The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-25 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sin,—ln February, 1855, I received a letter that was
signed as follows :—"Fassiliea, a political prisoner trans-
ported in June, 1848, and who has now been working,
for 14 months, like many others among his follow-suf-
ferers, under a chain of 401 b. in weight, with a cannon-
ball at the end of it."
In that letter, dated S. Joseph, Island of Despair,

September, 1854, the gratuitous and unheard of acts of
barbarity were stated which ara inflicted at Cayenne
upon men belonging to all classe3 of society--artists,
tradesmen, workmen, barriiterg, physicians, farmers,
journalists, scholars—these men having been violently
driven out of their country, not in consequence of any
lawful judgment, but by the mere impulse of political
passions. I was requested to lay before the civilised
world the heartrending details, which I did as far as my
power went. _ _ _

Since that period no change whatever appears to have
taken place in the situation of these unfortunate people,
who are subjected to forced labour (travaux forces) on a
lonely rock, surrounded by the sea, at a distance of
about 6,000 miles from their native land.
Six months ago a second letter was forwarded to me
relating what follows :
" Every ship that comes from the pestilential shores
of Cayenne brings the death of a new v:ctitu. The
latest victim is Peret, some time major of 112aiers, a
most generous-heartei man, feeling acutely, while he
was rich, that many of his fellow creatures were perish-
ii g of hunger, and ready to spare neither his fortune
nor his life to the cause of humanity. Having been
deported to Cayenne, without trial, for resisting the
coup d'etat of the 21 of December, he attempted, with
six fellow-prisoners. to escape from that living tomb.
They put to sea at night in a boat. Two hours
after they were driven on the rocks. Peret, entangled,
in his cloak, was drowned. The six others survived. But
what an existence ! Fur two days they lived on what
shell-fish they could find on a desolate rock in the midst
of the ocean that threatened every moment to overwhelm
them. At last one of them resolved to risk his life for
the rest. Seeing no succour come, he threw himself into
the sea, and after three hours' swimming, reached the
land. Unhappily the land was French Guiana. He could
only save his life on condition of surrendering himself a
prisoner. His five companions were rescued from the
devouring sea only to be cast into another dungeon—
tomb for tomb."

Now, sir, here is a third letter which has just reached
me:—

`' To M. Louis Blanc those deported to Cayenne, with
urgent request to make public this appeal :

" These deported to French Guiana make an appeal
to the feelings of justice and humanity of all honest men,
to whatever party they may belong.
" At the very moment when so much is :Token in
France of clemency and gener3sity, whiie so many fami-
lies are lulling themselves with the hope of c. ping to
their hearts the dear ones whose absence they have so
long lamented, the political victims are treated in French
Guiana in a manner worthy of the darkest ages of bar-
barity.

