The Sun.
London, England, 1856-10-31 00:00:00

'`HE "MOYITEUR" AND THE ENGLISH PRESS. I

(From the Timm.)

The Momiteur of yesterday translates at consider-
able length articles from our contemporaries the
MornimpPost, the Standard, and the Morning
Chroniclei of the 27th inst. It is not, perhaps,
wonderful .that -our foreign contemporary should
avail itself of these exceptions to the general indig-
nation with which its silly rebuke has been received
by the-free press of a great country to delude the
people of France, where. liberty of the press does
not existy_as to the real feeling of the British peo-
ple on this question. The true cause for wonder
is the faot that three British newspapers should be
ready .to excuse, applaud, or defend--whether
from perversity, stupidity, or interest—so gross an
attack on:the most sacred rights of their own coun-
trymen; We have already laid before our French
readers some extracts from English journals which
indicate the true feeling of the country ; and, if
the Monitetir should ever have the courage to
favour itK readers With both sides of the question,
it may add the three excellent articles given below
to the number of its translations from the English
press.-

•

( From the Scotsman.)
The dozenlines in Winch the French Afoniteur makes
referenee, to `,`, different organs of the English press" com-
prise,' pe'rbraps, is er eat'a n amount of indiscretion as was
ever before craniined into so small a space. It is an ill
thing iiheetlingly—ill done, and an exceedingly petty
thine...drone by the Government of a mighty country.
That the French GOveinment should feel dissatisfied
with cottiments which were never meant for its satisfac-
tion is natural enough ;
,but that it should show that its
annoyance is greater thap„.ean by endured in silence,.
and the Watisealsf foresa4sePSak only to cause the world
to uneterakliaeslabat if. it had.the power or the opportu-
nity
seec
.ie.,:as9Ammt to, weapons asainst free diseussiou
only stribti- Most tyrannical of governments and
the means4krbaseet of individuals, are facts which
are on& festetteilieved because they are seen, but which
must 'tuna nnikeonntahre even on the lowest ground of
pruclorice,`Pr'exP,'vediency. Not to bark till you can bite
is a pisi,4 Of homely wisdom, even more applicable to
great, governments than to: the humblest of men w- in-
stitutions; but the French Government barks net only
when: it can do no more, but when the mere fact of being.
angrYisirlsieekit,thuesexposes, is in itself a discredit,. an
eneotusegateentjtoi,ita_paemiee, and an offence to its
friendis, Iseek,aMtaszeau may, it is impossible t 3 find
any aslevate etltSsaliexpiasie for this act, either in prin.
ciPleC /VIVI or, even, provoeation. A foolish thing to do
at any time, it is peculiarly foolish at this time, when
"calumnies ttelnst the French Government," of which
the .516iiiteut is made to complain, are rarer and milder
than iffilmOat any former period, or at the least are
receitrig is& shale, of public attention ; 99 people in a
100 in thief country will learn for the first time from the
JP:mite* that any appreciable portion of the British
press. is esigaged in." calumniating" or indeed of speak-
ing either-good or evil of the French Government ; and
when,tkea'.444essres:thaaccneation they will be puzzled
wheretoltatlsfox•-thissoffending matter. And, as that
mattkeoineesiOainnt. popularly known,
,must be small
in suntpit.eiAphoßitire in Wi.tintirce,. the icevitable infe-
rence ueakittgreat roust.be the weakness of that Govern-
ment Which is enraged and terrified by so small a hurt.
The iffei-tateur is instructed to say that the calumnies in
's 7 •
4itiestibrt et can only be answered by contempt." But this
angry'iiheal 'Wee 'French Government, through its
formal' elan, is the opposite of contempt—it is one of
