The Sun.
London, England, 1833-01-05 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS.

All the French papers of the Ist inst. have
arrived, or at least such of them as, owing to
the previous holyday, were published on Wed-
nesday. The Moniteur, which is one of the
latter, contains the addresses of the different
public bodies to the King on the happy occa-
sion of the new year, together with his Majesty's
replies. The address of the diplomatic corps,
from the delivery• of which M. Pozzo di Borgo
is alleged to have rushed away from the lumi-
nary about which he revolves, with .a centrifugal
force that carried him into a new political orbit,
contains, contrary to report, nothing formidable
tolegitimacv, and nothing which the most ardent
friend of Holland might not with pleasure have
heard and re-echoed. It makes no allusion to
the differences between Holland and Belgium—
it does not even hint at the existence of a treaty
to arrange these differences—it considers the
French expedition to Antwerp as a thing with
which the united diplomacy of Europe has
nothing to do—it offers no congratulation 011
French military successes at the expense of his
Dutch Majesty—it recounts none of the events
of the year, either internal or external, on which
there could be a diversity of opinion—and only
unites the common wishes of all the Powers for
the continuance of peace, which probably all the
Ambassadors felt, and which certainly all were
compelled to avow. The Dutch Ambassador
might have been present at the ceremony with-
out experiencing any offence to his feelings.
and Pozzo di Borgo might have deli-
vered the congratulatory oration without
compromising his Imperial Master in any
judgment with respect to the past, or in
any pledge with regard to the future. There
pri hahly could not be a more decisive proof of
the inutility, or a greater satire on the folly, of
such a ceremony, accompanied with such an ad-
dress, than to say that at an important crisis in
European history, the diplomatic corps ofEurope
formally met, proceeded to the Tuileties, and
made a joint speech, the most striking merit of
which was that it signified nothing. We are no
enemies to Court etiquette within certain limits,
but surely a custom like this, of making mutual
speeches, or bandying mutual compliments,
between a Sovereign and public bodies, where
nothing can be intended beyond mere congra-
tulation, ought to be discontinued, as inconve-
nient where it is not dangerous, and useless
where it is only inconvenient. A levee or a
drawing-room, where each foreign Minister or
domestic functionary would be admitted to pay
his respects or to do his homage to the Sove-
reign in his individual capacity, would appear in
our eyes better adapted to the present state of
things in Europe, than these unmeaning au
diences given to the representatives of national
or international corporations. We, however,
pretend to no right of criticising the political
customs or tastes of our neighbours, and merely
venture to make a reserve in favour of our own.
If the diplomatic body, embracing the friends as
well as the adversaries of the late expedition to
Antwerp, were obliged to be silent on the glory of
the French arms displayed against Hollandalomes-
tic corporations were not bound by the same rule.
They, therefore, made the late success of the
French troops the chief topic of their congratti-
la'ions, though we are glad to find in their
words no offensive boasting of past victory, and
no menace of contingent eggression. The
Chamber of Deputies, as might be expected,
took the lead in this declaration of French or
Ministerial sentiment, and the following expres-
sion of M. Dupin will, we hope, find an echo in
every kingdom or state of Europe :
" Sire,—lt can be no longer doul.ted that our modera-
tion is sustained by our strength. IThen France, so dis-
interested for herself, stipulates only for her allies, her
voice cannot fail to be listened to. Europe, on seeing the
manner in which we carry on war, will feel the full ne-
cess;ty of joining in our .fforts to maintain peace."
We remember a time in which the diplomatic
corps was less reserve, and domestic func-
tionaries more obtrusive. The collection of
New-year addresses to the Bourbons during the
15 years of the restoration would form as pretty
a manual of flattery, hyperbole, and gasconade,
as can anywhere be found in the annals of
courtly adulation. The congratulations to
Louis XVIII. on the abominable invasion of
Spain would furnish of themselves a sufficient
reason for abolishing a custom which the Court
and the people are equally liable to abuse, and
where the extravagance of the latter encourages
the folly or tyranny of the former.— Times.
Under the ban of some of our contemporaries.
who seem to have lost their temper with their
judgment, we have made bold to persevere in
our distrust of all those magnificent attributes
ascribed by some persons to the choice of re-
presentatives by ballot. We are not conscious
of being " tricksters " in our profession either of
attachment to Reform or of hatred towards per-
fidy ; nor is it our opinion, that on a search into
the state of feeling throughout this country, one
decently', educated man in three would now be
found favourable to ,an exchange of the present
frank and manly mode (Selection, for one which,
if it fulfilled its end, would at best he fraught
with mystification and duplicity, like that in
which the partisans of the ballot express such
unbounded confidence. However, it is plain
that electors ought not to be intimidated any
more than corrupted. If the ballot had ap-
peared to statesmen of any former time an effec-
tive means for insuring secrecy at elections, is
it not probable that one or more of them would
have enforced upon Parliament the wisdom of
such an expedient for preventing the crime of
bribery? If absolute secrecy could be afforded
by any human measure, it is certain, and indeed
obvious, that the guilty practice of offering and
receiving bribes would be undermined by it no
less successfully than that of delivering and being
swayed by menaces. Did not method exist of
discovering how a man had voted, there can be
little doubt that few candidates would risk their
moliey when it was impossible to ascertain
whether the promised equivalent would or would
not be paid. Yet, we have not heard that
among the various devices brought forward by
the most eminent and honest legislators of the
last or present century for the crushing of cor-
ruption, the vote by ballot was one. Now,
with regard to " intimidation," our readers will
recollect that we have ever described it as an
enormous evil, and as one with which purity
and freedom of election were altogether incom-
patible. The question is, how to put an and to
or greatly ditnish it, the ballot not being, in our
opinion, calculated for either purpose. In such
cases of embarrassment, arising from outrages
upon the spirit of all law and justice, the best
way of meeting them is to look to the analogies
of the Constitution. Bribery has been frequently
punished, and sensibly checked by Act of Par-
liament., But bribery is, in its nature, more
easy of concealment and more difficult of proof
than any threat or vindictive act by landlord

or superior; ihere is, there can be, no