" It is certainly a painful task to unveil such an ac-
count of iniquity; but how is it possible to pass over
in silence the unjust and cruet behaviour of French
officers towards their fellow countrymen ? Let it be
known, therefore, that we are unspeakably tortured on
the flimsiest pretences, while people, deceived by the
solemn declarations of the French Government, think
perhaps that every prison is open and that we are at
liberty. Let it be known, for instance, that of five
men lately arrested for some talk it had been the fancy
of an overseer to invent, two were tied to a stake
and dealt with as the most vile criminals. Od their
being reluctant to submit to an ignominious punishment
soldiers were called for, who, rushing upon the victims,
bruised them with blows, tore off their beards, and reek-
leso of shrieks with which the wild beasts would have
been moved, bound them with cords so fast as to make
the blood gush.
"To relate all we suffer is more than we can possibly
do. Our cheeks kindle with shame, and our hearts are
bleeding. Suffice it to say that whale the French GJ-
verntuent has its clemency cried up everywhere, there
are Frenchmen in Guiana who do gasp for life. Nor are
they allowd the sojourn of the Island of Despair, horri-
ble as it is ; barbarous administrators drag them vio•
lently on the continent, to compel them to a labour of 8
hours a-day in the marshy forests, from which pestilen-
tial vapours are continually rising.
" We refused to submit to this outrage upon laws, to
this murderous attempt; we claimed promised liberty ;
the answer is death I '—a magnanimous answer, after
the birth of a prinoe
"Is there indeed for us any other prospect but immi-
nent death I With no proper food, n garments, no
shoes, no wine since February last, is there any chance
that we should long be able to bear both the influence
of an exhausting toil and a deadly climate ? Again,
where is the law which assimilates political postscripts
to galley slaves } From beneath the brutal force that
weighs upon us, heaped up together, almost breathless,
but strengthened by the enrage we draw from the sa-
credness of our cause and our hope in the triumph of
jestiee, we protest against the violence which is offered
to us. May public opinion be moved at our misfor-
tunes, and energetically rise against deeds so well calcu-
lated to bring to shame a nation reputed the most en-
lightened and civilised in the world !
BERBVE ALEZANDRZ,
" GIBERT
" G ORE%
" BOUDIN
" JAGEGALY
" DALIVIE
" FERNLAND
" &MOIL
" PEOH
" GUERARD
" BONNASSIOLLE
" SALLELES
" SUSINI
" BEAFOUR
" LAGOUR
" BOOKENSKY
" LAYOND
" DINE GUSTAVE
" PELLETIER

" DESSALLE
" BLIOILZ
" DORE
" RAY SIOND
" MEUNIERE
" CAT ET
" CASNAO
" PRISON
" PATLOUANI
" LABROSSS
" AILHAOR
" DAV AUX
" BIVORS
PERRIDIOND
" CHAUDRON
" PRIOL
CAUDZET
" CAD METTE
" Hulas."

These are the lines, Sir, the insertion of which in your
columns I earnestly request, not as a Republican—not
even as a Frenchman—but as a man ; fur this is'not a
question of poliioal feeling ; it is one of simple justi( •
and humanity. Let it be carefully remembered that the
tortured victims are men who have never been tried by
any lawful court, nor prosecuted by any form of law. It
lies in your power, Sir—as I said on a similar occasion
—that the groan they utter from the place where they
are, so to speak, buried alive, should be heard in the
world •f the living. The French press is gagged, and
whoever has recently resided in France must of neces-
sity know—as stated in a letter addressed by Mr. Ay-
toun to the most influential paper in this country—
" that when the press is controlled by an arbitrary Go-
vernment, every species of injustice, j )bbing and oppres-
sion may be perpetrated, uncommented upon, and even
unknown to the great majority of the population. Such
Such
being the case in France, the liberty of the English
press remains the only possible resort for the oppressed
to have the justice of their complaints at least examined.
I apply, therefore, to the English press, and that all the
more confidently since I read in the Times a few days
ago—" The press is emphatic Ally the repre4entative of
the people. If wisely directed it guards the interests of
all classes and conditions of society, and has a right in
turn to the support and assibtance of all."
I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant,
Aug. 23. LOUIS BLANC.

The Austrian frigate Radetzky left Spithead on Satur-
day morning for the Thames, to refit her machinery.
IMPROVEMENTS AT HOLTROOD PALACE.—The usual
arrangements are being mule at flolyrood for her Ma-
jesty's reception there on her northern journey, and vari
oils improvements are being made both inside and out
side the Palace. The Throne-room has been dec6r,tted
with a new ceiling of the style of the 16:11 century, ex-
hibiting various heraldic devices, and with the Imperial
arms emblazoned on the centre panel. In front of the
Palace a broad carriage drive has been opened, extend
ing from the Abbeyhill to the Queen's Park, forming a
great improvement to the appearance of this ancient
structure, and a great facility for public assemblages
in the Park, which was forruerly or.ly accessible b 3
narrow entrances. The opening of a new line of
road, communicating in a direct line between thr
Palace and Princes-street, has also been proposed. At
the east end of the Queen's-drive, near the royal station,
an important improvement has been effected in the cut-
ting off an abrupt turn in the road.