The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-12 00:00:00

"s
tro 92

FRANCE..

A letter from Toulon, of the 7th instant, announces
that considerable activity is observable in the dock-
yards of that port. The ship of the line Charlemagne
his been armed, and the steam-frigate Napoleon is
being prepared for sea with all haste. A dispatch
bad been likewise received from the Minister of
Marine, ordering the equipment of the new frigate
the Sibylle.
The receipts of the Orleans and Bordeaux Railway
Company, from the Ist July last to the 6th instant,
amount tQ3,144,462f., being an increase of 186,857 f.
as compared with the corresponding period of the
preceding year.
M. de Lamartine, in the Pays, publishes an article
under the head of "Legitimacy or Socialism," in
reply to M. Emile de Girardin, who had declared that
there was no choice left between the Legitimatists and
the Socialists. We give an extract from the article of
M. de Lamartine

4‘ The Pr esse asks, and the other journals interested in
the separation of France into two parties, ask after that
journal, what is there between legitimacy and so-
cialism? We reply boldly; there is almost the whole of
France between the two; only that! There is the Republic,
strong and moderate, which comes between, and will al-
ways come between, those unreflecting and irrecon-
cileable parties. There are humanity, country, reason,
property, labour, the people in immense proportion, and
in immense force. There are universal suffrage, the
national representation, the Government, the army.
There is everything which wants to live, and wants to
have its posterity live, against all that wants to die, in
dragging after it, in its 6t of madness and suicide,_choautn-
try, family, children, and generations to come. T is
what is between who you call legitimacy and what you
call socialism, that is between two principles carried to
their radical consequences, murderers of the country, of
civilization, and of themselves. And why did the re-
public of reason, of necessity, and of pacification,
which you applauded yourselves in crying out with
one confidence, spring into existence on February 25?
Precisely in order that France, fallen, all at once into
revolution from the blindness and impotent rashness of
the men of monarchical coalition should not be enclosed
within that dilemma of blood, legitimacy and socialism.
It was in order that an elastic and pacific govern-
ment should promptly separate the armed parties,
and should interpose prudence, the instinct of pre•
nervation, and the generous character of interest of
France for the madness of those radical factions, for
whom immolation alone would have been peace. And
why did those admirable elections of 1848, effected under
the influence of that unhoped for wisdom which seizes on
nations in extreme peril, repudiate en masse Socialists and
Legitim.t4sts, to nominate a republican and moderate re-
pret eatation, courageous against all passions, even against
its own? It was that the question should be established be-
tween the country and the patriots, and not between
two irreconcileable and desperate factions of the coun-
try. And why
on May 15 and in June, 1848, did the
people hurry up
to Peril from the provinces ? It
was to fling themselves with the Assembly be-
tween these extreme and desperate parties who thirsted
for combat when France, society, and reason desired
peace. And why, in the election of December 10,
did France, when she could have voted 'for a So-
cialist or Legitamatist, vote for a name (dangerous I
admit, but neutral), signifying precisely the contrary
to whatyou say, that is, not signifying either Legitimacy
or Socialism, saying peace when you say war, concilia-
ton and not hostile.), ! And why did you yourselves
more than auy one aid in giving that signification to
the election of the President of the Republic? It was
in order that the Government, representing France,
should interpose with greeter authority, greater popular
favour, between these two extreme principles, which de-
sire to have a solun"on of civil war in the place of a so-
lution of harmony.

Aide Lamartine conclurles by an allusion to the
logic of M. de Girardin. He says
Alas, Erance has had too ranch of this desperate logic.
She has had the logic of royalty : the emigration and its
follies. She has had the logic of revolution: the committee
of public safety and its scaffolds! She has had the logic of
war: the despotism of Napoleon and three millions of
men immolated to the ambition of one min! She has had
the logic of monarchical power without counterbalance:
the revolution of 1830 and the fafl of a race legitimated
by tradition! She has had the logic of resistance to re-
forms and the obstinacy of blindness: the revolution of
1848 and the precipice of elective monarchy! She has
had the logic of impatient proletarianizm : the battles
and the corpses of June, 1848! Would you give to her
the implacability of parties? No, you do not wish this,
but beware then of its conclusions."