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

taken place ever since the two Governments have re-1
ciprocally adopted the repeal and the reduction of
duties. It is true that there is still a protective ten•
dency lurking in the tariff of 1846, but in comparison
with its predecessor it must be pronounced a splendid
and demonstrative triumph of the free-trade princi-
ple, and the still existing duty of 30 per cent.
on British manufactures is but a wart to
Ossa, when it is recollected that our own duty on
tobacco is actually one of 1,200 per cent. It may be
said that tobacco is a needless luxury, well deserving
to be highly taxed ; but every man of sense must
know that it is held by a great proportion of the
people to be a positive necessary, and that the present
absurd tax upon it causes fully one-half of the quan-
tity consumed in the United Kingdom to be introduced
through a vigilant system of smuggling fostered by
a protective impost of such disproportionate magni
tude as, without much enhancing the revenue, proves
a direct and irresistible incentive to crime.

So admirable were the sentiments delivered by Mr.
WALKER, not merely on commercial matters, but on
the mighty political results which an intimate
union between England and the States would
,ffect, that we shall content ourselves with a
simple expression of regret that he should have
taken occasion to speak in terms of hasty denuncia-
tion of the recent event in France. It is observable
that none of the subsequent speakers echoed his ill-
considered, nay, unseemly tirade against the French
PRESIDENT. That a dangerous spirit of despotism is
existent on the continent of Europe is as clear as the
sun at noonday ; but that the gallant French nation,
in the enjoyment of universal suffrage, will league
with Russian or Austrian despotism in a crusade
against the consolidation of liberal opinions, is what
we cannot bring ourselves easily to believe. If the occu-
pation of the French must be belligerent, according to
➢Sr. WALKER, is there no tyranny to be combatted,
no oppression to be redressed, that they must
necessarily combine with tyrants? It is
really rash, to say the least of it, to
libel a great people and its ruler in this
off-hand manner. Let us rather hope, if the struggle
be impending, when liberty must appeal to the
championship of her Anglo-Saxon children, that
whilst the joint flags of England and America
remain not furled at her appeal, neither may
the glorious tricolour of France be absent from
the sacred cause. The active alliance of the
two former peoples ought indeed to be effectual.
The communication of their determination to the
despotic Powers that the doctrine of non-intervention
must be observed—that every nation must be per-
mitted to judge for itself, and to select such institu-
tions as best suited it according to the will of the na-
tion, should suffice to arrest their march. But
we will not inconsiderately malign our brave and en-
lightened neighbours, nor their energetic ruler, by
ranging them on the side of the foes of constitutional
freedom, merely because the exercise of military
power has been found necessary for the emergency,
in order to anticipate and defeat detestable intrigues
and monstrous conspiracies against the peace and
prosperity of the French Republic.