The Sun.
London, England, 1858-08-19 00:00:00

THE IMPERIAL PROGRESS IN

FRANCE.

(FROM SPECIAL REPORTERS OF THE MORNING POST.)
NAPOLEONVILLE, AUG. 17.
Yesterday I followed in the track of the Emperor,
and had the opportunity of perceiving what impres-
sion his presence had produced upon the inhabitants
of that part of ancient Brittany lying between the
modern I'Orient and the city immortalised in
" Caesar's Commentaries " ait
the nano or or 0.,
most cruel massacres ever committed upon a brave
people, fighting in defence of their national inde-
pendence against a foreign invader. Vannes, accord-
ing to the testimony of Caesar, was the first amongst
the Gauls that had the courage to rise in insurrec-
tion against the Italians, who were always talking of
"liberty," and practising " tyranny ;" and, conse-
quently, not unlike the same pretenders in modern
polities, whose machinations Lave been rendered
nugatory by the courageous ant conservative policy
of Napoleon-111. Vannes, therefore, in the joyful
reception and enthusiastic welcome given to the
Emperor, proved it was true to the principles that
animated its ancestors. It yielded a heart-homage to
this great and successful oppment of Roman ambi-
tion and Roman despotism. "Ab its (Venetis) fit
initium retinendi Silii, atque Velanii,Zquod per eos
suos se obsides, quos Crasso delissent, recuperaturos
existimabant."

From Vannes, worthy of its former fame, the Em

peror travelled, to-day, to the town which was for•

merly called Roche-sur-Yon, but, at the desire of the
first Emperor, was designated Napoleonville ; and
reminds one that looks closely at it as portraying,
in some respects, that which Fiance had been before
Napoleon obtained supreme power, and what it was
his desire to make it. All the old parts of the town
—previous to the Napoleon eia—are not only old,
but bad and inconvenient ; whilst all that has been
constructed under the inspiration of Napoleon, are
new, good, convenient, and, as regards the public

buildings, truly magnificent. The old town—that is,
se much as there remains of it—is like a bit of our

St. Giles's before any modem improvement pene-
trated its dark and gloomy precincts ; whilst the
modern Napoleonville is like the continuation of
Oxford-street, to which is to be added a fine square--
" the Place Napoleon"—much larger, and far better
arranged than any square in London.

It would be difficult to point out any view in any
city more charming than that which presented itself
to-day to the spectator on entering the city of Napo-
leonville from the main road, with its grand trium-
phal arch as an entrance to a noble street, composed
on both sides of houses like in height and appearance
to Euston-place, and this opening into a magnificent
sqnare, the whole of one side, that most distant from
the-spectator, being composed of the finest barracks

I e+er saw, and approached by a bridge which runs
across the Blavit, and separates the barracks from
the square, though seemingly belonging to it._ The
other two sides of the square are occupied by two
splendid palatial buildings—one being the Prefecture,
and the other the Courts of Justice; whilst the lower
end of the square, facing the barracks, consists of
houses, from their appearance, fitted to be placed by
the side of the Prefecture and the grand building
opposite, and on a perallel line with them is a con-
tinuation of very fine houses called, if I recollect
aright, the " Rue des Pyramids." All these con-
structions are of permaneAt materials, and contrasted
with the old unsightly edifices with which they are
conjoined, cannot fail to make their inhabitants more
proud of being known as citizens of Napoleonville, than
remembered as badly-housed burghers of Roche-
sur-Yon. Ammianus Marcellinus, in referring to
his own times, tells his readers of " a city which is now
known as Augusta, but that was formerly called
London." A different fate, we may be sure, awaits
Napoleonville, for its present improvement 3 and its
future hopes are identified with the Emperor;
whilst there is nothing in the by-gone transactions
of the place to keep
alive the old name, or rescue it
from ob!curity.

In this town—his own dynastic town--,-the Empe-
ror was this evening received in a manner which I
shall hereafter describe, and which, I think, from the
circumstances accompanying it, cannot fail to make
it a most agreeable remembrance in all his future
life.

Before I come to that description I wish, however,
to give in detail the observations I made this day,
knowing that what may be regarded as the very
heart and centre of Brittany lies between Vannes and
St. Brienne. It was there, beyond all other parts of the
province or ancient duchy of Bretagne,
I Was
A111i21411 t 9 aneztaia what were the prepgAtiol