The Sun.
London, England, 1858-12-04 00:00:00

In all angry comments that have been made upon
this transaction, it seems to have been too much
forgotten that it is in the highest degree unfair to
judge. French political affairs by an English
standard. In this country the freedoM of the press
is held as sacred as the Habeas Corpus Act. But it
was not always so. It .is little more than a century
ago that it was a matter of State policy in England
to keep in check the liberty of the press. If we go
a little further back than even that, and look to
the days of William 111., called by so many the
saviour of England, we shall find that the urgency
of the crisis was held to justify very strong repres-
sions of adverse public opinion, and-doubtless the
repressive policy was then a wise one. At that pe-
nod there existed in England, 'as there now exists
in France, the active and zealous partisans of a
rival Dynasty. -
It is not every age or every country that is fit
for the blessings of an unreM.icted press. England
was not fit a century-and a half age. France is not
fit now. The abstract rights of,the press must in
. all ages be modified by the immediate necessities of
the country. In our hatred of despotism as such, we
might as fairly quarrel with the Empire as with
the restrictions of the press. The people of France
..are not the people to be trusted with the care of
themselyes, and by the same rule they are not pre-
pared for perfect liberty of the press. The Empire
is necessary fdr France,- and under present circum-
stances the control of the press is necessary for the
Empire. We, who can do without despotism, can
use the liberty of the press without fear. But we
are not therefore at liberty 'to rail indiscriminat-
ingly at measures rendered necessary in another
country, and amongst another people, under a
totally different state of things.
It is due to the Emperor of the French to con-
strue the two acts of the trial and pardon of Comte
De Montalembert, not by the - standard by which
the like actions would be tried in this country, but
by the actual circumstances of France, and in con- •
nection with the whose context of the Emperor's
rule, of which they form a part. It is said by the
admirers of "M. De Niontalembert that there is
nothing seditious in his pamphlet, nothing directly
hostile to the existing Government of France, and
that it is only inferentially that a charge of bad
tendency can be made out. We cannot admit that
opinion. We are grateful for .the -accomplished
author's tribute to this country and to our institu-
tions. but we would rather have been without the
compliment than that he should have excited a feel-
ing in his own land which might easily be fostered
into jealousy, discontent, insubordination to Govern-
ment, and great public disaster. It is not the pub-
lishing of the letter that was wrong, but the pub-
lishing it when, where, and as, he did. 'the cir-
cumstances make all the difference in the moral
turpitude of the action. It is not wrong to smoke
tobacco, yet there are places where, for the cause of
public safety or convenience, even that innocent
recreation is forbidden ; and the man who
,should
find himself in custody for enjoying his cigar in a
railway carriage, a rick yard, or a powder mill,
would have no appeal to public compassion on the
ground that smoking was in itself harmless ; much
less would he have such appeal if it couldbe reason-
ably suspected that he had any sort .of sympathy,
however remote, with the possible results of his
imprudence. - -
If we turn from M. de Montalembert.to the Em-
peror, we must at once acquit him of any personal
or ungenerous purpose. As we said above, this
particular act must be construed, not by itself, but
with the help of the context which the rest of the
Emperor's rule supplies. Now, however, we on
this side of the water may feel that we Gould never
endure an imperial regime, we cannot shut our eyes
to the fact that Louis Napoloon was the true friend
of his country in her extremity, and has continued
so. When he uttered at Bordeaux the memorable
words, l'Enzpire c'est lapaix, he enunciated a great
truth, which six years of experience have confirmed.
Within that time the country has made the most
rapid strides in every department ; and it is past a
doubt that the whole people are far better off now,
and enjoy greater protection to life and property,
than existed at any time under institutions nomi-
nally more liberal. Louis Napoleon may, there-
fore, claim to be looked upon as the friend of France,
of her peace, her wealth, and her advancement.
We do not believe that he lo' .s despotism for his
own sake, but he has seen it good for the people
who have chosen him, and therefore, at the risk of
temporary unpopularity, he does not shrink from
decided and even severe measures when the in-
terests of his Empire seem to' demand them. The
pardon so freely accorded, for reasons that we have
ventured to suggest, remove from all parties the
last shadow of excuse for ill-natured reproach and
ungracious imputation of motives.

