The Sun.
London, England, 1848-04-08 00:00:00

etwitino

LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 5, 1848.

Our insular position has hitherto
of
fthe ecnoanbtliendeoutswtoithre:
'erene composure. f
gard the political convulsions
he solidity of our constitutional
edifice has rendered that composurethe catastrophe still more
o
rpe
con-
spicuous. We have regarded
events beyond the Channel from the pinnacle of that
monarchical system which has become endeared to
the Population of England by its consolidation
of our
national liberties. Once before we have
explained
the reason of this profound and mutual confidence
between the people and SOVEREIGN of Great Britain.
We have once before explained the reason why the
love of our Constitution is rooted in the heart's cure
)f every Englishman. We repeat that definition,
;.?..eause we believe in its truth, and because the enun-
,iation of this truth is now more essential. Our
.',-tistitution is belovedby
every Englishman
,fuse—lN ENGLAND THE GREAT 'PROBLEM OF
00CIETY II kS BEEN SOLVED -- THE POLITICAL

CHICLE HAS BEEN SQUARED--THERE HAS SEEN A
PERFECT QUADRUPLE ALLIANCE BETWEEN THE TOUR

PREDOMINANT POWERS OF CIVILIZED LIFE--DEMO-

CRACY, ARISTOCRACY, AUTOCRACY, AND THEOCRACY.
It is from the conviction with which every sane mind
is the United Kingdom regards this glorious and ad-
mirably balanced Constitution, that the Government
of tbe land has imbibed its security. It is this which
in Great Britain has rendered loyalty and patriotism
identical. It is the consciousness of all this, it is the
sense that the genius from which our legislative me-
chanism has emanated is characterised by an eternal
?.nt-t self-renewing vitality, that operates so power-
ful'::: upon the devotion of our feliow,countrytnen,
renders them capable of the voluntary
of ►hemselves and their fortunes rather than of con-
nivance at the endangerment of our representative
institutions, and the po,sible destruction of
the national sovereignty. Foliar mori quam
faclari! were the
_words scrawled upon the

walls of his dungeon in characters of blood by the
heroic hand of VERGNIAUD—" Better to die than be
dishonoured !" It was a sublime declaration coming
from the soul of Greatness on the eve of Alartp.-
dim. It was an enunciation worthy of the Liberator
of his country, worth', of him whose Voice had
raised the cry of Freedom from the abyss of Anar-
chy, worthy of one who sacrificed his head rather
than his glory, and who escaped by the gory planks
of the scaffold from the ignominy of an unprincipled
dictatorship. The death-saying of VERONIAUD,
under less tragic circumstances, finds a respondent
echo in the bosom of the humblest patriot—Putiar
rnori quartz fedari I It is the amulet of every free
citizen—it is the first dogma of his nationality. No
occurrence is too ignoble for its:manifestation ; no cas-
ualty is too insignificant for its support.
Amon{ ourselves—but yesterday, in short—this
reverence for the cause of order, of justice, and of
tranquillity was revealed. A vague rumour of some
possible disturbance in the metropolis only elicited
the enthusiasm of its inhabitants for the preservation
of peace and property. The fact will not glitter in
history as the spontaneous act of the people, but it
was so nevertheless. In Paris the roar of the pro-
cession bearing the bodies of those who died for
liberty, and singing the death-chaunt of the Giron-
dists round the tumbrils, has resounded to the limits
of the known world, and will for ever reverberate in
the imaginations of posterity as the ebullition of the
ambition and vengeance of a whole Nation. In
Heidelburg, the memorable address to King FRE-
DERICK WILHELM, in which be is apostrophised as
" Assassin of the People ' an allusion to the massacres
of Berlin, will testify in an audiblernanner how precious
the blood of democracy is deemed by the population
of Germany. In Modena the temporary incarcera-
tion of the unpopular Duke has declared with pecu-
liar emphasis the spread of liberal ideas beyond the
frontiers of Piedmont and Tuscany, even to the
palace walls of the scions of absolutism. In
Vienna the exposure of an effigy of CLEMENT
Prince DE METTERNICH - WINNEBOURG before the
,ates of his official residence revealed beyond all
'untradiction the downtal of despotism in Austria.
In London, on the contrary, the movements of the
last few days have been as momentous in their
character (as evidencing the real tendencies of the
multitude), but they have been in no manner so por-
-entous. Quietly and unostentatiously there has been
evinced a profound devotion to the political constitution
of the realm, such as must afford a sufficient evidence
=hat the position of England is in no respect im-
perilled by the turmoils which have roared over the
Continent.

