The Sun.
London, England, 1867-08-28 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28, 1867.

The Emperor NAroLEost was likely to do his best
to keep things stirring during this dead season, and
thus chronicles of his journey and reports of his
speeches infuse animation into the details of foreign
affairs. During his journey to Lille, to appear at
the fetes held there in. commemoration of the two
hundredth anniversary of its annexation to France,
he passed through Arras. His MAJESTY'S reply to
the address of the Mayor of that city is a charac-
teristic one, and deserves attention at this particu-
lar crisis of affairs. After which expressions of good-
will and pleasure at again meeting his friends in the
city, after so long an absence, the EMPEROR goes on
to say that they arc right to have confidence in the
future, and adds emphatically that "it is only weak
Governments who seek in foreign complications to
divert attention from troubles at home," which is
certainly true enough in many instances.- The
greatest confidence is expressed in this speech as to
the relations which exist between the people of
France and the authorities, and the prosperity which
is likely to accrue therefrom. Some hints are given as
to the advisability of maintaining peace if possible,
notwithstanding any inducements to pursue a con-
trary policy. " While holding aloft the national
flag, we should not allow ourselves to be drawn
away by intemperate impulses, however patriotic
they may be." These are significant words, and
doubtless intended to have due effect upon those
restless spirits who are never satisfied but when
they discern the prospect of hostilities, and are con-
stantly doing their utmost to fan the flame of dis-
cord. The EstrEnon seems anxious to impress upon
his hearers, wherever they may be, that his mission is
to secure the interests and work out the welfare of the
community as much as possible, without reference
to other countries. The policy of the Empire is
peace, he announced many years ago in a speech
that disappointed the enthusiastic and set the cap-
tious to criticise him ; but he has kept the law he
then laid down as much as possible, nor does he
naw seem wiling to depart from it. So far as the
e,.-m,:Trned, they will have
t arty ir_ka, has ben held

I peoll: of .krrts ;tr,

ca :3e fur sftyi

oqL to thZin of w:trl;kc-th.itigs,

, At Lille the I.:,fry.r.or. (Icily. red a much fuller
reply to the autho;ities in that place, and entered
more minutely into an analysis of the state of
affairs. Taking a retrospcctive glance, his MAJESTY
referred to the period at which he had seen the
part for the first time. Everything then was pro-
pitious ; he had espoused the EMPRESS, he bad also
wedded Francs before eight millions of witnesses.
" Order was restored, political treasons were lulled
to rest, and I for saw for the country a new era of
greatness and prosperity." Such were the pleasing
prospects vrhich appeared at that time, and the

EMPEROR does not seem disappointed when engaged
in the untoward task of comparing the then with
the now. Many of his hopes have been realised, and
great progress has been made, but he admits that dark
spots have darkened the horizon. With his in-
domitable courage and remarkable equanimity, he
declares, however, that as he has not been dazzled
by good fortune, so he will not be discouraged by
any " transient reverses." Why should be feel
despairing, he asks, when, from one end of France
to the other he sees the people greeting the EMPRESS
and himself with acclamations, and referring enthu-
siastically to their son. "I do not. come," adds the
Emr EROII, "among you to-lay merely for the purpose
of celebrating a „glorious anniversary in the capital of
ancient Flanders. I come to learn your wants,
to heighten the courage of some, to confirm the con-
fidence of all, and to endeavour to increase the
prosperity of this great department by still further
developing its agriculture, manufactures, and com-
merce." In the prosecution of this noble work
his MAJESTY asked for the assistance of those
aronnd him, and earnestly impressed upon then the
conviction that nothing great or lasting could be
effected without the nation possessing the
consciousness of its own strength, and not giving
way to imaginary fears. To rely upon the Govern-
ment, and believe in its wisdom and patriotism, is
the advice which is tendered to the people of France
through the medium of this reply at Lille, and very
likely the counsel may be sound in some respects.
It is cert Lin that no great end will be attained
so long as the nation is restless and agitated,
or presages conspiracy on the one hand,
and foolish imaginings of evil ou the
other. The Emperor NAroLEoN has undoubtedly
committed many errors, and he has erred in not re-
moving the restrictions on the French press, but he
has certainly been a great benefactor to France,
and under his vigorous rule the country has attained
a height of social improvement and commercial pro-
sperity such as at one time was never dreamed of by
the most sanguine. It is this which gives him the
hold he possesses on the great body of the people ;
they see order established out of chaos, and pro-
sperity dawning upon them, where before they had
cause to fear misrule and anarchy. It would be a
source of great satisfaction to those who take an in-
terest in France, although not connected with that
nation by ties of consanguinity, to find that in the
course of time a more liberal policy was inaugurated
by the Government of the EMPEROR, and that free-
dom might be more than a name in a land where
its idea is so ardently worshipped. Meanwhile
those will be the truest friends of the people who
counsel moderation and inculcate feelings of good-
will, instead of following the ordinary mode of
virtuously indignant patriots by setting one against
another. The France of to-day may not approach
the realisation of the Utopian dream of enthusiasts,
it may disappoint some who formed more moderate
expectations ; but it is no exaggeration to say that
the earnest endeavours of the Emperor NAPOLEON
to preserve the prosperity of the land, and to im-
prove the condition of the people, have been
crowned with success beyond what his most ardent
desires at one time could have supposed likely to
take place.

