The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-09 00:00:00

A YEAR OF REVOLUTION.

This narrative of Lord Normanby is calculated
to disappoint, and we learn that it has disappointed,
its readers. It has neither the lucidus ordo of bis-

tory nor the charm of an unreserved record of
facts. Lord Normanby could not reveal all ho had
learnt in his private communications as an English
Minister of State, and he had not in any other
function or capacity the means of learning very
much more than other people. On the one hand
his book is defective from his deference to political " MM. DUPONT DE L'EURE.
usages, which he was bound to respect; and, on LAMARTINE.
CREMIEDX.
the other hand, it is neither a lively nor compre-
ARAGO.
hensivo narrative of transactions which took place
LEDRII-ROLLIN.
in sight of the world. It reveals very little ; it is GARNIER-PAWES.
not succinct ;it is not picturesque ;it is not piffle- „ _ MARIE.
sophical. It is simply a contemporary memoir of Cc bionvercement a pour Secretairos—
the average stamp, containing a few additions to " Mu. ARMAND MARRAST.
Lours BLANC.
our previous knowledge which journalists will wel-
FERDINAND FLOCON.
come and historians will not disdain. But it may
ALBERT."
And in this form they shelled their first decrees.
to most people, and
e if there are any who The first
yet
be asbechange was that the list was headed,
can profit by it now or hereafter. " Les Illembres du Gouverneinent Provisoirc ;" but
w verye s ti
fard' from disappointinga f failure
-As to the causes of what is termed the " Revolu- there was no lonoer any hiatus left between the
tion de Mepris," there are some observations here first seven and the last four, who were no longer
confirmatory for the most part of the views announced as secretaries to the others. The next
hitherto generally entertained in this country. proclamation completed the usurpation, as the
The constitutional system of France was so_ words "'timbres du Gouvernement Provisoire" were
tampered with by the King, there was so much of placed at the bottom instead of at the top of the
his direct interference with its action, that it was eleven names, so as directly to include them all.
only sustained at all in the face of the country by a Ledru Rollin, in consequence, obtained the support
vast apparatus of jobbery and corruption. The ex- of a minority, instead of standing alone as the repro-
tent to which the corruption was sanctioned by a sentative of extreme opinions. The moderato sec-
man so respectable as M. Guizot, and the justice or tion of the Government was thus neutralized, and
injustice of the imputations made against him, is a its policy to a certain extent was influenced. So
doubtful, a difficult, and a delicate question. Yet much was accomplished by these tricky slips of pen-
the Marquis of Normanby hardly leaves us in doubt maeship ; results which are ordinarily due to the
of his verdict ma this question could he state it strong arm, were here obtained by sleight of hand,
without restraint. He remarks without a syllable literally by the legerdemain of successful revolu-
of deprecation the unpopularity which M. Guizot tionists.
in consequence incurred, whilst his strongest phrases M. de Lamartine's part in the conduct of the Go-
are employed to rebuke the self-confidence of the vernment thus constituted will, as Lord Normanby
statesman who imagined that if he had been reso- infers, be more favourably judged by his Lordship's
lutely supported he could under such circumstances reports of their various interviews than by what
have remained master of the situation. His lord- some months later M. de Lamartine said for him-
ship does not, indeed, sufficiently inform the regder self. So, also, those volumes help to heighten our
when or where M. Guizot maintained this position, favourable estimate of General Cavaignac and M.
nor does his want of explicitness generally on the Bastide. It would be less than Lord Normanby's
subject of M. Guizot's fall afford that statesman or due if we omitted to add that lie himself showed
his friends a fair opening for an answer. The Mar- tact and discretion in his interviews with these
quis, we should remember, succeeded to his office statesmen. His duty as the Minister of England
of Ambassador a short time previous to the an- was to accept the Revolution cordially and without
nouncement of the Spanish marriages, as to which it reserve, but to resist aggressions by Franco upon
is his impression " that there had been no settled her continental neighbours. Unhappily there was
plan of the King brought to destined maturity, but . a party in Paris and in the Provisional Govern-
that the Minister forestalled the half-formed inten- meet which was eager for territorial changes in
tions of his Sovereign, and the Ambassador; find- Europe, and which was plotting to promote there,
ing an opportunity which might never recur of and between this party and their public demonstra-
securing what he had been taught to consider a tions, including documents and speeches of official
great national object, exceeded the insbuctions of authority, and on the other side the just reclama-
the Minister, and committed his Government." Clu tions of Lord Normanby, Lamartine and his
the supposition, therefore, that M. Guizot was more successors were incessantly compromised and
to blame than the King we can understand Lord perplexed. Lord Normanby showed his tact in
Norwanby's evident antipathy to the former. But allowing for this perplexity, and his discretion
we are not satisfied that he assigns his full share iu in maintaining a friendly attitude towards the
the transaction to the Royal personage who "showed French Government, while requiring explanations
Ls
a restless desire to explain his conduct," and who of ambiguous language and acts
How far this
listened to his lordship on this subject with such attitude was prescribed to him by our traditional
" courteous and condescending attention." If he lays diplomacy or its authoritative interpreters he does
so small a portion of the blame on this eminent not, and perhaps was not Permitted to, enlighten
performer, and on the other hand, entertained such us. But without assuming that he initiated this
"friendly personal relations" with the Ambassador judicious course, we are satisfied, on reading his
in question, the unfortunate Breseon, we can under- account of his manydiscussions with Lamartine and
stand the concentration of his Lordship's indigna- Bastido, that he showed both talent and temper in
tion on M. Guizot as the intermediate but chief following it out. He had also the difficult duty of
delinquent, and that his consequent antipathy sustaining the claims of the English workmen ex-
might lead him to judge that Minister too harshly pelled from France by their fraternal friends of the
in other respects as well as in this. Such, at least, French Democracy. Thirdly, he had to meet the
is our impression on a point of some obscurity, and absurd but prevalent impression that the great in-
such is the doubt which couples itself here with surrection of June was stimulated by the gold of
Lord Normauby's animadversions. Perfide Albion. Yet his management of these im-
Lord Normanby, however, though less generally broglios was so judicious that in August he could
informed than Mr. Reikes, had some opportunities appeal to the opinions current in French society
of observing the King's confirmed want of candour, „
Having had occasion to collect the opinions of the
and he mentions one inferior specimen of this per-
most s igacious observers of all parties, I find a universal
versity. On the Ist of March, when the Reform agreement that France is much indebted to England for
banquets were under discussion, he says-- contributing, through its influence with the other great
"I went that night to the Tuileries without learning Eur.pean Powers, to induce them all to preserve a
towards the French
the decision of the Opposition deputies; as his Majesty friendly attitudenation, in spite of
form of Govern
had often volunteered to speak to me upon his own affairs the change in the . lne .nt Those of all
I thought it possible he might do so then, and I Was pre- political opioiong who unite in a desire to preserve social
that, by avoiding the chances of
pared, if the occasion was thus offered, humbly to repre- order. are convincedthe m
ed
ost effectual barrier has Le
sent to his Majesty the danger, in the existing state of foreign war, .
while those most adverse toen otlepolts Re
public mind, unnecessarily of provoking. a collision aiainst anarchyf
'government, having accepted it without
in the streets. But I was told on the stairs by one of the publican form ol
o, are glad that foreign
Generals whom I met that the Opposition had given up reserve themseve
the same course, as they Governmentsthink that
the banquet, and found the whole Court. in an ecstasy of should adoptedhave
which might have: given to eyrie-
delight, as if they had gained a great victory. The King any foreign isolation,_
spoke to me for some time with great animation, but 4 patby for the Republic something cif a national character,