Sedition mongers should meditate well upon these
,ceurreuces— obscure as they apparently are. Young
Ireland demagogues especially should perceive
n them a testimony that England is not to be alarmed
tutu any concession by mere blu.terers. Whether
,r not Lord JOHN RUSSELL would take the command
if the Channel Fleet at five minutes' notice, accord-
ng to the felicitous assertion of the late SIDNEY
SMITH, of this we are thoroughly confident, that his
government may rely upon vaster forces than were
•ver marshalled under the banners of a military or
iaval captain—the strength, and the reliance, and the
nanirnity of an entire Nation. Lord JOHN may
count upon the support of the people against the as-
•aults of anarchists, however violent. If due regard
is had to the necessities of the age, and the inherent
rights of the multitude, the Government need never
dread the animosity of factions the most reckless and
cumul tuous.

A correspondent has inquired of us, whether, "as a
loyal subject, and a lover of peace and good order,
and also a lover of justice," he can conscientiously take
the oath required by special constables, or whether
he may not, by so doing, " neutralise the principle he
holds that Englishmen have the right, whether as in-
,lividnals or in numbers, to petition the ruling power
for a redress of real or supposed grievances 1' " There
is little room for doubt upon this subject. The right
of the English people to petition the Legislature on
any and every subject is unquestioned. It is their
:egal mode of making known their necessities and
seeking redress for their grievances. But this right,
this undoubted right, is not called in question in the
Jresent instance. The Government while resolved to
repress any illegal demonstration openly recognise
the legality of petitioning.

When Mr. FEARGUS O'CONNOR, last night, asked
he Government for an early day on which to present
he great petition ot the Chartists, Lord JOHN Rus-
-ELL, so far from offering the least shadow of an
bjection to its presentation, exi,ressed his desire of
renting it with due consideration. " I should be
• ery un willing," said the Noble Lord, " that an 2,
~tition, so numerously signed as the Hun. Gentle-
!Jan says this will be, should not meet with every
:•-,nsiiieration from the House." And he again reite-
-ated this assurance in his concluding words:—"Con
irlering the importance attached to the petition,
-igned by such numbers as the Hon. Member refers
9, and that a petition so signed ought to receive the
army consideration of the house, I shall be ready to
onsent to the Hon. Gentlemen bringing forward hi-
•ntstion on Friday next." Thus our correspondent
inay be satisfied, and the right of the people to
..etition Parliament is not to be di,puted for one
noivent. The people may assemble, may draw up
Ind sign petitions, a hich their representatives in
-heir name may present to the House of Corninoi:s,
he house receiving them with consideration, and it
,he prayer of the petition be frequenqy reiterated
,y various sections of the great body of the people,
lerehy demonstraing the feelings of the multitude,
Lich a petition cannot tail to exert an important
,mural influence over the decision of the Legis-
iture. This is that " pressure from wit h-
.ut" which has already been most effectual
'a founding benefl:ial measures and instigating som-
,f our greatest reforms But the power of petition-
dtg gives to the people so great an influence in the
government, and is at the same time perfectly legal,
only because it is a moral power. Transform it into
L physical one, and its whole efficiency and its lega-
lity vanish at once. The earnest remonstrances of a
,utT,ring people, their exposition of their grievances,
their solicitations for remedial measures, naturally
'nd j,stly exercise great influence over the acts ot
Lheir representatives and rulers. Such a mode o.
proceeding has reason and justice and the
Conservation of individual rights and the maintainance
~f public order on its side, whereas an)
violent demonstration, in which might, not right,
would -be the ruling principle, would be inimical.
both in practice and theory, to reason and justice and
liberty and social order. And such a demonstration,
it was supposed was to be held on Monday next.
"The signing of the great petition and its presentation
!,), a Member of the House of Commons is leg al
.nough Lord J. RUSSELL has admitted it to beo
.mod appointed a day for its presentation. But for
vast numbers of persons (armed, too, it has been said,)
to accompany the petition to the House, so that their
numbers might intimidate, if the prayer of their petition
tailed to convince, is quite illegal. For what would
such a proceeding be but exchanging moral influence
tor physical force ? Let the petition be presented ;it
it be in accordance with reason and justice, and the
will of the nation, such support will be sufficient to

