The Sun.
London, England, 1856-11-19 00:00:00

PRANCE AND PERSIA.

(From 414 CorsetiNtionnel of yesterday.)

i At this moment, when tLe public mind in Eng
land is greatly preoccupied by the events which
are passing in Asia, certain jonrnals have indulged
in a polemic of a nature to throw a doubt upon the
attitude assumed by the French Government and
its agents in regard to Persian affairs. The Morn-
ing Post, a journal which, with more cr less reason,
excites particular attention at the present time,
has just launched an article containing undeserved
I reproaches against the French Minister in Persia,
which we feel called upon to answer.
The French Envoy at Teheran, M. Bourree, has
been there scarcely two years. He was sent during
the last war, with the double object of renewing
relations between France and Persia, which had
been for some time broken off, and of ratifying a
treaty of commerce negotiated by his predecessor,
and also, and above all, to support at Teheran an
interest common to England and France, an in-
terest born of the Eastern war. The principal
object of his mission was to prevent Persia from
leaning towards Russia ; he was at all events to
obtain her neutrality. We need not say that the
French Minister showed himself a zealous repre-
sentative of the alliance, and never ceased during
the war to act in a manner conformable to the
intentions of the two countries. But it appears
that, independently of that grand object, difficulties
of a minor nature arose ; the English Minister,
Mr. Murray, had some private differences with the
Persian Government. We will not dwell upon
the nature of this quarrel. It was one altogether
of secondary interest, one with which politics can
scarcely be said to have had anything to do, but it
resulted in the departure of Mr. Murray. What
course did the French Minister take under these
delicate circumstances ? We have every reason to
believe that he endeavoured by good offices to
allay the displeasure of his colleague, and to pre-
vent him from withdrawing ; but he did not, it is

true, altogether succeed. His intervention was
somewhat distasteful, or, at all events, it did not
answer to the perhaps somewhat excessive require-
ments of Mr. Murray. The English Minister,
irritated, doubtless, by his disagreeable position,
became prejudiced against his colleague, and it
was no doubt in consequence of his complaints that
the English Cabinet begged the Emperor's 0-overn-
merit to tell its Minister to abstain from all inter-
ference with the private relations of England and
Persia. The French Envoy thenceforth took
care not to lay himself open to the reproach of
meddling in these affairs. But now a reproach
of a totally opposite nature is addressed to him,
and he is accused of having shown a coldness and
indifference to English interests. Listen to the
Morning Post. " The French minister made no
sort of effort to dissuade the Persian government
from undertaking the expedition against Herat."
We believe we can reply to this pretended griev-
ance, that without departing from the spirit of the
instructions of which we have just spoken, the
French envoy understood that his government was
quite alive to the great interests of England in that
part of the world, and we have reason to think that
our minister did not give advice, and did take
steps to induce Persia to abandon the project.
That his influence should not have been strong
enough to stay the course of events is not astonish-
ing, when we consider what violent instincts, what
passionate obstinacy often directs the conduct of
Asiatic governments in such cases. But here is
another grievance. Our diplomacy, the Morning
Post tells us, was " not inaugurated at the court
of the Shah under very favourable circumstances."
But we think there is reason to presume that the
English Government did not think so. The mis-
sion confined to the French minister received the
assent of the court of St. James's, whose friendly
offices were then employed to smooth difficulties
and insure a good reception for our envoy. He
did not forget this courtesy, and conducted him-
self, as it behoved him to do, as a faithful re-
presentative of the alliance. But this is not
all. " Two striking facts," says the Morning
Post, "connected with the expedition to Herat
deserve serious attention ; the first is, that a
French officer, named Bulher, who was under M.
Bourree's orders, was authorised to conduct the
siege operations as engineer ; the other, that not-
withstanding the state of quasi hostility which
exists between England and Persia, the Shah's
ambassador, Feroukh-Khan has been sent, with
M. Bourree's consent, on a friendly mission to
Paris, carrying with him magnificent presents to
the ourt of Franoe, and being assured beforehand
that he will meet with a brilliant reception."
Unless our information is very erroneus, we
think we are in a position to reply to these new
complaints. A retired French officer of engineers
named Bulher did in point of fact enter the Persian
service at the beginning of 1853, that is to say at
a period antecedent to the commencement of the
war, before the alliance, and at a time when France
had no representative at Teheran. The officer in

question, who no longer belongs to the French
army, has become a colonel of engineers in the
Persian service. He was sent on a mission having
reference to the siege of Herat in so secret a man-
ner that not only the French Minister, but even his
own family, did not know where he was going. But
as soon as the truth came to the knowledge of our
envoy, he immediately, and in a most pressing
manner, demanded that M. Bulher should be re-
called to Teheran. Letters on the subject were
exchanged between M. Bourree and the Minister
of the Shah. It is easily conceivable that this
negotiation led to no result, and that the Persian
Government considered that it was only exer-
.