The progress which England has made in the in-
dustrial arts since 1767 might fill a good many
volumes if it were accurately recorded. The men
of that day, could they look upon our mills and
factories full of their wonder-working machinery,
would find it difficult to conceive that they were
standing in the same England which witnessed our
slow and tedious processes. In no trade or profession
would the changes be more startling than in that
c.dling which, in olden times, was thought least
liable to alteration of any kind. The far-
mers of a century ago, could they see our
steam ploughs, our thrashing, winnowing, and
chaff-cutting machines, our agricultural implements
of various kinds, to say nothing of the application
of scientific principles to the cultivation of the land,
would be probably more amazed at the transforma-
tion than the quiet hand-loom weaver as he looked
on the whirring wheels and countless bands and
straps by which in these marvellous days "a worsted
stocking gets up and knits itself." Fancy one of
the good old-fashioned farmers of GEORGE lll.'s
reign, with the traditional hatred of foreigners,
the contempt for " book-learning," and comfortable
confidence in the routine his father and his grand-
father followed before him, peeping in at the grand
centenary meeting of the Manchester and Liverpool
Agricultural Society, now being celebrated with all
the honours in the former city. What should such
a visitor think as he watched a machine cutting
chaff in four different lengths for horses, cattle,
and bullocks without changing wheels 2 or if he
looked at a horse-rake for hay in which the horse
lifts the rake himself ? If he brought his dame with
him in the mob cap and scarlet handkerchief be-
longing to her memory, the good woman might
have the satisfaction or the shock of seeing a ma-
chine make butter ! Thanks to the fertile invention
of our Transatlantic cousins, such a sight is now
to be seen at Manchester, where an atmospheric
churn, worked by atmospheric pressure, actually
turns out delicious butter from new milk even in
about ten minutes' time.

And of 3,000 entries in the various departments
of the Exhibition no less than 1,000 belong to
that of machinery alone. Of course there is also
a good show of beasts of all kinds ; but the
machinery in some respects--the most interesting
and valuable part of the exhibition—has the
predominance. Such assemblies answer many good
purposes. They give a stimulus to invention and
to enterprise—they encourage an honour-
able competition, and they afford inventors
a ready means of bringing their designs
or improvements under the immediate notice
of the very class for whose use they were
intended. To walk round ono of these large exhi-
bitions is an education of itself ; and the farmer,
who is perhaps unable or unwilling to learn much
from books, can see for himself the practical utility
of the new improvements, and can judge of machines
by what he actually sees them do.. Prejudice has
been a great obstacle to the diffusion of a knowledge
of scientific agriculture, although, since all science
is nothing more than an adaptation of the laws of
nature, there isnothing very incongruous in applying
it to the cultivation of mother earth and her natural
products. However vast our achievements in other
directions, we cannot afford to do without agricul-
ture, and we possess many facilities for the special
development of some branches. More especially
illy we look to it as of the highest value
iu d veloping the resour.n3 of the sister
island, in :drat ding peaceable and profi t-
aLl employint nt for her people, and in
improving
altogether the position of the coun-
t! y. We are therefore glad to find that, almost
simultaneously with the grand nice! ing at Man-
chester, the Royal Agricultural Society of Ireland
will open their annual show of cattle, sheep, and
machinery in Dublin. The particular feature of
this exhibition is that it will be held in the capital,
an event which has not occurred for many years
past. It is encouraging to find that it is expected,
notwithstanding the drawbacks of the last
twelvemonth, to be the largest and most suc-
cessful ever held in Ireland. The number of entries

