The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-25 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The prospects of the Legitmaatists and of the
Bonapartists are becoming every day less and less
bright; as the poriod fixed for the revision of the
Constitution approaches, the declarations against any
attempts at accomplishing such revision, except by
legal means, become more numerous and more im-
portant.
The Ordre makes the following declaration
against any illegal attempts at revision, and at the
same time treats M. LOUIS BONAPARTE and his pre-
tensions with the most cutting contempt :
" The vice which renders a revision of the Constitu-
tion so necessary in the eyes of the Bonapartists is the
non-re-eligibility of the President until after the expi-
ration of four years. We admit that such provision is
to be regretted. We admit also that public anxiety is on
the increase, However, let us be just. Which, let us
ask, is the more important as regards the general
security, that Louis Napoleon be eligible to be re-
elected, or that the next Assembly, whether it be called
constitutional or legislative, should remain faithful to
the policy of order and of conservation? Suppose M.
Bonaparte to be re-elected for four years in favour of a
Red or Socialist Assembly? What would he or could
he do? If he did not yield to the impulsion of such an
Assembly, and if he did not become its instrument, the
most that would be in his power would be to risk the
uncertain chances of civil war. Suppose, on the con-
trary, an Assembly wisely conservative, with any other
President than M. Bonaparte, say General Cavaignac,
or any one else, what would you have to dread? Is it
not evident, that a Sovereign Assembly, elected and
acting according to the sentiment of the country, would
be strong enough to sustain the President of the Re-
public, assuming him to be animated by patriotic senti-
ments, or to keep him in bounds, if possessed with bad
intentions." _

The election for the Landes is to take place on the
13th of May, the candidates are M. GuizoT and M.
DUCLERC. The Pays has the following on this
subject:—
" It is announced that M. Guizot is to be brought
forward in the department of the Landes, as a candidate
to replace M. Fteß3ric Bastiat in the National Assembly.
The candidate of the moderate Republic in this depart-
ment is M. Duclerc. The entirely new position assumed
by M. Guizot in openly patronising the policy of fusion,
ending in the restoration of the Count de Chambord,
gives to the election of the Landes a real importance.
The contest will not be between M. Guizot and M. Du-
clerc: it will be between two policies which are perfectly
distinct—one of which will write on its bulletins legiti-
macy and revolution, the other Republic and preserva-
tion. Revolution or preservation, such is the alterna•ive
to be put before the electors of the Landes on the 11th
of May. M. Guizot is assuredly a great Parliamentary
illustration. The Republic ought to be strong enough
and generous enough to receive him, and resture an elo-
quent voice to the tribune; but the country should be
wise enough not to encourage and glorify parties, when
it is necessary to pacify the public mind and consolidate
institutions."

It is satisfactory to find M. DE LAMARTINE thus
boldly repudiating the policy of the Fusionists.
M. EMILE DE GIRARDIN has published an article
in the Presse, in which he gives an unanswerable re-
futation to the absurd assertions of the Constitutionnel
and of the police-inspired correspondents of certain
foreign reactionary journals, who reiterate the trans-
parent falsehood that the great majority of Frenchmen
are Monarchists. lie says—
"lt France in April, 1848, did not wish for the
Republic, what prevented her from nominating 900
or at least 451 Royalists? From the 4th of May to the
4th of November, 1848, had not the Constituent As-
sembly sufficient time to reflect? Who obliged it to
vote the Constitution, if it did not wish for it? Who
forced M. Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte, M. Baroche, M.
Buffet, M. I e Faucher, and M. Rouher to place in the
balloting-urn a white ball instead of a black one,
and thus to give au example of assent when there
was still time for resistance? To pretend in April,
1851, that the Republic was imposed on France on
the 4th of November, 1848, is to accuse all the mon-
archists, who sat in great number on the benches of the
Constituent Assembly, of not having had the courage of
their convictions, is to accuse them of cowardice. But
that concerns you, not me, One word more, however.
If on the 24th February, according to your own words,
a handful of unknown persons' sufficed to overthrow
the monarchy, you, who were known, soldiers, prefects,
magistrates, writers, &c., why did you not raise two
handfuls to defend them? Why did you not expose your
lives for the monarchy, as that handful of unknown indi-
viduals exposed theirs for the Republic? Why did you
not display as much courage as they did? Believe me,
it ill becomes you, who fled in terror, to affect so much
disdain for those who generously lent you such good
legs, and made you so nimble. Modesty becomes fear not
less than virtue. It is not enough to have been a pol-
troon; he who is one should be modest also. On
the 27th December, 1847, the Journal des Debuts
printed these words:—' March on the phantom, and it
will disappear!' Its counsel was followed; but on the
24th February who disappeared? Was it the phantom?
If it were the phantom which took in all haste the rail-
way to Belgium, in borrowing from M. Armand Benin
his personal resemblance, it must be admitted that a
phantom weighing so heavily was never before seen!
Well, you employ on the 23d April, 1851, the same lan-
guage as that which the Journal des Debats employed
on the 27th December, 1847. It is a good augury for
Democracy, which is ready either to fight or to poll—the
former, if the Constitution be violently overthrown; the
latter, if universal suffrage be honestly restored to it.
But no; let commerce be reassured, and labour be not
interrupted, no battle is to be feared, and none can take
place; for there are 200 representatives of the people
who would be dishonoured like the most shameful de-
serters, if they were to permit that, they living, the
Constitution be overthrown, as demanded by the Consti-
tutionnel. Such provocations are only Gasconades."
The following diplomatic appointments have just
been made by the PRESIDENT of the Republic :—M.
DE MARESCALCHI, formerly first Secretary of Em-
bassy in London, to be Envoy Extraordinary and
Minister Plenipotentiary to the Court of Portugal ;
M. FORTH-ROUEN, ex Charge d'Affaires in China, to
be Minister at Athens; and M. DESMELOIEZS, chef
du cabinet of M. BRENIER to be Consul General at
Amsterdam, in the room of :M. BERNARD DESESSARTS.
General MAGNAN, commander of the 4th military
division, has just issued an order of the day, in which
he blames a sentinel of the 74th regiment, stationed
at Colmar, for having allowed a man to strike him
without having made use of his bayonet. In another
order of the day the General praises the energy of Cor-
poral LAURENTIAUX, of the 17th Light Infantry, for
having, at Strasburg, at the head of only four men,
dispersed a crowd, and having used his bayonet
againot a man who had attempted to rescue a prisoner
from him.

There was scarcely any business transacted at the
Bourse, and Government Stock again declined. The
Five per Cents. opened at 92f. 20c., and closed at 92f.
sc. The Three per Cents. closed at 57f. Orleans
Railroad Shares, 827 f. 50c.; Rouon, 6301.; Havre, 260 f.;
Great Northern, 4731. 75c.; Avignon, 2051.; Vieraon,
437 f. 50c.; Basle, 145 f. ; Bordeaux, 4001.; Paris and
Strasburg, 3671. 50c.; Tours and Nantes, 2771. 50c.
BUSINESS DONE. IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCKBidiA.I4G-E, APRIL 24.
Boulogne and Amiens, 10—Dutch Rhenish, 3(4—Ease
Indian, 15%—Luxembourg, 314—Namur and Liege, 81/4—
Northern of France, 14744—Paris and Rouen, 24%—Paris and
Strasbourg, 11—Rouen and Havre, 10% ex div.—Sambre
and Meuse, 4—West Flanders, 2%.