The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-31 00:00:00

":41.3
Tr, o •

LONDON, THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 1867.

Mr. BRIGHT seems determined to get as many

testimonials as he can before the opening of Parlia-
ment. The course he is pursuing is a very strange
one, and would really be more consistent with the
acts of one who was new to public life, and who
started in an untried capacity, than for one who has
born the brunt of a long political career. Be it as
it may, it is certain that many will read Mr. BRIGHT'S
vindication of himself, however vehement or violent
he may be in his language or exaggerated in his
statement. The object of the meeting last night
was to present an address to Mr. BRIGHT, testify-
ing the respect and admiration his fellow-towas-
men entertained for his public and private character.
After the ceremony was over the hon. member for
Birmingham indulged in one of his well-known
diatribes against all who differed from him. In
some respects a change has come over the style of
Mr. BRIGHT'S discourses of late ; he seems more
anxious to recall the past than to dwell upon the
present, and to anticipate the future. He com-
menced by thanking them for the great honour done
to him, but soon plunged in media., res as he got
upon the exciting topic of his wrongs and injuries. A
particular party has assailed him; the word has gone
as from head-quarters, "that all the miserable writers
and speakers of the miserable and hateful faction
should endeavour in the interval between thesession of
1866 and the session of 1867 to defame him as much
as possible in the hope of injuring in some degree
his influence in favour of the great question of ex-
tension of the franchise." How ridiculous such
an assertion is, and how utterly unworthy of a man
in Mr. BRIGHT'S position. The inconsistency of his
conduct is quite annoying ; here he is, week after
week, and month after month, rushing over the

country, and upon platform after platform de-
nouncing, assailing, and reviling all who presume
to differ from him ; and yet he presumes to
turn round and declare that he is the ill-used and
injured party. The few remarks that have been
made upon his acts and proceedings have driven
him nearly to frenzy, if we are to take his words
au pied de la lettre; but perhaps the real secret is
that he is glad of a pretext for uttering damaging
remarks against his opponents.
Mr. BRIGHT has mentally reviewed the quarter
of a century during which he has been before the
public, and has come to the conclusion that it is
strange that political acts should be so scanned and
scrutinised, and political leaders exposed to
so many depreciating remarks. For months and
years Mr. BRIGHT has been pursued with the
"rancorous spirit unfortunately introduced into
political controversy, and it has assailed him with
unrelenting animosity." All we can say is that if
such a spirit has got abroad among our public men,
no one has been more sedulous in propagating it
thau he who now comes forward as its victim. He
has done a great deal of harm in this respect, for
be has used his great influence in the wrong direc-
tion, and made enemies of those who need not hare
been so but for his incessant and unjust at-
tacks. We suspect the cause of Mr. BRIGHT'S
sudden and violent hatred t.) the present
House of Commons lies in the fact that he has lost
his influence there, and some of its most notable
members have called him t, account for the strange
and unusual course he has pursued in the provinces.
There he has decided that its doom is sealed, and
there is no hope for it ; it is doubtful, even, if it
contains a single righteous man except himself.
Mr. BRIGHT is a perfect weathercock ; one day he
reviles the newspapers, and the next he turns
round and abuses the Tory party for deny-
ing the people food for their minds. It

requires persons to be well-informed in political
matters before they can safely read or hear the re-
marks of this great agitator.. He leaves out so
much, he implies so much, and he insinuates so
much, that it is quite possible to arrive at a totally
different conclusion from that which is the correct
one if we take his words for our guides and land-
marks. Thus he declares that the House of Lords,

led by Lord DERBY, resisted the repeal of the paper
duty, totally ignoring the reason why they did
so was that the income-tax was so oppressive,
but this is a sample of the fair play
and veracity of the man who has pursued
so straightforward a course for years past. Mr.
BRIGHT is fund of poetical quotations, but he cer-
tainly could not adopt the language of him who
wrote—

" Vain was the man, and false as vain,
Who said were ho ordained to run
His long career of life again,
He would do all that he had done."
He sees nothing he has done respecting public

matters to reproach himself with, and now when he

asks a reasonable thing, that the millions of his
countrymen may be heard in the Commons of Eng-
land, when he says that " it would be a good thing
for the United Kingdom, and good for freedom every-
where, that they should now seize the sceptre that
has for the last two hundred years been wielded by
a class. When I say this lam subjected not only
to opposition—for that I can understand—but to
an opposition conducted with a falsehood and a
malice which know no scruple, and which, if I were
not supported by the honest sympathies of millions
of my fellow-countrymen, might overwhelm me."

