The Sun.
London, England, 1866-02-28 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
A speech from M. Thiers—the man of many
Ministries, it might be said Dynasties—always an
incident of interest, acquires more than usual im-
portance at the present time. He spoke yesterday
in the Corps Legislatif, but in such vague and
rambling terms, that as he did not say what he
meant to do, I for one am at a loss to know whether
he intends to support any of the amendments to the
Address or to vote for it purely and simply. M.

Thiers commenced with a truism--that there were
so many topics to deal with as to make it a real
case of embarrassment of choice. However, he
plunged in medias res, remarking that, of all sub-
jects, none was so worthy of attention as the politi-
cal constitution of the country. The great interest
of a nation was its political constitution. M. Thiers
proceeded to say that any change of dynasty was
now out of the question ; but, as far as could be
gathered from his argument, he wants now an ex-
tension of popular principles, for he said that " the
re-establishment of liberty was now only a question
of time. The Revolution had given to Frenchmen
real equality—equality before the law." M. Thiers,
after remarking upon the press— he did not say it
was not free—accused the Government of interfer-
ing with the electors, but did not venture to point
out any proof or example of such interference. M.
Thiers, after reviewing seriatim the topics of the

Speech having especial reference to foreign politics,
touched upon England, admitting by implication at
least that the most important point to be considered
was how far the institutions of France ought to be
assimilated with our own. He said free trade was
nct liberty, nor was universal suffrage liberty. It
was a step to liberty. The suffrage was restricted
in England, but no one could say that England was

not free. Nothing was so becoming in the speech of
Tkners as the end of it. I give it in _ his own
wor6.

" In England how many things arc contrary to
liberty (let the reader recollect that he had just said
that England was undoubtedly free). The law of
primogeniture, substitutions, a national church—
intolerance everywhere, and yet England is free.
Why ? Because in a Republic or in a Monarchy
people are free when they have such institutions
as I have enumerated. Nations may be mis-
taken, but they are less liable to mistakes than
a man. A man commits faults, because not being
forced to deliberate, to weigh the for and hgainst,
he is carried away by his passions. If he should
hold in his hands the destinies of nations he may
precipitate them into great misfortunes. Thus the
real definition of a free nation is this—A free nation
is a being who is obliged to reflect before he acts."
(Applause from some parts of the Chamber.)
The enrolment of soldiers for the Pope is now
completed. His Holiness has ordered the following
prayer, his own composition, to be offered up on the
occasion.—" Protect this city, Oh Lord ! and let
your angels guard its walls. In your mercy hear
the prayers of your people. Let your anger turn
from your people because we are threatened by the
coalition of our enemies, they who glorify themselves
in their strength. But you, destroy their power and
disperse them, so that they may know that there is
no one to fight for us but you, our God." The
prayer is in Latin, but the above is a literal trans-
lation of it.

The Committee of the Great Exhibition having
expressed a desire to thank his Imperial Majesty for
having named the Imperial Prince as honorary Pre-
sident, the Emperor received the members of it on
Sunday at the Tuileries. 'The Emperor said to
them, " My son is yet too young to take an active
part in your deliberations, but at least he will have
an opportunity of learning in good time to honour
labours which insure the splendour and prosperity
of the State." The Emperor was engaged in con-
versation for a long time with the committee, and
the young Prince graciously held out his hand to
the members of it when they were about to depart.

I have already mentioned the intention to erect
a statue to Joan of Arc in the new square by the
Rue St. Honors. The attention of artists has long
been directed to the endeavour to obtain an accu-
rate resemblance of the heroine. In the archives of
the Empire an authentic portrait of her has been
found taken from life by an officer of the Court
before which she was tried by the English. She
was born in 1412 at the village of DomVemry la
Pucelle, near Orleans. There is a statue of her in
that city, and also in the Museum of Domvemry.
The family of Joan of Arc is not yet entirely ex-
tinct. Only a few days ago there died at Orleans
Madame de Julienne, whose maiden name was
Gauthier Dave, who was a descendant of the great
female warrior.

An old man, named Antoine Granier, and his
wife have just been tried before the Court of As-
size at Nismes, for atrocious cruelty towards,their
child Adeline for a series of years past. The child
disappeared ten years ago, being then four years
old, and was recently discovered in a sort of cave,
deprived of fresh air and light. She was crouched
on the floor, quite naked, an idiot, and having
hardly the human form. She cannot speak, but
utters monotonous and piercing cries. The child
was almost like a corpse. The only explanation of
these unnatural parents was that they were obliged
to keep the child in a " sequestered" spot, because
she had frequent fits of furious madness, and they
were afraid that she would dishonour the family.
A witness deposed to having thrown a fig to the
child, who crawled along the floor and seized and
ate it with avidity. The jury found both prisoners
guilty, but, it will hardly be credited, with " ex-
tenuating circumstances," and they were sentenced
to six years' imprisonment.

Last night and to-day there has been much rain,
but the temperature is that of advanced spring.
1 enclose a blossom of a peach-tree. There are
myriads of trees in the vicinity of Paris in full
bloom. [Our Correspondent sends a beautiful
blossom.]