The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-21 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY, 7 P.M.
Fuad Pacha will leave Paris to-morrow for
Constantinople.
There was a Council of State to-day at St. Cloud
—the Emperor presiding. The questions discussed
were purely domestic. The Court will not go to
Compiegne this year as originally proposed.
Fuad Pacha, the Turkish Envoy, paid a visit to
Count Walewski to-day, at the Hotel of Foreign
Affairs, on the occasion of his approaching depar-
ture for Constantinople.
Official despatches from Spain seem to suppose
Government will have a majority at the coming
elections ; but on the other hand the spirit of
faction runs so high, and so much distrust is
exhibited by all parties towards each other, that
no one can calculate on what may occur from day
to day. An ordinary telegraphic despatch, dated
Madrid, October 20, says : " The Gazette of to-day
publishes a circular of the Minister of Public
Works, in which he recommends all persons em-
ployed in public offices to abstain from using any
influence in the elections. The electoral accounts
which have been received are favourable to the
Government."

The Emperor is said to be contemplating con-
ferring titles of nobility on a certain number of
persons devoted to the Empire. A commission is
about to be formed with a view of investigating the
legality of certain titles now in use, as great abuses
are known to exist. The Emperor may confer
titles on a few distinguised military men—such, for
example, as the generals who command the military
divisions of the empire.
A pamphlet is to appear in a few days (if per-
mitted by superior authority) from the pen of M.
Bosselet, the Opposition, and consequently the un-
successful, candidate for the department of the
Eure-et-Loire at the general elections in June last
year. It bears the rather bold title "De la Liberte
et du Gouvemement," and is prefaced with an ad-
dress to the author's electors. The following are
extracts :

" In every society or assemblage of men," says M. Boa-
selet, " there is what is called the nation and what is called
the Government. Either the nation governs the Govern-
ment, which is then the reg jots of liberty, or the Government
governs the nation, when it is the regime of authority. All
the rest is chimera and illusion. It is in the nature of all
Governments to exercise the greatest amount of power.
There is no Government that has not marched in this
way. Thus, the Constituent takes away power from Louis
XVI. and decrees the Unity of Assembly; the Committee
of Public Safety wrests it from the Commune ; the Di-
rectory cheats the Five Hundred of it. On the other
hand, it belongs only to the nation to exercise in turn
the greatest amount of liberty. But from our unfortunate
habits, from our education, the teachings of our history,
and our always directing our eyes to the fiovernment, it is
from it that we ask liberty, which is quite as rational as if
I prayed my neighbour to walk for me. It follows that the
nation has rarely had this confidence in itself, this inde-
pendent bearing, this energetic sentiment of its own force
which is imparted by a just notion of liberty. To quote
one instance of recent date among others—what occurred
at the approach of the general elections ? Every one asked
himself, Would the Government permit the elections to
be free f' Now, could a people accustomed to self-govern-
ment ever have asked so strange a question ? Moreover,
this incessant pre-occupation about the Government gave
the idea of abstaining—as if a nation ought ever to abstain
from the management of its own affairs. The reason of
such weakness is that among us liberty is regarded as a
mere gift from the Government to the nation.
" But, say the majority, Who talks to you of liberty ?
Who now wishes for liberty ? Let us open our eyes to the
fact, and let us not calumniate our epoch. It is neither ser-
vile nor the enemy of enlightenment ; but it is not blind : it
is wiser ; it knows whither liberty has led it, and it will not
on any account return whence it came. Nothing, in fact, is
more reasonable. ' Rivers,' said Royer-Collard, no more
return to their source than do events.' France had an
attack of fever in 1848; that fever was followed by lassitude,
lassitude by repose, and repose in its turn leads each day to
health. Now, the health of nations is liberty.
" See how the nation was modified by the general elec-
tions. What was more natural ? During six years France
had reposed from her political agitations ; that repose gra-
dually restored her strength, and in June, 1857, she gave
signs of convalescence.
" Who denies that France has up to the present mani-
fested great inexperience in liberty ? People only who
know not how to govern themselves are governed. Liberty
is a science like other sciences; it is the most important of
all which must be learned to be known. People spell it at
first, and then read it. It has, no doubt, its perils, but
such is the lot of all human things. The summer has its
sun and its thunderstorms ; the sea its waves and its tem-
pests. But liberty is the dignity of man, and the guarantee
of his independence.
" The way that a nation learns to govern itself is that it
tries to do so in spite of checks, and should think like the
energetic people of the United States, who say of a man
who falls, it is a proof that he was walking.

"It follows from all this tEat it is not by calling the
Government to our aid that we shall learn to govern our-
selvs. Let us not mix up our affairs with it ; let us be oc-
cupied only by ourselves ; let us think only of our interests ;
let us defend only our EMU cause ; let us never ask ' what
will the Government do ?' but rather let us always ask our-
selves, what shall we do ?' "

We must wait for the publication of the book
itself to see -whether M. Bosselet developes the
theme only touched on in the preface ; or whether,
like the philosopher of antiquity, he only lets his
truths out one at a time.

The following are a few extracts from the cor-
respondence between Napoleon I. and Prince
Eugene Beauharnais, edited by M. Du Cain, and
which appeared a few days ago :

" NAPOLEON.

" . . . . If the Registry Bill does not pass I will take it
on my own authority, and as long as I shall be King the
Legislative Body shall not be assembled. Let them under-
stand that I can do without them, and that I will teach
them how I can do without them, since they conduct them-
selves in such a manner towards me.

St. Cloud, 25th July. 1805."
" EUGENE.

" The Italiana are really like children. One may com-
pare them to people who are asleep, and will sot awake to
be happy.

" Milan, July 21, 1805."
" NAPOLEON.

" You are wrong to think the Italians are like children,
There is bad feeling among them. Let them not forget
that lam free to act as I please. That is necessary for all
people, and particularly for Italians, who will only obey
the voice of a master. They will only esteem you as much
as they will fear you, and they will only fear you as much
as they shall perceive you are acquainted with their double-
faced and false character. Your system, moreover, is
simple—the Emperor wills it.
" St. Cloud, July 27, 1805."
" EUGENE.

" I have had enough of trouble for some days past.
Several departments of the kingdom have made heavy de-
mands on me. The precipitate movement of Marshal Jour-
dan between the Mincio and the Adige ham required large