The Sun.
London, England, 1860-08-09 00:00:00

"household word"—one among the cherished
penates and beloved lures of our popular litera-
ture.

Memoirs to Illustrate the .History of my Time.
By F. Guizot, translated by T. W. Cole. Vol.
111. Bentley.

The third volume of M. Guizot's memoirs opens
with the year 1832, when he was himself a member
of the cabinet, occupying the congenial post of
minister of public instruction. Whatever may have
been M. Guizot's errors as a statesman, his patron-
age of letters reflects on him nothing but honour,
and the tone in which he always speaks of men of
science, art, or letters, is worthy of one who has ac-
quired a reputation in literature as well as in politics.
The first chapters of this volume he devotes to the
recapitulation of his labours in the particular de-
partment over which he presided, and a general
description of the state of education in France at
that epoch. He then proceeds to narrate the poli-
tics,l events of the time, and the complex questions
that troubled, divided, and finally overthrew the
ministry. It was in truth no easy task which the
members of the cabinet undertook in assuming the
responsibilities of government. The people rejoic-
ing in the charter, proud of the freedom, they had
waded through so much blood to gain, expected
every day greater concessions ; while the turbulent
spirit of Red Republicanism still actively foment-
ing discontent in the heart of the capital, and the
recent establishment of the monarchy, seemed to call
for, what M. Guizot terms, the policy of repression.
On this difficult path they started with some draw-
backs.

" The ministry was far from combining all the conditions,
or of presenting all the features, usually considered essen-
tial to a Parliamentary cabinet. We did not enter into
office together and at the same time; neither did we all
spring without exception from the same political ranks. We
had not all adopted similar maxims and marched under one
flag. Of the eight ministers of the 11th of October, 1832,
four had belonged to the preceding Cabinet, four only were
new. Some had supported and served, others had op-
posed the Restoration. A close investigator of our ideas
and general tendencies, of our habits of mind and life,
would have found amongst us important distinctions. But
whether from principle, taste, good sense, or prudence, we
all looked upon liberal government as the form required. All
were unanimously desirous that the monarchy and the char-
ter should pass into a truth together."