cising a right in retaining the officer who was

already in its service. vWe have, moreover,
reason to believe that, whatever may have
been said to the contrary, this officer is the only
Frenchman employed in the siege, which is spoken
of in a tone of such alarm, although there is as yet
nothing to show that the Persians are able to push
this great enterprise to a conclusion.
With regard to the Persian embassy, we are
assured that France has in no way solicited that it
should be sent to Paris. But France has sent a
legation to Teheran, a treaty of commerce has been
concluded, and the Persian sovereign has seen in
this an opportunity to make a friendly demonstra-
tion towards France.

Our relations with Persia, moreover, are of no
recent date. The first treaties with that kingdom
_

go back to the reign of Louis XIV. It is better
known still whatrelations were established between

the French empire and this distant country in the
time of Napoleon I. That name which appeals so
power
fully to the imagination of every people is a
living remembrance among the nations of Asia. It
will be easily conceived, therefore, that the Persian
monarch feels himself at this moment attracted
towards France, and why, according to Eastern
custom, be should send words of peace and presents
to the successor of Napoleon.
Now, how would it be possible to defer to the
advice given by the English journal not to receive
the ambassador ? On what ground could the,
French government repulse this friendly manifes-
tation, when it was the first to send a legation to
Persia ? How can we be otherwise than astonished
at the declaration of the Morning Post, that if the
Persian envoy " should receive the least encourage-
ment from M. Thouvenel at Constantinople, and
that if he should be permitted to continue his
journey to Paris the French government will rea-
der itself in some sort responsible for the obstinacy
with which the Shah persists in his hostile pro-
ceedings towards England, and the fatal conse-
quences that may result from them ?"
This assertion of the Morning Post is, it seems to
us, but little in keeping with the doctrine it lately
professed, viz., that the two allied governments
are at liberty, where the great interests of
Europe
are not concerned, to follow a separate policy
certain given
on
in
Asia and France in Africa.
points, as, for example, England
any
fatal of the Persian ambassador will involveen
Now, is it in any way to be feared that the
fatal consequences ? Is there not ratbertr
in
Paris
to
hope for good results from it ?
' that the envoy will find himselflt
eoneiliation.
unfavourable to the ideas of pease
ash
to prevent France has shown herself desirous isnnaotmosphere
rover they may
con-
flicts and appease differences
ntrie., has faithfully
presentatives in all other coa
and we trust that
followed this line of conduct,
reproaches that have
arise ; her representative at'Tewherau, like her re-
nothing will remain of the .
h.
directed against im.
been so unjustly

PARK FOR FINSBURY. A deputation from the
parishes of St. Mary, Islington, the Holborn District,
St. James, Clerkenwelly and St. Mary, Stoke Newin
Purpose of laying before his lordship 8
proposed park for Finsbury, an estimate ofe
ton, bad an interview with Lord Palmerston, on Pridagg
pleat last,h e eofxof pr et the
ee
, with otherintentions
declined particulars,
too
fgive
iGv e 0 andv er
t 1 I Solicitingn nt
assistance of government for
hfoarnecealrlroyrinofg
ao
nuyt theple
dugned
te ro
t untiltakthili
the Exchequer a a
thehad deputations
consultedu eicst alsr
dbtuwosthithtihhieehas since seen Mr. Layton, the vestry
clerk of Islington, in reference thereto, and promised
thatnotice has been given, for makft!gg oftthhee park,bil bill ,of which
Govern-
ment due
i n the
would erveecnotmomf the
end
PatosPsianrl lament a grant of 50,000 k
towards carrying out the work. The park is proposed
tary grant, 150,0001. will
200,000/ , of which, besidesb
et the
required,
an
to comprise 300 acres of 1 .and, and the cost is estimated at
posed to be raised by a metropolitan rate of a halfpenny
in the pound d • uring a period of seven years. A deputso
tion from the ptharisliiasmp:
several parishes mentioned will present a
memorial to the Metropolitan me
Board of Works on Friday
next, praying them to undertake the work as a metro.
politao improvement.