We object to this mixing up of political and
private matters ; but it seems to be the object of
Mr. BRIGHT'S present policy to do so with all his
might and main.

'The present House of Commons, he declares,
(i is quite useless to effect any good whatever, and

it cannot pass any suitable measures to im_
improve itself." I say " that there is only one
power which can do anything in these matters, and
that power is the people." How can he call such
language consistent with his oft-repeated declara-

Lion that he is no friend to violence, and that he
never utters a word that can be construed into
wishing to create disturbances and violent changes ?

He considers that a reform bill is rendered inevit-
able by the " loud gathering and unanimous cry of
a great people," but he had better take care or
else he will find that he has retarded
the progress of the very measure he
professes to forward. By agitating and capti-
vating the minds of the ignorant, and inciting the
violent to rash acts he will collect against him all
who value peace and security more than any changes
however goodiu themselves, if not accompanied with
safety. We see no good to be gained by these con-
stant speeches of Mr. BRIGHT, and on the contrary
they are productive of evil in a great measure, be-
cause he cannot keep himself within bounds, but
must rush ou to extremes on whatever topic he
discusses.

According to the intelligence transmitted from
New York through the Atlantic Cable, bearing
date last evening and the evening before, the PRE-
SIDENT still maintains his resolute attitude. The
news of January 29 tells us that President JOIIN-
SON has vetoed the second bill for the admission ei

Colorado to representation in Congress as a State
of the Un ion. The news of January 30 supple-
ments this intelligence with the information that
the PRESIL ,ENT has vetoed the bill proposing the
admission a Nebraska as a State. So that this
latest movemb.nt of the Radicals has, as usual, re-
ceived a check from the firmness of the PRE-

SIDENT, and his determination to uphold
the Constitution. The object of the Radical
party in endeavouring to admit these States
is, of course, transparent. They wish to increase
the strength of their party in Congress by the ad-
mission of four new members ; and they will very
likely find several more new States waiting for ad-
mission. Already Montana is talked about, and if
Messrs. 51:31.R and STEVENS are to have their
way, the geographical limits of the United States
are likely to be as elastic as their political constitu-
tion. The Radicals scarcely trouble themselves to
conceal their objects ; indeed, their manoeuvres are
so self-evident that the attempt to do so would be
futile. Colorado and Nebraska have, no doubt,
like the other thinly-peopled States of the New
World, a great future before them. Their
natural resources are great, their powers of
production as yet untried, the capacities of
their soil undeveloped, but to admit them to an
immediate equality with the older states, with their
millions of inhabitants, is an act of political extra-
vagance only possible under existing circumstances.
Neither Colorado nor Nebraska have as yet inhabi-
tants enough to entitle them to send two members
according to constitutional provisions ; but such
considerations, as we have seen, have no weight
with the Radicalleaders. They have made it con-
ditional on theadmission of the territory of Nebraska
as a State that it shall adopt a constitution removing
all political inequalities on account of colour. This is
quite an illegal and unconstitutional provision,
which Congress, under existing circumstances, has
neither right nor rower to make, but it sufficiently
shows the sort of measures which are expected from
the new States. These two significant movements,
however, have been, as might have been antici-
pated, opposed by the PRESIDENT. Indeed, no one
could reasonably sanction the admission of these
newly constituted territories, while he permitted the
exclusion of the old states of the South. The
Radicals pull down with one hand, while they
build up with the other. They do not
attempt to conceal the rancour and vehemence
of their feelings towards the South. The
whole of the Republicans are not of
course animated by the sre bitter and intolerant
spirit, but they are dragged along by their leaders,
who are in some instances inspired, it is said,
by sentiments of personal vindictiveness.
The state of American parties is such that
moderate men are afraid to leave the ranks of
either side for fear of being forced into the other,
denounced as traitors, and rejected by their consti-
tuents. There is no middle ground between parties
such as we have in England, and a thorough inde-
pendent politician, untrammelled by the fetters of
party, is unknown. The consequence is that the
country loses the good effect which might be produced
by such men, and the whole system of legislation is
committed to violent extremes. A specimen
of this was given the other day, when
a moderate Republican, Mr. HALE, inter-
rupted a disgraceful attack made by Mr. LOAN, a
Missouri Radical, upon President JOHNSON. Mr.
LOAN plainly declared that Mr. JOHNSON was in
the plot for the assassination of his predecersor.
" The assassin's bullet, wielded and directed by
rebel hands, and paid for by rebel gold, made
ANDREW JOHNSON President of the United States,
The price which he was to pay for the promotion
was treachery to the republic, and fidelity to the
party of treason and rebellion." This language
was interrupted by Mr. HALE, who demanded
proof of such assertions. The speaker, however,
interfered, saying that, pending a charge of impeach-
ment, members might, upon their own responsibility,
make charges of any sort. A somewhat novel in-
terpretation of constitutional law !

