The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-16 00:00:00

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tiat loved to trace, which run through the whole
political and social, no less than through the com-
mercial, system of a people will replace the discord
which created a daily recurring opposition between
the fundamental conditions of material life and the 1
highest aspirations of national influence and power.
There is great boldness in this step of the Empe-
ror, but there is prudence mingled with the bold-
ness, and there is the tact of seizing the right mo-
ment. We know that the great changes announced
in the letter to M. Fould have nothing incomplete
or fragmentary in their character ; that the vast
plan for drainage, the improvement of the means of
communication in France, the reduction of the
duties on wool and cotton, on sugar and coffee, are
all parts of a systom which the Emperor has con-
stantly endeavoured to carry out. But the announce-
ment at the present moment has an importance not
less than that of the system itself. It is at the very
time that Napoleon 111. has broken with the Pope
and Austria that he proposes to inaugurate a vast
system of which the execution implies the prospect
of long-continued peace. He must, we feel assured,
have little doubts as to the issue of the contest with
Pope and Kaiser when thus preparing to enter on a
more eventful campaign against commercial privilege
and protection. Nor need we disguise our satisfaction
that to the language held, and the attitude assumed,
by the statesmen of this country has the great
change now proposed in the commercial policy of
Frenee been in no slight measure due. Should it be
fully and successfully carried out, a far more impor-
tant security will be afforded for the lasting peace of
Europe than was obtained from the despatches in
Lord Malmesbury's blue book. Let but the inter-
nal prosperity of France and the international rela-
tions between the French people and ourselves rest
on the same broad basis of common interests and
we need care comparatively little for Ministerial
changes in either country. It is not, at least, very
probable that any future change of Ministry in
France will produce changes so great, and, let us
add, so beneficial as have marked the retirement of
Count Walewski from the councils of his Sove-
reign.
The great commercial reforms thus announced in
France constitute but one phase of the Anglo-French
alliance as freshly cemented by the events and con-
tingencies of the Italian question. Their import-
ance must not, however, lead us to overlook the
momentous political results which the alliance is
likely to produce. We entertain no doubt that a
satisfactory settlement will soon be effected by
which the destinies of Central Italy will reflect in
their happier condition the joint interest and pro-
tection of the French and English Governments.
The telegram which informs us of the protest
transmitted by the Court of Rome to Paris—a pro-
test despatched three days after the receipt of the
Emperor's letter—entirely accords with the whole
previous conduct of the Roman Curia. But, writhe
and struggle as they may, both Pope and cardinals
are completely in the Emperor's power. Our Tus-
can correspondent mentions that the threat of Mon-
signor Sacconi to demand his passports was met by
the decltration of Napoleon 111., that the cessation
of diplomatic relations on the part of his Holiness
would be followed immediately by the recall of the
French army of occupation from Rome. This notice,
even if it does record an actual fact, very faithfully
represents the impolence of the Pope and his help-
less dependence on the Emperor.