The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-31 00:00:00

COMING EVENTS.

For so powerful a system, the French Empire is
strangely irritable. A Constitutional Government
keep§ the tenour of its way without fearing the
comments of public opinion or the operations of the
Exchange. Although liable to the criticisms of a
free press—although its measures must bear the
examination of the shrewdest men of business, the
Government of a country like ours never interferes
with the money-market, or attempts to control the
ea-pression of private opinion. It would seem, how-
ever, that the Government established across the
Channel' is inclined to return to the practices Which
two years since excited the disapprobation, if not
the disquietude, of England. The French press
once more exhibits in some of its organs that hos-
tility to this country which distinguished it up to
a recent time—in fact, to the eve of the com-
mercial treaty. We can hardly bring our-
selves to speak seriously of the Opinion
Pub,lique, which 'has just thrown out its defiance
of England, and dared us to reorganise a coalition
after the fashion of Pitt. We are all accustomed
to'those.revilings which are poured out under the
per Mission of the police, and cease as soon as the
author receives a hint that the superior powers desire
hith'to restrain his patriotism. We are not affected
by the fragments of news which the central offices
of Paris send'to the departments, nor are we sur-
prised that 24 hours should suffice for the recoin-
meneement, Of a . system of vituperation which is
evidently.not spontaneous, inasmuch as it begins
and' ends' at the will .of some central power.. To
•:a,',rgye With Ale French press andllts conductors we
Illow Ito; be yain.. .As all opposition to the will of
.'the 9overnment• has now vanished, the Parisian
YffrspayeiS areonly the organs, more or less ener-
f
'Oitip,*pf3thqopinionawhich prevail in official guar-
Itelpil apellive may expect that during the course of
She present-complications they will with one voice
join lin': tiny' cry for which men in power may give
I the'' What The annexation of Savoy is an act
kvihieli,las-beeri.completed in defiance of assurances
.oftgery kind:.. Three months ago the disinterest-
edness, of:France, and the attachment existing be-
twe6n,tl,ie Sardinian King and all classes of his
sajdcfs, were'matters which no one was allowed
tolidpu' - bt: That Savoy would be ceded by the
ra• .- • •
Prince who derives his earliest title from its terri-
tOry;fand that France, after concealing her inten-
tions ' rol motith's,, . would suddenly appear as the
promoter of-this disruption, would have been re-
pellek.as *infamous' calumnies by, every Parisian
journalist.' At the e,nd of last year it was an article
of faith:tiled Aance went to war " for an idea," arid
that, if slie supiported the rights of Austria and the
banished Princes, it was only out of respect' foi
good faith and the .strict observance of treaties.
What would have. been the
.outcry if it had been
asserted in the English Parliament, or in any-Eng-
lish newspaper, that the French ruler, when he first
gave his support to Italy; had bargained for Savoy,-
and that when he made his treaty with Austria he
had determined on the price which he would take
for assenting to its being broken ? It is all the
same, however, to the writers whose productions
we shall readifor the next-few weeks. Exaggerated
invectives againgtall whodispute_the right of the
French Empire tezxtend itself ,in any direction
which it pleases will take the 'place of political
reasoning? and even of common morality.
But what are the' little . efforts of Imperial jour-
nalists to the operations of the Empire itself? The
Patrie or the 1)(Vs may endeavour to show that
France cares nothing for Lord John Russell's ob-
servations, but the Paris Bourse, under the guid-
ance of Imperial functionaries, actually demon-
strates the fast:. Lord John Russell spoke strongly,
and the house cheered loudly. :-A great effect was
produced in England, in France, and over all
Europe. It ' Was tee object •. of the • powers that
exist in France to 'show that Lord John's words
were wind, and that France' did not care for
them at all. And; indeed, the effect on the
money-market , seemed wonderfully to con-
firm this fact. Lord John's speech . might be
naturally expected ti:•.send the fund down; in fact,
the English funds cleciiiredlsorneWhere about one-
half per cent. But, wonderful :to relate, the exact
Apposite took place in Paris.- So cheerful did the
prospect of English estrangenient make the Paris
speculators that the Three per Cents. actually went
up from 68f. 30c. to 70f. 3.5 c. -We in this country
of insolent and unbridled freedom cannot under-
stand such a result. It is reserved for nations with
a more cautious and paternal government to con- •
nect warlike rumours wi :increased' confidence.
Dare we whisper that the
,Vourable result on the
t
Bourse was in some measure.caused by the applica-
tion of funds not exactly tie property, of private
speculators, and that Imperil ,France .interested
itself to prove that it was not affrighted -by the re-'
marks of the British Secretary. The result of this
interference was, of course, decisive. For two days
French securities bade defiancelto all the hatred of
a perfidious rival, and even the lifeless • five-franc
pieces obeyed he genius of Government manipu-

lators. But, unhappily, a reaction has come•
After a short period of inflated credit, the Three
per Cents. have sunk to their former level, and,
perhaps, may be destined to a still further decline.
it is, after all, plain that no cleverness and no po-
litical juggling can much change the course of mo-
netary affairs, and that the affectation of indiffer-
ence to European criticism is an artifice too easy of
detection for a wise Government to attempt.—
Times.