The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-07 00:00:00

THE "INDEPENDANCE BELGL" AND
TIM INDEPENDENT BELGIANS.

(From tite Morning Advertiser.)
Since the acceptance of the Austrian ultimatum.
by the Emperor of Russia, and the change in the
tone of the French Press and in the bearing of the
Emperor of the French, the Independance Beige
has been peculiarly distinguished by its jeremiads
on the Press and People of England, for not em-
bracing with open arms the propositions for patch-
ing up a peace. The acrimony of its attacks upon
the policy of England have only been surpassed
by their impertinence—Belgian independence, if
the Independance Beige really represented it,
having been established, and being guaranteed, by.
that very policy and that very country which ig
defamed and insulted.

So far as we know, the Morning Advertiser only
had the courage to resent this insolence, the other
English journals, more especially the Times, re-
ceiving the lash with most Christian complaisance,
and crying peccavi whilst cudgelled. We denied
the right of this Belgian print to summon Great
Britain to its bar, and we denounced the assurance
of venal writers, who were not even Belgians,
though professing to be representatives of Belgian
independence, and who were notoriously in the in-
terest, if not the pay, of Russia as well as France.
A little incident has just occurred, which throws
some light on the Independance Beige, as well as
on the odour in which it is held on the part of its'
Belgian brethren. At a time when England is-
snubbed on the Continent by hack French and
German scribes, it is pleasant to see what sort of
journal its most active abuser is.
Doctor Veron, as everybody knows who knows
anything of pharmacy and France, is its Professor
Holloway. He married the widow of the great
Reguault, the inventor of that immortal paste
which has never been known to fail in curing the
most incurable ills, and purchased with the paste,
or, rather, with its proceeds, a share in the Con-
stitutionnet. The Pate Regnault is still, we trust,
his, but the Constitutionnel is not. He worked it
at a profit and did net sell it at a loss. He created
a scandal, had to defend an action, obtained a ver-
dict which was another scandal, and pocketed a
handsome premium. He is a somewhat fade and
very fat Coryphreus of Bonapartism.
Now ➢r. Veron, a French Bonapartist and a re-
sident in Paris, has, for reasons which he himself
best knows, but which others may venture to guess,
been endeavouring to purchase out-and-out the
Incievendance Beige!
If London morning and evening journals are in
Bonapartist pay, it would pay Bonapartism very
well to buy the Independance Beige, an influential
European organ. The French Press is the French
Emperor's, by virtue of the power of suppression,
and the Foreign Press bids fair to be his by virtue
of the power of subvention.

The bargain got wind in Brussels, and was not
quite so universally approved of as the parties
might have desired. It seemed rather too good a:
joke that the Belgian Independance should not
only be conducted by French Bonapartists in Bel-,
giuna, but that it should be exclusively owned by
French Bonapartists out of it.
The Observateur, a Liberal paper, published
daily in Brussels, took the Independance Beige to
task, and demanded how, if it was bought by Ye'
ron, it could maintain its independent course ?
" flow ?"—replied the Independance Beige
" Why, quite' as well as ever!"
On this, the National of Brussels justly observed
that the simplicity of the Observateur was marvel-
lous in putting such a question.
"The Independance Beige," says the Nalioneit
"is at one and the same time Russian, French,
German, Spanish, Turkish," everything but Eng^.
• lish It is right, then, in protesting that, if nt
should be sold, it would be just as independent in
its politics as it was before it was bought. There
cannot be the slightest doubt of it. On this point
the most timid reader may feel perfectly at case,
and, whatever happens, the Independance will con-
tinue to be RuSsian, French, German, Spanish,
and Turkish, and Spanish, as before.
" The indepcndanCe is like a railway, which it
always adding a new branch and a fresh line of
traffic. The only sensible alteration in the Inde'
pendance Beige would be to become Belgian." When the Indepoidance Beige does become Be!-;i
gian, it may also, perhaps, become English. Till
then th© British press and people must put up with
its abuse; a cataclysm which, considering all things;
both may hope to survive.