The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-28 00:00:00

OUR WIFE.

Books of SheriLlan,'s play or Piz trro, as arranged for representation
the koyal Princess's Theatre by Charles, ean, with Historical
Notes, arc now re vly, an,l may be had at the stage door of the
theatre in Oxford-strat. Price Is.

7.IIBATILE.IiOXAI4,
Under the Management of Mr. Enekstonc

THIS I.:VENTS°,

SP.COND LOVE.
' Po!towel by
The Spanish Dancers.

After which,
?RESENTED AT. COURT.

cominle with
THE SPANI3II SERJEANT.

ROYAL TITEITRE ADELPIII.
Fropilotor.aiiil Manager, Mr. B. Webster.

Directress, lisadame Celeste.
.firii4 EVNING,
IRELAND AS IT 13.

FolloweA by
DOMES MC ECONOMY.

• After which •
VITO%

To oonchule with
OUR CAL.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.
Leas!aand llana;er, Mr. Mfrei Wigan.

.THIS EVENING
TUE GREEN-EYED lIONSTER,

After which,
MEDEA.

To concincle with
SHOCKING EVENTS.

ASTLETS ROTAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Le.see and lkianver, Mr. mm Cooke.
Shakspeare's Rlchmi the Third Illustrated.
• THIS EVENING,
Ths Melly successful prodizet.ion, Shilkspeare'a MIT ARD THE
TIIIItD, clth egneWian effeczs unprecedented, imposing •ableatt of
Death of White Surrey," I.lattle of Bosworth Field, 24c.
After which,
The ACTS of -HORSE M INS RIP in do CIRCLE.
To cone ucle with a round of varl6,l entertainments.
Box-offlce open frrn F.,ev, n ti'l Foqr. Stage Manager, Mr. W.
West. Egaestfian DirectOr, Mr. V. Co Ate,

HIGR WATER. AT LON-001•T BRIDGF..
THIS DAY—Morn. 26 min. aft. 12—Evening 54 rain. aft 12
TI-Ntonsam—Morti:2l min. aft. I—Evening 41 min. aft. 1

THE WEATHER—SUIT OFFICE, AUGUST 28.
THERMOMTTER, IN THIII SHADE.
75 —highest since noon yesterday.
53 -lowest this morning and during the night
69 —this day at noon.

PAIOMrEB,
WIND, S.W.-Light, with cloudy weather.

STAMPED EDITION OF " THE SUN."

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• •
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• • .
rr

-~r->,

LONDON, 'THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 1856.

" Physician, heal thyself !" Well may BOMA
reply to 'Louis. NAPOLEON, the tic quo que argu-
ment. Well may
_he expres3 astonishment at any
remonstrance from such• a quarter. The most
atrocious cruelties of which he has been guilty

are paralleled -by the pitiless treatment of. the

French :politicg victims at the appropriately.
named. " Island of Despair." The dungeons of

Naples) the cells of Monte-Sarchio, are by no
means worse than the pestilential swamps of
French Guiana. The paralysing inertion, and
strict confinement in Neapolitan gaols, are even
more tolerable than compulsory labour for eight
hours under a tropical sun, amidst decaying vege-
tation, that renders every passing breeze as deadly
as if laden with the poisonous exhalations of the
fabled Upas tree. And yet we rail at BOMBA.

while we leave the, more powerful potentate
without venturing on the slightest remonstrance

against a system which excites almost equally the
disgust awl the indignation of the community.

It may be said that England also has had, and
still has, its. exiles—that the treatment of our
own convicts is just as severe as that sanctioned
by the. French Government. The answer, how-
ever, -is easy.• • Our convicts, with rare excep-
tions, have been duly sentenced for infamous and
degrading offences, far which, even within the
memory of living men, they would have suffered
an ignominious death on the scaffold. They are
of the same alass'as the galley slaves of France
—and however severe their treatment it is
but the legitinsate 'punishment' of their crimes.
Besides they are located under a genial sky.
There Is but little danger— of a secondary
being indirectly exchanged for capital punish-
ment. They may, in the course of nature, live
to an advanced age, with ample opportunities for
repenting of their past offences.
The condition of the French Exiles, at Cayenne,
is strikingly - different in every respect. Their
offences, however formidable to the " powers that
be,":.had nothing mean or dishonourable. Had
they 'succeeded they would have been the doini-
nant party, .the tables would have been com-
pletely turned, and victims and oppressors might
have changed situations ; that is to say, if the pre-
sent sufferers had not too much generosity to so
grievously maltreat those whose destinies were,
by.th© fortunes of war, placed at their disposal.
The suffererS, too, were not endeavouring to over
throw an established Government. They were
mete:lT seeking to maintain the existing state of
AA resist the coup (fetal that changed the
Republi, into an Empire, and clothed the Presi-
dent of the day with the Imperial Purple. They
in'fact; standing up on behalf of " law and
order," and,,, although unsuccessful, could not,
under the most strained interpretation of existing
affairs, bo regarded as criminals.
What, too, was the nature of their trials ?
What oppOrtunities of defence were allowed ?
Some were condemned by drum-head Court-
martials, but even the semblance of a trial was
refused to the majority, and educated men—
" artists, tradesmen, workmen, barristers, phy-
sici4nst fail-116,5; journalists, and Scholars," have
joep not merely exiled from their native land,
but have been reduced to slavery of the worst de
seription, end exposed to all. the brutalities of
heirtless taskixtasters under circurnsto.nces more
intolerable-than those under which the.negroes of
the Southern States of America are labouring.
This is, indeed,- frightful ; and when it is consi_
ifered that ,every citizen of a free state is swap,. se i
to have the right of being heard in his own do.
fence before his condemnation, the harsh and
- :
ihrel treatment of these truly unfortunate persons
becomes mpre'repugnant to the feelings of every
right-minded n a i.

Some time since France spoke with pride of the
abolition of capital punishment for political