the nioetquemorable acts of -homage ever paid to the
power of i free wen. What is too contemptible for re-
ply ought-to be too contemptible for notice—. still more,
for align antianwonted appeal. And that appeal is all the
more,eetnarkahleand unwise that it is utterly hopeless.
The 14ritsk,Postesnntent can no more stop or moderate
the etwa.entesof thatßritiela press upon French affairs
than,, tench Government itself. "The English
peopro7-461Whnee `,&Manton sense and good faith" the
appeil rikeoclailli-eAdressed—neither can nor will do
anyilltiegln'tkeLmattet; ; those papers that really offend
in thilliettyrcOMPflifited of they punish already by neglect,
and tkillese6e"6ll tiaielign intervention" will only tend
towarelelititiiiniiiktitat ileglect and gaining for the-offend-
era net oily a grbMiLr; but a more favourabWattentrion.
As for the press itaelf,,those members of it vets& ial!the
*yea .eLthe ,French Government have been sinningliereto-
fore, will gill tO'ltiblesiekgreatlr zeal than before, flat.
terettAnCeppeurageithysench signal proof, that their
blows are felts sekile,,tkesesnenabers who have hitherto
beenkltl43' SikepecOttc 04 silent,,yrill feel the safety
andll9failiete
{'tonality
:of freedom, and the
mentintont'ss 444ality calWii em to protest and
resehtsAA Ali TElttabeepf thlihne , -4webeen furnished
on thepii464lo3j, tha rii issiftis.: 16 tet, hg for a long
time Pitst'been'pecullarty i:.' ...Rican l'such topics,
yaw
-.Rican
reptietlL ttC•tha .Ifew '.2i
iteiir's'fipet, thttment that
while' the Etepeeoriand .hire ftal'artliktt`ree' spoken of
reap/1014113(2kt the-apparenrchtitivathe Trench people
it issnot weetessary, nor desirtabledineaxtend the same
lenient,viewmto.some of, bis.Minixternavho, it is broadly
hintedsaretoe ()Illy faithless in politics, but dishonest
in eommerpwerespeoutation, turning, the power, or at i
least tlia knowledge, belonging to their official position
to the purposes of stockjobbiog for their own profit. IS
appears to us, - however, that the Timed does not do'
juatice to the case of the Rritifsh press, and' does more
than justice to the unhappy step of the French Govern.
meet, by making a parallel between this case and that
of the:Belgian press, ivhich' Count Walewski brought
before theTaris Conference. The complaint against the
Brussels press was unwise enough, but it had this paths.-
tionsit was directed only against certain newspapers
deeigned:nist for Belgian, but for French circulation, and
devoted lento the clicussiots of principles and measures
than to•the, instigation.pf rebellion, and especially assas-
sination. , No each grounds of cmplaint exist against
the British press, which Writes for the British people,
and does nots even in the extreme casess say more against
the Freacsl).,Gavertintent than is or may be said any day
against
,Orrir owe—coodemns the arbitrariness of ihe sys-
terainit6natires- the policy or questions the motives of
thetekag:"-tett ' Calls neither fOr berriCades nor daggers.
AgititSW teeie;cfonsplaint were not sufficiently absurd and
offensive, the French Government backs it with a
threat—the esmnsenta.ef the British press on French
affairseeemfa&eareyeaha.(enetfirisnce between the taro
Governments, and"edisunite the two nations." The-
instantstoaewer of .everyi Man'svill be that the moment
ourealliepee.teith France becomes incompatible with the
entieripreest.yettese a{ ;int. own liberties the alliance is of
course at an end. All this is so exceedingly plein that
some. lies.ja One to the rumour that the document has
not the.sanction of the Emperor, but has been put forth
by hie Ministers, partly in resentment of their own hurts,
pertly in erroneous and exaggerated interpretation of
theprivately expressed impatience of their master.
!" Rif; the curse of kings- to be attended
':!' lay slaves that take their humour for a warrant."

