The Sun.
London, England, 1858-07-26 00:00:00

(Front the Daily Ne

Although the jealoroies and su,picion4 raised iu
this country by the completion of the works at Cher-
bourg and their les a inauguration have been 'o a
great extent, removed by the fraekuess of the Em-
peror in making England party to the festivity, and
by the readiness with which the Imperial inv:tation
has been accepted, it is s ill, perhaps, necess:ry to
make more generally known what the redoubtable
Cherbourg really is ; fur, although the English
participators in the celebration may cordi Illy Join
in it, as an expression of amity and affiance, distant
lookers-on, less aware of facts, may still half sus-
pectis principally a port
the presence of our Court and fleet to le a
species of either time-serving or humiliation.
rcgourse of the Channel,
of Irnefuagwe.ordA,
lt,timegn
nature which has given England two or three good
, t
hCelieentbt
iorue
and natural harbours, has given France not one.
We a: e diss ttisfl, d with those we have, and are
spending late:e sums to form, de-pen, and protect
others. The 11, each have confined their attention
to Cherbourg; their only port iu the Channel. It
has been made a safe refuge for shipping of even
the greatest draught by a huge breakwatt r. And
on this breakwater is concentrated the principal
labour and expense of Cherb ,urg. When the pre-
sent Emperor mounted the throne this breakwater
was completed up to the level of the water at cer-
tain periods of the tide. What Napoleon HI. has
done is to raise it altogether above the sea, and
thus enable it to afford efficient shelter and pro-
tection. B3bind this breakwater, vessels can al-
ways find anchorage and safety. This, of course,
renders it useful alike in war and in peace. Trading
vessels had previously no French harbour of re-
fuge to make for in the Channel when assailed by
sudden tempests. Now they have Cherbourg, most
conveniently situated between Cape Finisterre and
Havre. English and American merchant vessels
are now very often indebted for safety to the facili-
ties of getting behind the breakwater of Cherbouig.
But the harbour has, no doubt, even more im-
portant advantages in war. It enables the French
to have a Channel fleet. Without Cherbourg the
Government cf France may, indeed, send as
many vessels into the Channel as may please them.
But along the French coast they have no such
anchorage as Spithesd, and no such shelter as the
Isle of Wight affords, except Lehind Cherbourg
breakwater. But are we to entertain jealousy, or
manifest apprehension, because the Franck, by dint
of art and money, ft tan for themselves what nature
has gratuitously given us—a hat bourin the Channel
where fleets may safely lie at..anchor ? .For our
par', we think it the extreme Of littleness in those
who aspire to guide the opinions of the Briii,h
public, to display jealousy or susceptibility at the
completion of such a port.
Then, we believe another dock has lately been
added, and the railroad—inevitable fact I—bas been
just opened all the way between Paris and Cher-
bourg.
This railroad has b-en executed by English
engineers, with English capital. Will the, too, be
denounced as treason ? Are Mr. Locke and Mr.
Brassy to be considered bad patriots for supplying
the place of French capital and science and making,
no doubt, large profits out of French enterprise ?
Men of sense will see nnthing in their co-operation
but a strong proof of the fraternity of tie two
nations, and a very desirable community in the
enjoyments of the vast resources at the disposal of
each.

Cherht,hiontuheriis
The bad taste and worse feeling of same of the
minor French papers, in- commenting upon these
facts, are certainly blameable and irritating. But
kis,
etstes,
tc,aaerlitlil
adde.
rltheirec:T F,hi
imouvtsialueuaindnt tiooibennsogsasns,
to
oittnl iswgtehooToiefephoathreoeevmre
Cherbourg,
fokauterr, sage,
,ybj
tuedhga
on-.
notamlomtoiisididt
bear of Alderney. Yet here is au island, within
eight miles of the coast of France, in which we are
doing pretty much what the French are doing at
, We are throwing out long piers, and
gg.hfotrmifirleeds oifi,tib.
forming a barbeur where a fleet may lie at anchor.
seven an I-twenty from be,,uueratoefstApla,retroul:ytheisFarebnocubt
Cherbourg, rendering it
possible on a fine day and with a good telescope to
look into it. All this, Ice may feel assured, is for
the purpose of watching France, not invading it.
withine eo dm sso
BBuritg ihstthiotenrp,
elaenNavdsaastnwtaentnot3i
,sb...l3e%evdeel: closelypeiitgh,i;eta in:a i l Sup-
poseessu Sup-
pose of
that the French were to occupy this island,
fortify it, and set about building a large harbour
for an armed fleet, and not in the least useful, as
Cherbourg certainly is, for the reception of mer-
chant vessels, what should we think of such a pro-
ceeding—what should we say—what do ? Why,
every one knows that we should not stand it ; that
we should go to war rather than sriffe • it. Y,t this
is precisely the very th'lng we it the been doing ;
for dui irg AU the years of our orients cordiale, and
even while the French and English flags were
floating together at the Alma and before Sebas-
topol, wo have- been incessantly spending
labour and money on the port and for-
tifications of Alderney. We do not want
to accuse our Government, nor to stop
their works. We know not what may
happen ; but let us not foolishly and pusillani-
mously. discern a threat and an insult in every
military and naval precautjon of the French, when
we our selves are doing things of the same kind,
quite as full of suspicion and of menace, without
exciting one jealous movement or remark, even
from the French marine press.
We recollect an excitement similar to that got
up respecting Cherbourg, caused not merely th• *ugh
England, but throughout Europe, by the determi-
. nation of Louis Puilippe to fortify Paris. That
fortification was carried into effect immediately
after the events of Syria, and the reduction of
Mehemet Ali. The French Government and M.
Triers spent .millions on the walls, ditches, and
works which surround Paris ; and people said,
with his capital thus secere, the French monarch
can pour his hundreds oft housauds of soldiers over
the Rhine. The case is p city much the same as
that of Cherbourg. B ,th are gt eet works of de-
fence, the one useful in a W,ll. with Eur ,pe, when
France must send forth a million of fighting men ;
the other in a naval war with England, wirer'
France must make still greater efforts. Let u
trust, as well as bylieve, that no such events will
lake place. And let us also know that great works
of defence, whether round Parts or before Cher-
bourg, will not hasten their taking place. Great
kings and countries will play at soldiers and a
sail irs. Let them do so, and let us look on at their
sport, but not tkrough the telescope of t rror that
exaggerates every man into a monster, and meta-
phorsises quays into instruments of aggression

TER SARCJIFIAGIJS OF TEE LATE DIME OF WSLLING•
TON.—On Wednesday nex: the chapel in St. Panl'e
Cathedral in which the sarcophagus is placed will be
open from 11 o'clock to 6 (-xcept the hour of afternoon
service, from 3 to 4), on production of their card, to the
Foreign Ministers, members f either Rome of Pailia-
ment, the Lord Mayor and Corporation of London, the
officers of the army and navy, the direc' ors of the bank,
and members of the Royal Academy. After next week
it will be open to the public on Mondays, Thursdays,
and Saturdays free; on otber days on the payment of
61, to defray the expense cf lights and Attendants.