The PRESIDENT, however, is not to be moved by
threats or menaces of any kind. He keeps firm to the
original doctrines of the constitution, and his Cabinet
cannot
support him. By his resolution, although he
override the extravagant action of the Radicals, he
puts a powerful check upon their proceedings, and
they are chafing under the irritation. The execu-
tive, though theoretically powerless, can practically
effect a great deal ; and of this the. Radicals are be-
e miing sensible. Consequently they find them-
selves compelled to hurry on the impeachment
movement from which so many of their members
shrink. It is very probable that, should they pro-
ceed to such an extremity, it will be their own
death-warrant, because the effect on the finances of
the country will be so serious that the tide of public
feeling will be turned against the agitators. The
ides of March, 1867, will be all important to
America.

CORRESPONDENCE FROR PARIS.

(FROII OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

Part's, Wednesday Evening.
The Aroniteur announces, upon the authority of
the Venice Gazette; that the Italian Government, de-
sirous to give due consideration to the administra-
tive reforms to be introduced into the kingdom, and
at the same time to respond to the desires of the
Venetian Deputies, has Iresolved not to make any
sudden change in the peculiar legislation by which
the Venetian provinces were governed previous to
their annexation to the Italian monarchy, and by
which they are ruled at the present time.
Count Tecchis di Bayo has received from his
Government and presented to Prince Charles of

Roumania the letters of King Victor Emmanuel,
which accredit him as the Representative of Italy
to the Government of his Highness.
The Chamber of Deputies of Darmstadt has
unanimously adopted the treaty of peace concluded
with Prussia. Two deputies, Messrs. George and
Bamberger, advocates of Prussian policy, proposed
the following amendment :—" The Chamber, while
approving of the treaty, at the same time expresses
a hope that the Government will make every effort
to include in the Confederation of the North those
portions of the Grand Duchy which are now ex-
cluded from it." The minister, M. Dalwigk,
although expressing his great desire to be united to
Prussia, opposed the union on the ground that it
cou:d not be offecteel without imposing onerous
burthens upon the country. At the suggestion of
the minister, the Chamber agreed to an amend-
ment of M. Dumont, to the effect that it would
not be expedient to discuss the amendment of
Messrs. George and Bamberger until the Chamber
was in possession of the act constituting the Con-
federation of the North.

The Gazette de la Croix, iu commenting upon
the speech of M. Bismark relative to the commerce
on the Prusso-Russian frontier, says that he had no
intention to display any hostile feeling towards
Russia. It adds, what it says M. Bismark did not
like to say in the face of the Polish deputies, mem-
bers of the Chamber, that the insurrectionary
attempts of the Polish Committees residing in
foreign countries formed the principal cause of the
obstacles which the Russian Government opposed
to

commercial transactions upon the Prussian

'rontier.