a: I • .r
_,...29•911 the Manchester Examiner and Times.)
Y. 51,iimfigrttio5 Alowls,o the dregs of the loving cup
'ff4ir.h. diPlqinacy filled:fox us at Paris. Russia took th
tral..)-54ya3gbt while,'it,ovas sparkling and effervescent
naViuniki got , the
_r,`eit • a deeper and less agreeahlt;
" PPI(I7-iti 11.,t(*). the .shprit'iof-jkraple s ; and, lastly, we are
aitt4l3'. ' ' -
latriv., „pry:tested toldrnsk the rest. Perhaps, in strict
._ c':P•l,.t4o,i4lV,Saiiit,,sir, are-authorised to find with-this
inile.'llo,4+o.,h4,,it.' , -. t • -
plFußotrotiari„B ..t a,.1 99 gisicti sooner. ,When the
‘,84,,piii,.,: f;yeoremonstrated with Belgium on the.
!no- permitted to the Belgian press, and
4inte, dr.tt ',he possibility of severe measures if some ster
were''”:4 taken to restrainit,. eierybody felt that toe,
puncifil',3 which warranted this interfereoae applied to
England is much ' .
1- . 38 t BeloiLlM - •
•5 • The experiment of,
repr.eaa ontlwas
argue
trtieocitotlinilia.. small scale in corpore rill ;
but, it w olil d indoess .not _to se.etbat if iit,
wpraeljiatray3spimenileit caiseit would he equally just in another '
11,1
sequielled.viithotit
case,apd that, after, Lord Clarendon,
a protest in the threat againiit
13$,Agiuns, the; retort was perfectly natural, "Physician
bcal thyself. j• ' '
.41421,41,a,iip0'ti1.,..e0:'
....Ong.ggh.!.tl; be the laat man in the worlg.
sor:l49l4,492::774o.44;fhtinjiprhtbseoettan.inzil.
i:cinrhosousrsialtetylrlieinsds toirfi ust eh
tetohit
ea
et
exclaim
onwlbah!iiemon;
tie secured his elevation.
Iris 3tl4l3true? that many' fool* things were said in the
),4444.Vrie11-our ,which
fears of
have agreed to forget.
We haye ctitlived
years past thea'inFtbaehn'tch invasiin, and
for,: th reihßr four
. ~y in their bade, ant'
of Brighton
hvo;.l4qp cßinfortaM
arts
sor 0 candour
press
atoned. But;
itstshereqe the
th4nPOPVurnP°l/ the Pa fish
by:4lo4olg Ito the opposite extreme. _ Louis
Napodtloeoroui,nor
spiA at once became a great m"rbu The
wca exliAust,ed iniorcler to, fina'ont newminis ways of, d ~ .
toriog 4attif ry, ,Every, journalist became the higha
sioitaiAr4.:toritioreronei,olletzlf fillg.w.ietisshfripa,graanndt
fumes
l'ioutrhnpearlfieaant
redolenthle
4,4
vs!
divinity. -,, e atinosphere grew so
of ,intogicaticg ,cdOurs that honest men could
Ilftf.Pd.it, and svere forced Co _bold their noses.. Even now,
when the illusion is pa'ritY,dissipat4 all that is noble
St4t4el4l3ficial imroe Iperial re(' intq is appreciated bet
04
jztix4litiul alas it 8p , anyotbeicountry in the world.
W4t,are.not blinded by prejudices. We do not insist upgrk
SP-Plyinonr,,ideaa of constitutional government to the
political .exigepnips of Fran rte.. XJt only are we penetrated
With,thamostaincere admiration of and friendship fOr
Ills Njanch petoplo, bp4.ll.we hnie liberally acted ont the
maxim that we have no right, to3find Paul with a mode
01 VlTRaglionA,lvOtkphicb,they are contented:., We re,
11"114, elm pptgotttf 00;41ind mounted to p9wer by
!nodes so very repugnr:et ti;tbeitideas which exist among
free coron?unitißLAuLigpsiy_ed, more g geerotis treatment
t. I ',la, Napoteon has received from the
_English
~, i'L,lf 'the Eaineridence which constitu.tes. its
to
~, ..',11",...ai0t-. spurn theldea of- a recoinpeoes !,in 'noir
laiiwt , 4;6.: "retort kith a heavy ,charge of forgetful-
,.) ,R,. stl4Watitude • • •
, ...1,, .L•
1 , ;Ityp cies: ,
S4IIS, 1
.4c'ei6nNelt ' various organs of the English
averninent." Thrting calumnies upon the French
nword which is here Used to desig
'fate our offence is often with some latitude. Men
,re disposed,to regard everythingr as a calumny which
Vouches their-clllAiaCter.
191 in Dein Piet' ofoied his bank the day before Sir
,i,.._iiiciatiit,e,virar_
_,, ti
havinghe would have branded
... ii:7,1„,„„;;,,,„,er5.67,7
such embezzled the pro-
i:
! , ,question is,,
- charges tree
.?, for, if truetetZsetrshoens concerned
ntriOlOmodate them to their characters -and con-
,signvis,
tb4ip, best can. Public institn
• ion stri-the property of the public. - Thtei29 and public
• 4sidytti on. tot
.Aodition. Theyrr eminence is
are t
.a , •
tepo,o dpialties ther 'represent ; thenlyroteesb°nation behalfare
e,iiititg;)`:".tri ii-Cif WE, . sphere of
action a Govern-
ent inalf-bectrme cicrally- responeible
beond, its owe
rifteirp - -E trope iiid the 'United States toftrernr none great
1
commercial family. PriV-Isll-' prosper or an
come writers would be disposed to extend this relpo:'.
biiity to actions purely political, but there can be nto: