and we witness an anxiety on the part of
the companies to withdraw from undertakings that
have already been authorised, rather than to demand
power for the construction of fresh lines.
If, then, the proposed amalgamation is not essential
for the purpose of saving heavy legal expenses, and
we conceive that the day for such useless and unne-
cessary outlay has altogether gone by, for what other
purpose can it be desired ? From whom can any
additional advantage be obtained ? Clearly from the
public, and the public only. We would rejoice to
see the shareholders obtaining the fair and remune-
rating dividend on their capital stock, which their
enterprise so richly deserves; but we should wish to
see those dividends realised by the large traffic
obtained from affording additional facilities to
the nation, and not by increasing or with-
holding the accommodation now offered. Some
security is now obtained by the fair and
honourable competition between the different par-
ties ; but when that is withdrawn, there will they
be no protection whatever. The Legislature bas
declared that fares cannot be increased upon a certain
amount, regulated by the several Acts ; but there is
nothing to compel them to run a sufficient number of
trains, and arrangements may be made by which
travellers would be forced into express trains, who
could not afford the time to travel by the " Parliamen-
tary."
Under all the circumstances, we confess that we
regard the contemplated arrangement with :strong
misgivings, and that we should greatly prefer seeing
each of the companies labouring steadily and dili-
gently in its respective district.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.

The fete to celebrate the promulgation of the Con-
stitution is to take place on Sunday next in Paris, and
on the foilowing Sunday in the departments. A
platform will be raised on the Place de la Concorde
from which the Constitution will be read aloud to the
people, after which the Te Deum will be sung, accom-
panied by salvoes of artillery. At the same time a
liberal distribution of food and money will take place
to the poor of Paris at their own houses.

The secret of the hatred borne by EMILE DE GI-
RARDIN to General CAVAIGNAC has been at length
discovered. Emma DE GIRARDIN, it appears, prof-
fered his literary services to General CAvAiuNikc, who,
like a sensible man, rejected the offer. The following
report from Captain PLEB of the examination of
EMILE DB GIRARDIN on the 27th June appears in
the Siecle

" Paris, June 27, 1848.

" Citizen Minister,—Conformably to law, citizen
Emile do Girardin has been submitted to a first interro-
gatory. Be has not been able to deny the bad tendencies
of those articles of the Presse that are enumerated. The
citizen Emile de Girardin is profoundly a2licted at the
situation and the horrors we have all witnessed. He has
manifested the desire that I should make known to the
Minister the result of any conversation with him in his
prison. The result is, that the writer puts his pen en-
tirely at the disposal of the Minister. He only asks for
the moment some necessary alleviation of his position. I
ought to add, that I found the citizen Emile de Girardin
under a strange delusion as to the consequences of Paris
being placed in a state of siege.
(Signed) " FLEE,
"Captain of the Staff, Reporter."
The Presse admits the authenticity of this report,
but flounders sadly in attempting to explain it away.
The Presse has in its advocacy of the candidature
of Prince Louts NAPOLEON found an ally and as-
sistant in the Gazette de France. The support of M.
EMILE DE GIRARDIN is alone sufficient greatly to
damage any cause, but to be cursed with the support
of M. EMILE DE GIRARDIN and the Abbe DE GENOUDE
together is absolute ruin.
M. BETHMONT, the late Minister of Justice, will, it
is said, succeed M. SEGUIER as First President of the
Court of Appeal of Paris.

The Socialist banquet at Mont Parnasse took place
on Sunday, and seems to have been a failure. The
following report of the proceedings appears in the
Paris morning papers of yesterday :

" A banquet, with the high-sounding title of ' The
Federation of the People of Europe,' took place yester-
day, at the Barrier Mont Parnasse, at which about 800
guests were assembled. The price fixed was 30 sous a
head. M. Ledru Rollin, who, it was said, had promised
to preside, was non est inventus at the appointed hour,
and his absence gave rise to loud discussion and mur-
murs, but which were at length put an end to by one of
the managers explaining that it was by a mistake that
his name was announced as president, but that his pro-
mise had not been definitively obtained. The chair was
eventually taken by M. Lachambaudie. No member
of the National Assembly was present.
" The object of the banquet was expressed as follows,
in the circular announcing it :--6 The completion of the
French revolution in Europe is a federation of all na-
tions. It is for that object that this fraternal banquet
is proposed.' Very few foreigners were, however, pre-
sent, the greatest part of the guests being composed of
national Socialists.

"M. Garnet gave the first toast, 'To the abolition of
wages,' which was afterwards succeeded by others,
'To the Democratic and Social Republic,' To the Lom-
bardo-Venetian People, and success to their glorious
cause,' "To the heroism of the Democrats of Vienna,'
and To universal fraternity.'
" M. St. Just gave a very long toast, which was fre-
quently interrupted by loud applause, and which was at
the conclusion encored. The principal points of this
toast were:—" Aux hommes forts, aux hommes cou-
rageux et vaillans pour la cause de l'humanite; I ceux
dont le nom sert de guide, d'appui, et d'exarnple aux
i'res ab faardis; it tous ceux quo l'histoire appelle des
heros! A Brutus, I Catalina, I Jesus Christ, I Julien
l'Apostat, a Attila! el tousles penseurs du moyen-age,
aux penseurs malheureux-4 Jean Jacques Rousseau, A
son aye Maximilian Robespierre.' This enunciation of
proper names was received with three rounds of ap-
plause, at the termination of which the speaker added,
To the Democratic Republicans of the present day,
Louis Blanc, Raspail, and Barbel.' Here another out-
burst of applause stopped his progress, and when silence
was restored he continued with the names of Ledru
Rollin, Proudhon, and Thor4,' concluding with to
every Brutus of royalty, to every Gracchus of property,
to general association, to the universal federation of all
nations.'

"Several other toasts of a similar character followed,
and the party broke up with the Marsellaise ' and the
' Chant du Depart.' Everything passed off with the
greatest order. The affair attracted no attention out of
doors, and not a single group of curious gazers was as-
sembled."

The Minister of the Interior, in accordance with
the article of the preamble of the Constitution, which
declares that the Republic ought to ensure the means
of existence to necessitous citizens, has appointed a
committee to consider the best means of doing so.

The following is a complete list of the representa-
tives who voted against the Constitution :—Benoit,
Berryer, Bounier de l'Ecluse, BravarthToussaint,
Arives, Bruys (Amedee), Cholat, Crespel de La-
touche, De Fontaine, Denoise, Deville, Doutre,
Favreau, Gambon ' (Ferdinand), Greppo, Hugo
(Victor), Joigneaux, Lantoine-Hardouin, Lefranc
(Pyrenees Orientales), Lubbert, De Montalembert,
Pelletier, Pierre Leroux, Proudhon, De Puysegur,
Pyat (Felix), Raspail (Eugene), De Larochejaque-
lein, De Sesmaisons.

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to the pretensions of Prince Louts NAPOLEON to be
A Dv
AeibaaNtsA,c , without
decidedly
edeclaring
oseind
The funds fell yesterday on the Paris Bourse
1 per cent.
BUSINESSBouIogn e aDn DONE. NAEr n IN
eNn s
, 5 FOREIGNDut c
11R II enisRAILWAYSh,I —ALTu
xTeH: LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE. Nov. 6.
bourg, lA—Roues and Havre, 6%.

Madrid journals of SPAIN.the 31st ult. have arrived.
The Charge d'Affaires from the Emperor of Austria
arrived in Madrid on the 30th ult.
MADRID 80t5.1., OCT. 31.—Three per Cents., 184 ;
Five per Cents., 10i. Exchange on London, 48 6.5.