it:riv,uarremeitdsmunlotbimtnatoebtsauicncefusrs,itththereeawtteilnl be
no
tinno nreed ot
Parlia-
ment. But if, on the otheru ichand,e,anidt
theb will of th
enotin
con-
sonance with reason
and justice,
physical force should
people, GOD forbidthat
uphold a
are only intended
otpoposstu'dch ts.oit:ilucinhtergersetsa.t P'l:lilne.
ciples and inimical.
appointmentmoefassup
sures adopted by the Government
demonstration which is of
to repress that part of the l
reecial constables and the other mea-
u:ll,, physical,ardent
o to
fa
liberty,
inbleorrtay:
vacate of popular rights, may conscientiously
because, so far
operate in the repressive measures, setri.setnrteiinioenunoseluyes
cat
ndh:
cthheartaneot
from militating against the liberty and rights of the
people, those measures are calculated to ensure that
liberty and proniote those rights, by confining their
exercise to their appropriate sphere. The people of
England have no need to look enviously on the revo
lutions of other countries, they are themselves proud
~f the effectual and constitutional means of making
their wants and wishes known, and exercising a fitting
influence on the Government. Their worst enemies
are those who counsel them to resort to violence and tumult, by laying aside the moral power which
lung 3ears of perseverance and fe.aolution have
, achieved for them ; to become the heroes of a tern-

porary riot they would virtually throw aside the
substance in the vain hope of grasping the shadow.

Madrid journals to the lst have arrived.

No fresh outbreak had occurred, although the city
continued in a 6tate of great excitement. Several
contests had taken place.
i`diDatp LioLsA, Arun. 1 —The Tnree Cents.
were done at 21 cash, and atter the aue are reported
21i buyers, sellers ; Five per Cents. 13} tellers,
without the Coupon, 13 buyers ; Passive Debt, 4i
cash ; Coupons, 9i sellers. Exchange on London, 43.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

PROCEEDINGS AT PARIS.

We have received the Paris pipers of yesterday.

The army of the Alps is ordered to be constituted.
It is placed under the command of General BEDEAU,
and is to coos st of three divisions of infantry, a divi-
sion of cavalry, a brigade of artillery, and one of en-

gineers.
BOURSE—PARIS. FRIDAY, APRIL 7.

. THREE o'LLocE.—A:tiiough paces are, on the whole,
lower than ihe preceding day, still the market did nut
present that decided tenth [icy downwards that has been
seen of late. Every thing was exceedingly calm, and
the amount of business transacted was not very great.
The Three per Cents. are If. 25c. lower, closing
at 35f. 25c.; the Five per Cents. are 25c. higher,
closing at 521.25 c.; Bank of France Shares were of-
fered, the weekly returns being considered decidedly
unfavourable; they c.osed at 1,0251., being a fall
of 451.; Buns du TIC:or were negotiated with 48
per cent. loss ; Roman has gone down If., closing
at 491.; Belgian Fives have advanced lif., closing at
52f.; Obligations de la Ville have gone down 30f.,
closing at 9001.; and Quatre Canaux 5t., at 6501. Rail-
way Shares have varied but little, with the exception of
Orleans, from which a dividend of 47i. 50c. was de,
tached, and wnich closed at 405 E, being 301. higher; the
other lines are in general lower, Rouen, Marseilles and
Bale, showing a fall of 51:, and closing respectively at
385 f., 1751., and 65f. ; Northern and Lyons are
2t. sc. lower, at 3061. 22c., and 330 f.; Havre, Vierxon,
and Bordeaux are unaltered at 140 f.. 200 f., and
382 f. 50c.; Lyons hate advanced 3f. 75c., closing at
3081. 75c. The sovereign is nut worth more to-day
than 251. 50c., but the English bank note brings 25c.
more from being portable. French gold is from 701. to
75t., and the charge tor obtaining silver for the 1,0001.
awe about 15t. A great crowd of workmen were col-
leeted to-day betote Bourse hours on the steps leading
up to the building, and some of them insisted strongly
on the necessity of at once sending every foreign
workmen out 01 Paris. This was nut approved of by all
present, but eventually the majority went off to the Hotel
de Ville to try and carry this patriotic determination
into effect.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, APRIL 7.
Boulogne and Amiens, SW, —Dutch Rhenish, lA—Northern
of FraHee. 214—Orleans and Bordeaux, IJA —Paris and
Lyons,

GERMANY
AND

THE NORTHERN STATES.

