The Sun.
London, England, 1869-11-30 00:00:00

LOIVDON, TUESDAY, NOV. 30, 1869.

The Speech of the Emperor NAPOLEON on the
opening of the Chambers is always ono of the events
of the political year, and certainly it has never excited
more interest than on the present occasion. A great
deal has happened since last year, and although the
Chambers are summoned to meet at an ear-
lier period than usual it is difficult to realise the
fact on account of the vexatious delays that have
been interposed and the frivolous pretexts that have
been taken advantage of. It is impossible to withhold
our admiration from this discourse of the EMPEROR'S,
but the question is whether it will satisfy those to
whom it was addressed, and through them the
country so intimately associated with the
affair. To judge from the French papers,
it has not produced a very favourable impression.
They seem irritated and indignant, and refuse to put
faith in fine-sounding words, or to expect much pro-
gress to be made under the existing order of things.
If words mean anything, the EMPEROR seems to be
earnestly bent on taking a decided step in the right
direction, and perhaps his critics and commentators
hardly do him justice, but again on their behalf it
must be urged that they have been often disap-
pointed. This Speech before us possesses one merit,
it is frank and decided, and one passage at the com-
mencement seems admirably to sum up the required
conditions of government. " France desires liberty, 1
but liberty united with order; for order I will answer.
Aid me, gentlemen, to save liberty, and to attain this
object let us keep at an equal distance from reaction
and revolutionary theories." If it were possible for
the EMPEROR and the leading minds of the country to
combine together in support of these views, what a
great and glorious work would be before them, and
how would France, in the days of the Second Em-
pire, shine with a light that never adorned the most
brilliant period of the great BUONAPARTE'S career.
Notwithstanding the doubts that arise, and the diffi-
culties that throng the way, there seems to be
some cause for congratulation in the spirit
which animates the Speech. The Emperor
NAROLEON is always equal to any occasion that
may present itself and in moments of cmergeney,
he rises to the height that is due, but it would seem
that in this last effort of his skill be had surpassed
himself. Whether the leisure afforded by his recent
illness has been turned to account, or whether ho has

at last learned wisdom from the plain speaking of
the press, and the outspoken language of the politis
cal reunions, may be hard to determine, but it is cer-
tain that progress has been mads by the ruler of the
State himself, while he counsels his friends and fol-
lowers in the way they should go in that direction.
The EMPEROR declares, in the most positive manner,
that when he proposed the Senatus Consultum of
hst September, he meant resolutely to inaugurate a
new era of conciliation and progress, an I ho has im-
plicit trust in the " good sense of the public" to
control the excesses that are committed by some of
the public journals and at some of the public meet-

ings.
It is something new for the temper of the public to
be discussed at all in the course of Imperial speeches,
and still more strange for the once arbitrary ruler to
refer to the impotent attacks which have been allowed
to die out instead of being met, as they would once