is large, the, quality of the stock good, and the
general interest las been strongly awakened. The
most effectual, means of getting rid of Fenianism
and all its ,ttendant annoyance and expense will
be to render the population more occupied and more
educated, and consequently more contented. Agri-
culture °Sara many particular attractions to the
Irish peasantry, and the great natural resources of
the country render a return of their labours abso-
lutely certain. The dreary and hopeless lives led
by many of the Irish people would be wonderfully
brightened by cheerful and remunerative la-
bour ready at their own doors, instead of
entailing the sacrifice of home and country de-
manded from the emigrant. The crowds of Irish
labourers who cross over annually to Liverpool
might very certainly find plenty to do in their own
country if Irish agriculture were in a more thriving
condition, and it should be the aim of every well-
wialer to Ireland to assist in the development of
those natural capabilities of the country and the
people, which will infallibly remunerate all effort a
thousandfold. We are glad to find that many of
the principal English manufacturers are sending
specimens of their machinery to Dublin, so that the
Irish agriculturists will be able to profit by the
latest discoveries and adaptations in scientificknow-
ledge.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
I gather from various sources all the reliable in-
formation relative to the revolution in Spain, with
the remark, however, that the Government at
Madrid issues plenty of telegrams, boasting of the
" delirious" enthusiasm of the Royal troops, and
tending to satisfy people that " order reigns in
Spain." Nevertheless, according to private and
authentic accounts, the regiment of Navarre was
entirely beaten ; General Manso has been killed,
as already stated, and the 'movement has attained
the aspect of a civil war. The band of Valdrich
in Catalonia, which telegrams said was destroyed,
has obtained a signal success at Esparaguera over a
column of infantry and cavalry. In the mountains
of Priorato, in the province of Tarragona, the
Liberal Colonel Lagunero has obtained a victory
over the regiment of Toledo. The insurgents have
obtained other successes over the Royal troops in
the province of Valentia and Castellan de la Plana.
The combat, in which General Manso met his
death, took place near Ayesba, in Arragon, not far
from Saragossa. One account states that Sara-
gossa has fallen into the hands of the insurgents.
One letter from Perpignan says :

",Colonel Valdrich, at the head of 1,500 Liberals,
has completely destroyed the regiment of Aicantara
in the province of Barcelona. General Machena,
Captain-General of Arragon, who enjoys the entire
confidence of the Queen, has been recalled and re-
placed by General Calonges, formerly Minister of
Foreign Affairs. The movement in Arragon is be-
coming general, Alicant is in insurrection. Cap-
tain-General Pesuela has left Barcelona at the head
of a considerable body of infantry, with twenty
cannon. General Prim is believed to be in Cata-
lonia, where he is conducting the movement in per-
son."