PRUSSIA.

The Allgemeine Preussische Zeituny of the sth
inst. publishes a message of the KING to the United
Diet. After mentioning the resolution of the Na-
tional Assembly at Frankfort, concerning the elec
tion of national representatives for the purpose of
framing a general German Constitution, and adding,
that the Prussia,' federal provinces are er.titled to
send 113 representatives, the Kiiip decrees that

the 113 Prussian representatives shall at once be
elected by the delegates of the nobles, cities, and
communities now assembled in the Diet: He also
specifies the number of representatives
.which the
provinces, Prussia Proper, and Posea would be en
titled to send, if they should wish to join the Con-
federation ; and adds, if the Prussian National As-
sembly should meet previous to the meeting of the
General National Assembly at Frankfurt, that he will
then endeavour to agree with them on a fit and
seasonable representation of the Prussian people. But
if the German Federal Constitution should require
the formation of an Upper House, the nobility of
Prussia will be convoked to make elections for that
purpose. The proclamation is dated from Potsdam;
the 3d inst.

The following memorial presented to the KING by
the Ministers, and his MAJESTY'S reply thereto, ap
pear in the Prussian States Gazette of the 4th April :

" Your Majesty's call to the Prussian and German
nations has by many received an interpretation which is
entirely at variance with the object winch it had in view.
"The step which your Majesty took when you de-
clared yourself ready to undertake the guidance of the
affairs of Germany during the time of danger, consisted
in the offer to further, without the moral and phy-
sical power of the thirteen millions of Germans com•
prehended in that nation, the wishes of all the federal
states for the unity of Germany. The simultaneous
adoption of the German colours was an indisputable
acknowledgment that the unity of Germany was
indispensable fur the salvation of all the states belong.
ing to the German Confederation, and that Russia of.
its side was ready, in the most comprehensive sense, to
recognise the duties imposed upon all the federal
states, and to concentrate all its power for the
averting of the dam,ers which threatened the whole
of our fatherland. This step could not have had the
various motives. ascribed to it, unless with the promptly
proposed guidance could have been anticipated the free
resolve of the Prince and people of Germany.
" Nor could the adoption of the symbol which unites
the German States by any means imply that either
PrusAia or any of the other German States would dis-
card those glories. In reference to the first plan,
3 our Majesty expressly declared that you did not intend
to usurp the superior guidance, or any other
privilege, but, on the contrary, you decidedly
.leprecated any such view. At the same time,
however, our Majesty indicates in your royal pro-
elamation that the findation of a united, not. a
uniform Germany.n
a union with diversity, was to be aimed
at, and in perfect conformity herewith, a public order to
the Minister of War was issued on the same day, and made
public in the Prussian States Gazette, which expressly
command. d that Lie army should wear the German
c ,eharle, together with the Russian.
" If your Majesty will be pleased to declare that the
4bose is your intention, we will not fail in due form to
move the misinterpretations which have been given to
that prcchimation.
" Berlin, April 2, 1848."
The Ministers of State.
" CAMPHAUSEN,
" Count VON WERIN,
" VON ANERSWALD,
" BORN IiMANN,
" ARNIM,
" HANSEMANN,
" VON REHYER."
His Majesty's reply was as follows: •

" I hereby -dtclaie that I cnttrely agree with the in.
tprpretation given to my prt elamation of the 21st ut
Aarch c,,ntaitted in the r. put t ut the Cabinet Council ut
thii It), and I hereby empower the saute to rettne ir. due
ortn the misinterpretations which have been given to
my woids.
• " FREDERICK WILLIAM.
"To the Minister of State.
" Potsttion. Aotit 2, 1843
—Frus.sian Stites Gazelle, April 4.

According to the Berliner Nachrichten of the

instant a note had been received by Prussia, from the
British Government, to the effect that, it the con-
federate troops of Germany crossed the Eider, Eng-
land would regard it as a declaration of war.
M. DE NIETENDORFF, the Russian Minister, has
not quitted tier lin, as reported.