In attempting to follow the policy of resistance
in the then existing state of France his Cabinet, as
M. Guizot acknowledged, endeavoured to carry out
a most difficult work. In his own words, "in
struggling against disorders, it undertook to con-
quer by the laws alone, and by laws enacted and
applied in presence of liberty." Yet, while he de-
fends the general principles and policy of the Go-
vernment, M. Guizot does not by any means take
the part of an undeviating adherent. He frankly
admits, in many instances, that they committed
serious errors in judgment. For instance, the
series of prosecutions of the press, in which they
suffered themselves to become engaged in 1833, he
regards as a mistake, which aggravated the mis-
chief they were anxious to stifle. His remarks on
the liberty of the press are not without importance,
and contain much truth. Two points he especially
dwells upon as deserving the attention of those in
authority. He considers that they should meet the
enemy on their own ground, not by attacking them
before a legal tribunal, but at the bar of public
opinion ; that they should avail themselves of the
facilities offered by the press to set questions fairly
before the public by the establishment of organs of
their own. Secondly, he maintains that " power
must be indifferent as well as bold ; and while its
partisans maintain the struggle with vigour, it should
bear blows with patience,'and notbetoo eager either
to stop or punish them." On another occasion,
where he thinks the Ministry in error, he dissented
in opinion from his colleagues at the time. In the de-
bate on the budget of 1833 two members of the Cham-
ber, holding public offices, vehemently supported
an amendment proposed by the opposition. A
tumult was excited in the chambers, and after a
stormy debate the amendment was negatived, and
the Cabinet decided the following day on removing
the two dissentients from their posts. The retire-
ment of Marshal Soult from the Cabinet was an
error, attended by more serious consequences to the
ministry. Owing to his irascible temper, and other
drawbacks, his colleagues had long desired his re-
signation, and they seized the opportunity of a dif-
ference of opinion respecting the substitution of a
civil for a military governor in Algeria to break
with him. This M. Guizot now terms a double
error ; for he considers they greatly anticipated the
day for the establishment of a civil government in
Algeria, and they found, too late, that " the door
by which Marshal Soult went out remained an open
breach for the enemy they contended with." The
secret societies were amongst the most formidable of
their adversaries. The leading one of the Friends
of the People had been dissolved in 1832 by a decree
of the Court of Assize in Paris ; but its chiefs soon
re-established it under another name. It was trans-
formed into the Society of the Rights of Man; " it
was organised into sections, each consisting of 20
members, and gee— s.'2 la- a" ---
tors. The number of sections soon amounted, in
Paris, to 162 ; the central committee had thus un-
der its orders about 3,000 men." A number of
similar societies were connected with it, so that the
central committee was able to congratulate itself on
being the parent of more than 300 other societies.
Their principles were not doubtful. They an-
nounced their determination of overthrowing all
monarchies, and founding the Republic on their
ruins, " not an abstract Utopia, but the Republic
born in 1792 already known to France." The recol-
lections of the Reign of Terror, the Noyades of
Nantes, and the tragedies of the guiilotine, did not
interfere with the projects of these theorists. In
an exposition of their principles they de-
clared that " the Society of the Rights
of Man, adopted as the expression
1 of its principles, the declaration presented to the
National Convention by the representative of the
people, Robespierre." Some of the sections of the
societies adopted the names of Couthon, Marat,
The 21st of January, Abolition of 111-acquired Pro-
perty, and similar pleasant and pacific titles. It
is not surprising that M. Guizot, whose father had
perished under the guillotine, was not inclined to
share their sentiments. He is justly indignant at
the countenance these advocates of anarchy received
from many persons of station and reputation,
actuated by various motives. On his once
remonstrating with a wealthy banker who
held monarchical opinions, on this subject
—" What would you have me do ?" he said ;
" you and your colleagues will never do me any
harm ; but these gentry will one day be the mas-
ters, and they have friends who are very capable
of seizing my property and cutting off my head."
Such pusillanimous conduct merits nothing but
contempt, but it proves the feeling of insecurity
then prevalent. Another difficulty was the dis-
tribution of inflammatory pamphlets by the public
criers. On this the Government determined to
take active measures. A law was passed subject-
ing the distributor of writings in the public tho-
roughfares to municipal superintendence. Riots
and tumults broke out, repressed with extreme
severity by the authorities. Another bill was in-
troduced directed against associations. In speak-
ing of this bill, M. Guizot says he has no wish
to extenuate its character, but he considers it was
necessary at the period. It would have been
better, he admits, to have made it exceptional;
but the name of exceptional law had become
so unpopular, thanks to old associations, that
the Cabinet dared not make the experi-
ment. After a debate of fifteen days the bill was
passed by a strong majority, and the Government
proceeded to dispose of a foreign diffi-
culty—the long pending dispute with the
United States respecting the compensation
due for the seizure of American vessels during the
Empire. The outbreak at Lyons, and the disaster
at the Review on the Boulevards in 1835, when in
an attempted assassination of the King 41 persons
were killed or mortally injured, are subsequently
alluded to. Of the outbreak at Lyons we have a
very full account in the Historic Documents, written
on the spot by an eye-witness,tand giving full details
of the struggle and its suppression. M. Guizot's
defamers, among other accusations, asserted that he
had issued " most pitiless orders for the suppres-
sion of the insurrections at Lyons in 1831 and '34."
This he proves to have been a calumny, since at the
forfner epoch he was not in the Cabinet, and at the
latter he occupied a post where he could issue no
order whatever concerning Lyons. On this point
he expresses some indignation ; but; generally
speaking, his public career appears to have afforded
him more satisfaction than disappointment. Not
keenly sensitive, and fond of power, his long tenure of
office seems to have been'to him a source of gratifica-
tion, notwithstanding all the attendant drawbacks.
He says that he feels no inclination to complain, as
some politicians have done, of the sorrows and re-
verses of public life, though he avers that, when
most successful, he never found it sufficient to com-
pensate for the absence of domestic affections and
sympathy. These observations he makes in alluding
to the death of his accomplished and estimable
wife, whose loss he had to deplore during his tenure
eromancetom whichost
aotftoeffindceediitihtehier Cfirasbtinaecun
tqofailBt3an.ce The
familiar
readers. Madame Guizot was :one well fitted to
share her husband's anxieties, and sympathise inhis pursuits. Giftedherself
ordinary
powers of mind, and entering warmly into all his
with n o
projects, it is not surprising that her sudden loss
filled him with despair. It was fortunate for
the survivor that the inevitable duties of his office
afforded him some distraction. With regard
to the results of his labours as Minister of
Public Instruction, we will give his own statistics—
" On the 15th of April, 1834, within a year after the P
mulgation of the law of the 28th of June, 1833 I o mmruc-
nicated.to the King the nature of its progress, in 4 detailed