I mentioned that a Monsieur Parent took pro-
ceedings, before the Correctional Tribunal of Paris,
against M. Andre, a police officer, for an alleged
illegal arrest on the 23d of May on the Boulevard
des Italiens. There was a great crowd when the
Emperor of Russia went to the Opera, and much
excitement was created in consequence of a cry of
" Vive la Pologne." M. Parent alleges that he

took no part in the cries or in the disorder, but the
court dismissed the complaint on the ground that
the defendant was not lialA for what he did while
acting under the orders of Lis superiors with a view
to the preservation of the public tranquillity. lie
arrested the plaintiff in the belief that he was aiding
and assisting iu the disturbance, and what took
place was in the course of the execution of his duty.
M. Parent, it appears, was in prison for some days,
and he complains of brutal conduct on the part of
the police while in custody. This was denied
by the defendant. The Tribunal appears to
have been convinced that the complaint of the
plaintiff was not well founded, for it not only dis-
missed it, but ordered the complainant to pay the
expenses of the process.

There was a very wonderful change of weather
last night. The day was peculiarly oppressive, and
in the evening the sky was very serene, and not a
cloud was to be seen. About ten o'clock, however,
dark clouds gathered around as if by magic, and
towards midnight there was a violent storm of
thunder and lightning, with very heavy rain. The
storm lasted nearly two hours. This morning early
the wind was violent and really cold, but the tem-
perature became warmer in the course of the day.
On the morning of Tuesday last there was a terrible
thunder storm at Liniours (Seine et Oise). A
farmer
anta, nc
adenrhdni
ys wae i
de
eldne
whad
en
instantly. son
th ande
ldaughtergThe
et
ncatastrophen g ws et rr
struck
kt
was attended by curious circumstances, which often
accompany a thunder storm. The clothes of the
young man were almost torn to pieces. Portions
of his dress, and parts of his boots particularly, were
found at a distance of some yards. On his neck
were many black spots.
In my notices of the many remarkable objects at
the Exhibition, I have always endeavoured to pre-
serve strict impartiality, and to give no eulogium
unless well merited. My principle has been to
" nothing extenuate or set down aught in malice."
It is therefore satisfactory, and may • •
inspire confi-
dence iu your readers, if they know that my appre-
c'ations are confirmed by the French press. The
Moniteur, for instance, even goes further in its
eulogiums of the skill and taste of the establish-
ment of Messrs. Christofle and Co. than I did.
That paper says, "In gallery No. 3 the articles of
Messrs. Christofle and Co. shine in the first rank.
The process long sought for to gild and silver metals
is now known to the whole world, and that estab-
lishment, by substituting the process for the use of
solid silver, has rendered a real service to indusry,
which has found much more useful destination for
silver. The house has rendered ano less useful service
to art and artists by showing that it was not necessary
to employ gold or silver for the execution of the
finest work, and that copper and bronze may be
used for articles of the most delicate description
when they are covered with the precious metal, and
may rival the most celebrated works of centuries
past. In the first houses massive silver plate was
never brought out from the drawers except upon
great occasions, and was hermetically sealei in
chests or boxes. Messrs. Christofle have found a
better use for silver. Thus we are now assured
that the articles brought to such perfection by them
will at a later period enrich our museums, and will
not disappear because melted by ignorant or covetous
hands. Among the admirable things sent to the
Exhibition by Messrs. Christofle are the table orna-
ments belonging to the Emperor, and the table or-
nament and dessert service executed for the fetes at
the Hotel de Ville." The Moniteur then gives an
elaborate-account of these articles, the admiration
of all Paris, which I have before described, and con •
eludes by saying :—" The articles which all visitors
at the Exhibition contemplate with interest make
them comprehend that this description of work
proves by is executioe the application of the most.
varisd processes, the production of the newest and
most exquisite forms. . In short, from the majestic
table ornament of the City of Paris to the smallest
vase, every article exhibits the desire of M. Chris-
tofle to arrive at perfection."
On Sunday afternoon as a gentleman was leav-
ing the Exhibition he discovered that some one had
robbed him of his purse, his pocket-book, and- his
watch. He attached much value to his watch, as
he had gained it as a prize in a gymnastic competi-
tirn of the company of Firemen, of which he was a
member. Next morning a commissioner brought
lain his watch, and his pocket-book and purse, but
empty, with the following letter :—" My dear Sir,
I was skilful enough, which was not easy, to effect a
master stroke by robbing you of all that you had in