A letter from Naples, dated Jan. 21, says:—

" General Pallevicini, who was specially charged to
put down the brigandage in the province of Salermo,
Iris destroyed the bands of Cerini and de Parva,
who were in the arrondissement of the Campagna.
After having driven them from the latter locality,

he attacked them at Murro Lucans and Voltnrava.
Seventeen brigands and their chief were killed in
the latter encounter. There now only remain a few
brigands who are scattered about, and they will soon
be destroyed.
Some additional particulars have been received at
Naples respecting the earthquake which took place
at Messina on the evening of the 19th of January.
This phenomenon, although of common occurrence
in Sicily and particularly Messina, which is nearest
to the three volcanoes, Etna, Stromboli, and the
Volcano is particularly remarkable from the con-
nection it seems to have with those which at the
beginning of the month took place in the hamlets
and villages at the foot of the Atlas in Algeria. The
shock, the progress of which was from south to
north, and lasted about 15 seconds, caused great
consternation in the town. Many of the inhabitants
left their homy in terror, and tojk ref ug..l in the
streets. No great damage, however, was done to the '
town. The earthquake touk place when the weather
wes fine. The thermometer was at 12 deg. Reaumur.
The sea was calm, although a siroco had been blow-
ing for two days. There were signs, however, of
another approaching tempest, which broke forth,
and occasioned some frightful disasters at sea.

The month of January has been very fatal to
navigation. Between the 15th and 16th more than
30 vessels were much damaged, and some were
sunk. Many sailors perished. During this tempest
the French steamer La Seine was sunk in the roads
of Branceleone, on the coast of Calabria, where.it
was wrecked upon the same point in 1865, but was
recovered and repaired by a company at Marseilles.
The wreck in 1865 was caused from the want of a
lighthouse on the coast of Branceleone. A light-
house, however, is now in coarse of construction
there.

The shooting season will close in the department
of the Seine on the 11th of February, after which
it will be illegal to sell any game whatever. The
season will also finish in the other departments
within a day or two of that period.

Mr. Gladstone is still in Paris and had the honour
of dining with the Emperor and Empress, at the
Tuileries, on Monday.
According to report, which, however, I am not
able to authenticate, the following will be the prin-
cipal points of tne proposed new law upon the
Press. Persons wishing to establish a newspaper in
Paris must first send a declaration of their desire
to the Minister of the Interior. In the provinces,
the declaration must be sent to the Prefect of the
department in which the town where the news-
paper is to be published is situated. The managers
printers, and writers, are to share the responsibility.
The newspaper stamp duty is to be lowered but
in Paris security must be given to the
amont of £4,000 sterling. Writers will
still be compelled to sign their words to their articles.
The term of imprisonment for press offences is to be
shortened. The tribunals may suspend or suppress
the publication of a newspaper, after a certain num-
ber of condemnations and in certain exceptional
cases.

The French committee who recently sent a letter
to the widow of Abraham Lincoln as a testimony of
condolence, have re3eived a letter from that lady,
wherein she states that "the medal which you were
en trusted;to give to me has'been placed in my hands.
I cannot express to you the emotion with which I
receive this proof of the sentiments of so many of
your countrymen. So great a testimony to the
memory of my husband, given in honour of his ser-
vices in the cause of liberty, by those also upon
another land, work for the same great cause, affects
me deeply, and I beg you to accept for your-
selves and for those whom you represent my most
grateful thanks.--I am, with profound respect, your
obedient servant, " MARY LINCOLN.
" To the Members of the Committee,

Messrs.
The weather continues warm, almost sultry, but
it has been dull and rather rainy to-day.
A circular railway for the left bank of the Seine
is entirely finished, and in a few days it will be
opened for g)o.ls and passenger traffic.

The Journal des liebats contains the following
from Rome, dated January 24 :--" Cardinal An-
tonelli is ill. He has the gout in his hands and
feet. For several days past he has been unable to
write his signature."
A sailing match from New York to Cowes, which
promises to be even more interesting than that
between the Henrietta, Fleetwing, and Vesta, is to
take place in a few days. The proprietors of the
pilot boat No. 15 of New York, the B. Jones,
offered to sail from. New York to Cowes for 50,000
dollars against any pilot boat or yacht in the world.
The challenge has been accepted by the proprietors
of the pilot boat No. 1, Hope. The B. Jones is a
little boat of 100 tons, only half the tonnage of the
New York Club boats.