The Sun.
London, England, 1851-10-03 00:00:00

Mere phrases and words do not belong to Louis Na

poleon, unless prosperity produces a different nature
from adversity. Your Chambers are about to be pro-
rogued, your splendid fetes to the Industry of all Na-
tions are past, there is surely now time to turn a thought
on the poor prisoner of Amboise. In the intoxicating
fairy land of the Hotel de Ville, when hundreds and
thousands of souls poured the wide stream of flattery
and incense around you, did the thought never occur,
Where was Abd-el-Kader ?' In the splendid array of
the elite of the warlike and noble army of France, in
her Champ de Mars, amidst the enthusiastic cries of
Viva Napoleon; did no pang shoot across your
bosom, ' Where was Abd-el-Kader ?' In the delicious
groves of St. Cloud, surrounded by the Commissioners
of the Industry of all Nations, with flattery
of diplomatists, and ladies banging on your smiles,
while the most conspicuous, from her temporary posi-
tion, hung upon your arm, did it never occur to you,
Where is Abd-el-Kader?' In these hours of glory
may I not demand of the nephew of the Emperor Napo-
leon (to-day the President of the Republic) whether it
may not be reserved for him, and him alone (if he follow
theinstinct of his own frank and fearless nature), to
save the honour of France, by observing the capitulation
of the Emir?

" Can it be possible, mon Prince, that the miserable
warfare of the Kabyles, much less your own fears, that
the act of liberating Abd-el-Kader should arrest you in
the accomplishment of a just and meritorious action to
which your proclaimed opinion has committed you; and
not alone meritorious, but demanded at your hands by
those keen feelings of suspense, agony, and suffering,
which your own breast can better appreciate than any
other living man? Are such trifling qualms as I have
described to permit you entirely to lose the real point of
view of this generous and just question? The nephew
of Napoleon would, indeed, be an object of pity, it not
of condemnation, were he to be turned from the route of
mb-eenl.tK's acdo comparison
p was aso
ton
clemency, and to be paralysed in his ' plus beau elan de
ginirosite:
never
exist.
If
a A moment's " Believe me, the opposition to the Emir's deliver-
ance, whether from your army, your Chambers, or your
Government, or even the loss of more of your brave
with removing an historical and effaceable stain from
your country and the French name, with respect to
armywh ich in Algeria,
no
remedy would
n
die in Louis Napoleon's prison, there would be the blot
no waters of Lethe could ever wash out.
" If you now longer hesitate, who can pronounce if you
will remain with the power for this noble achievement?
Louis Philippe kept Louis Napoleon, notwithstanding
his princely parole, in durance vile. Louis Philippe
became an exile, and Louis Napoleon was raised to
govern France. Can Louis Napoleon imitate the scourge
under which he was himself striped, and can he range
his hitherto honourable name with that of a D'Anmale
or a Lamorieire in a treacherous and broken promise,
contrary to all the rules of war and of civilised nations?
" It is not, mon Prince, that I recapitulate all these
arguments to force your noble mind to the rectitude of
a proceeding which your declaration before Europe
substantiates in your own words even stronger than
mine; but it is for the object of demonstrating the
fatal consequences that may accrue to your own
permitted.
nimity if further delays intervene or are
ilhislnform me, then, what has La Palette done l ne-
gotiations with the Porte as to affording another
ofthe
position me
resi-
dence in the east to the great captive.
the
posi
'Lion in which matters now stand as to
present ambassador,
negotia-
tion between General Aupick, your
and the Sultan. Inform me, in fact, mon Prince,
.
What i
whence the delay in your resolves. 8 your
present determination? For the love of Heaven and
your own glorious name—
" ' Take the instant way,
For Honour travels in a strait so narrow,
Where one but goes abreast ; keep, then, the path.

If you give way.
Or hedge aside from the direct forthright,
Like to an entered tide they all rush by,
And leave you hindmost •
Or, like a gallant horse eallen in first rank,
Lie there for pavement to the abject rear.'
" Thus yeti may leave, under timid vacillation and