The Sun.
London, England, 1850-09-17 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The following article appears in the acknowledged
organ of the Ministry, the Constitutionnel. It relates
to the supposed consequences of the reconciliation of
the two branches of the House of Bourbon on the
prospects of the PRESIDENT, and, as seriously pointing
out the policy Ad), under these altered circum-
stances, the PRESIDENT and his Ministers deem it
advisable to pursue, it may be considered as of im-
portance. The Constitutionnel says—
" In desiring the triumph of their principles, and pre•
cisely to bring it about, the honest, intelligent, and mo-
derate men of the Legitimatist party feel that they ought
not to act as revolutionists. Certainly, if they believed
a restoration at present possible, they would attempt it;
but if such au attempt appears to them impracticable
and insensate, they will give the hand to the mainte-
nance, provisionally at least, of the President, because
his fall would be the triumph of the terrorists. The
moderation of the President, his religious and con-
servative principles, his devotedness t) order will, in the
end, ameliorate the monarchical question. This is what
the reasonable, practical, honest Legitimatists perfectly
understand. They would overthrow the President if they
believed they would succeed him, but they will maintain
him if, in over throwing him, they see they will give him
terrorism or even Orleanism for a successor. Their
first suffrage is naturally for the Comte de Chambord,
but the second is for Louis Napoleon., Such is the pri-
vate opinion of the most important and most practical
men of the Legitimatist party. The hostile, separated,
exclusive line of policy, which appears to have been po-
sitively resolved on at Wiesbaden, is subjected to the
possibility of an immediate or very early success: but if
the party cannot effect a Legitimatist restoration it will
not throw itself into revolutionary agitation. This
course, condemned in advance, and disavowed by the
chiefs, will be left to the violent and vain men who are
to be found in all parties. The death of King Louis
Philippe was naturally destined to create, and has
created, a new situation to the old Conservatives, com-
prised under the general name of Orleanists. The
most important men of this party, the most moderate,
the most practical, those who have conducted its
affairs for the longest period, and with most Mac
consider, like the late King, that there is great utility
as regards the future in a sincere union of the two
branches of the House of Bourbon. But they feel shat
nations are no longer transmitted by the private ar-
rangements of princes, and that the House of Bourbon
can never, whatever may be done, be anything else than
a distant port, in which France will have the privilege
of voluntarily seeking shelter, if ever her repose and
prosperity should require it. The authority which
Louis Philippe exercised over his family was immense,
and whatever may be the empire which is exercised by
his memory, it is very difficult to believe that certain
germs cf division formerly existing will not break
forth. The men devoted to the arrangement of which
the Duchess d'Orleans and the Count de Paris would
loran the basis, have ' naturally at present more em-
pire; and whatever be the reserve and the prudence
of the young princes, the democratic penal:cats which
one of them is supposed to entertain will assuredly
be more strongly excited. On the other hand, the
union of the two branches of the House of Bourbon,
even if it were intimately established, would not
the less cause profound divisions in the Conserva-
tive party. Public conscience revolts, in these days,
against the transmission of a nation by means of endorse-
ments and stamped paper. Franco has the profound
conviction that she belongs to herself, and that no one
can dispose, or shall with impunity be allowed to dispose
of her without her free consent. It is then an immense
disadvantage for all the arrangements prepared, or in
way of arrangement between the two branches, to have
the air of being effected with the view of taking posses-
sion of the country. And besides can it be believed
that if the two branches are not absolutely irreconcile-
able, certain political men are so? It has been found
impossible to cause the Orleanists to live well together;
can it be believed possible to cause Orleanists and Legi-
timatises to do so? Is it in human nature to forget 20
years
of fierce struggle, insult, calumny, and persecution? Our
readers see then that a man must live in chimerical re-
gions to believe that the union of the two branches of
the House of Bourbon, even if it were intimate and im-
mediate, would cause the union, much more difficult and
much more important, of old parties, and would offer to
France an early, serious, efficacious solution of the im-
mense problem laid down in the public conscience."
It would appear from the contents of the Legiti-
matist journals that there are no " honest, intelligent
moderate men," in the Constitutionnel sense of the
phrase, among the journalists of that party, for, with
one accord, without even the exception of the Union,
they protest as vehemently as the most democratic of
the Republican journals against any attempt to pro-
long the presidential powers of Louis NAPOLEON
BONAPARTE, and call as loudly for a rigid investiga •
lion into the constitution and aims of the Society of
the 10th December.

We find the following in the Assemilie Nationale :

" The three great Parliamentary clubs were founded
during thp last session. One which met at the Palais
d'Orsay, another in the Rue de Rivoli, and the third at
the Hotel Frascati. In consequence of the ideas of con-
ciliation expressed by the Count de Chambord at Wies-
baden, these three clubs are now united under the name
of the Cercle du Droit National."

Although the "fusion of the two branches of the
Houses of Bourbon " is pompously announced in the
Legitimatist journals, and the restoration of the reign
of the parti-pretre, and a crusade against liberty, and
an intimate Russian alliance declared to be a necessary
consequence, it does not appear certain that the said
fusion has taken place. M. THIERS, who has shown
much greater shrewdness and foresight than any of
the other ex-Ministers of Louis PHILIPPE, is deci-
dedly opposed to any such fusion on any condi •
Lions, and the Duchess of ORLEANS, who has not
yet signified formally her assent to this project of
fusion, has been always hitherto guided by the advice
of M. THIERS.

The Mayor and Municipal Council of Rochefort
have decided on presenting an address to the PRESI-
DENT of the Republic, begging him to honour that
port with his presence at the launch of the Villa-
de-Paris, line-of-battle ship, on the sth of next
month.

Little business was transacted on the Bourse, owing
to the absence of the Israelite bankers and specula-
tors. The Five per Cents. opened at 93f. 75c., and
closed at 93f. 5.5 c. ; the Three per Cents. closed at
58f. 5c.; Orleans Railroad Shares, 7801. ; Rouen,
5921. 50c.; Great Northern, 462 f. 50c.; Vierzon,
350 t. ; Basle, 1181. 75c.; Bordeaux, 393 f. 75c. ;
Paris and Strasburg, 3421. 50c. ; Tours and Nantes,
2401. ; the New Roman Loan, 78i.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, SEPT. 16.

Boulogne and Amiens, 7% ex div.—DUtch Rhenish,2%—
Luxembourg, 14.—Northern of France, 14%—Orleans and
Bordeaux, 2d/4—Paris and Rouen, 24—Rouen and Havre, 10
—Sambre and Meuse, 2%.