The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-30 00:00:00

A. NEW FRENCH POLITICAL PARTY.

A new political party is being formed under the auspices
of M. Ernest Picard. Thirteen members of the Left, in-
cluding K4ratry, Lefevre-Pontalis, Guizot, Montpayroux,
assembled at M. Picard's house, and resolved to form
a constitutional opposition. There was no necessity
to break with the other deputies of the Left,
which was, said M. Picard, a grand corps d'armee, of
which they were the right wing. If their seventeen
colleagues broke with them the responsibility would be
theirs. It was determined that frequent meetings should
be held, and that the party should not shrink from
accepting office if they found they could do so consistently.
The programme of the Constitutional Left, as the party
is called, has been put forward since the meeting. It is
signed by Ernest Picard, and declares that the policy of
the party is very simple, and does not need six months of
a session to fulfil it. The principle points are the sepa-
ration of powers, the constitution of an independent
judicial power by the establishment of the jury, and of
an independent legislative power by means of electoral
liberty, and independent municipalities and a national
military organisation which gives hostages to liberty.
M. Picard continues—" We said to the Ministers of
January 2nd : on this ground you will be invincible
Make an effort in favour of electoral liberty, abolish
frankly the system of official candidatures, and announce
the dissolution of the Chamber, you will be the Ministers
of the nation? They preferred to be Ministers of the
Tuileries ! The task of their successors will
now be much more difficult. All the time
lost for liberty has been employed against her, but the
crisis will not have been without profit. Let us no longer
confound the image of liberty with those imitations of it
which skilfully directed power has exhibited to a credulous
crowd. We, ourselves, decide the national affairs; when
we feel ourselves strong and fearless, and responsible, we
shall then begin to be free. ERNEST PICARD."

THE POPE AND THE FOREIGN VISITORS.
The foreign visitors at Rome recently presented an
address to Pius IX. Nearly. three hundred signatures
were affixed, and it was presented at the Vatican by up-
wards of a hundred persons. Amongst the signatories
were the Dukes of Modena and Parma, four princes,
numerous other dukes, Lords Henry Kerr, Gainsborough,
Clifford, Herries, Sir George Bowyer, the master of
Herries, and many other Englishmen. The address
offered the homage of those who signed it,
their wishes for the full accomplishment of his
designs, and their submission to the decrees upon
which the Council may agree. The Pope returned the
following reply :—" Divine Providence, who is all good-
ness, and who overrules and governs' all things, has per-
mitted that I should now see round me a circle of Catho-
lics of various nations, not only from Europe, but from
regions beyond it, who have come to pay their tribute of
devotion and filial affection to the Vicar of Jesus Christ,
forcibly demonstrating the unity of the Catholic Church.
Children are wont to offer flowers on the return of the
anniversaries of their parent's birth ; soldiers present a
sword to their General when he has led them on to victory,
but the flowers fade and die, and the sword is an emblem
of war; whereas you come to present the unfailing and
loving offering of your hearts to the Holy See
of Peter, to the Vicar of Christ. Thus you
afford me support in my contest against exist-
ing evils, and you strengthen my hand as those
of Moses were upheld when he contended for God's
people. You have promised the entire submission of your
hearts and intellects to all the decisions of the sacred
Council of the Vatican in union with the Supreme
Pontiff. May its efforts to benefit society and diffuse
Christian truth be successful. I know how
unworthy I am to fill the office of the Vicar
of Christ. Yet I know that I am sustained by God
in the course I am pursuing, because I feel it to be the
right course, and the opposition which we now behold will
not prevail. lam accusld of warring against modern
society, which is untrue. The maxims of modern civiliza-
tion are with certain exceptions, false. To falsehood we
must oppose truth. Christ is Truth. And it is the duty of
all Christians, in whatever state of life, to maintain the
truths which He has taught. This must be your individual
line of action in your different countries. If after thus
striving we fail in our endeavours to preserve modern society
from self-destruction, we shall deplore the catastrophe
but we shall know at least that we have clone all in our
power to avert it. This much it has occurred to me to
say to you, and in sign of paternal affection I now bestow
upon yourselves, your families, your friends, and your
countries the apostolic benediction 2 • may it support, help,
and comfort you, and afford you strength and courage to
contend against the manifold evils of the present age."