A CAPTAIN ACTING AS A SURGEON.

The American ship, John Bright, R. C. Cutting,
muster, which has just arrived at this port, after a
boisterous passage of 37 days from New York, on
the morning of Wednesday, the 27th October, when
in latitude 37 deg. 52. min., longitude 68 deg. 2
min., discovered a vessel in distress, and imme-
diately went to her relief. Though a heavy sea was
running, which would have daunted the courage of
any but the hardy sons of the ocean acquainted
with danger, and actuated by feelings of humanity
towards a brother sailor in distress, a boat was
lowered, manned by the mate (Mr. Towers) and
live trusty sailors. They pulled lustily for the
wreck, and succeeded in rescuing six persons from
almost immediate destruction. The unfortunate
vessel proved to be the brigantine Liberal, David
S. Kinney, master, from Weymouth, N.S., bound
for Barbadoes. She had been capsised in a terrific
gale of wind, at 4 o'clock on the preceding Monday
afternoon. When discovered she had righted, but
was under water, and the sea was making a com-
plete breach over her. The captain, in attempting
to relieve his vessel, the first day of the disaster,
was struck by a plank or spar, which broke his left
leg just above the ankle, and in this helpless and
suffering condition he had been from Monday after-
noon until Wednesday, with only a few raw pota-
toes and apples for food, and without a drop of
water. On board the John Bright Capt. Kinney
received every attention, but mortification soon
appeared in the fractured limb, which rendered it
evident that the only chance of saving his life was
in its immediate amputation. Capt. Cutting, after
advising with the cabin passengers, who fully con-
curred in this opinion, readily undertook the diffi-
cult and hazardous operation which tries the skill
of the most experienced surgeons, and on Sunday
morning following he amputated the limb above
the knee, since which the ship has experienced a
succession of gales, which have, in consequence
of the prolonged length of the voyage and
the violent motion of the ship, been most un-
favourable for the patient. Notwithstanding
these untoward circumstances, though his suffer-
ings have been intense, he has been gradually im-
proving, and is believed now to be in a fair way for
recovery. It is hoped his case and the utterly desti-
tute condition of his crew will receive immediate
and suitable aid from their Government. The con-
duct of Capt. Cutting, on this trying occasion, de-
mands the highest praise, for though his duty was
indeed a painful one, he showed himself fully com-
petent for the occasion, and exhibited a degree of
skill and steadiness of nerve in this his first surgi-
cal operation of which an experienced practitioner
might well be proud.—Liverpool Mercury.

GOVERNMENT EMIGRATION.—The Government
emigration ship Wellington, 535 tons, Capt. J. M. Howlett,
sailed from Southampton on Sunday, the 28th ult., for
Sydney, New South Wales, with 239 emigrants, in charge
of Surgeon Superintendent Robert Robertson. The Emi-
gration Commissioners received tenders on Thursday for a
ship to proceed to Sydney to be ready for the reception of
passengers on such day as the commissioners may appoint
between the 7th and 14th of January.

[ADVERTISEMENT].—Holloway's Ointment and Pills
have again cured an ulcerated leg, after every other medi-
cine had failed. Henry Winton, of Rickmansworth, was
an object of horror' to his friends, from, his ulceyous sores.
He tried every medicine likely to benefit him, bin It was of
no avail. Finally, one of his legs became so completely
covered with ulcers that amputation of the limb appeared to
be the only thing likely to save his life. At this juncture
he had recourse to Holloway's Ointment and Pills, and in
four months, by using these remedies, he was completely
cured, to the astonishment of all who knew him. Printed
directions for the use of these medifinea are affixed to each
pot and box, -