The Sun.
London, England, 1850-05-18 00:00:00

fr Int

LONDON, SATURDAY, MAY 18, 1850.

Any occurrence so serious as the abrupt reeal of
the French Ambassador to the Court of St. James's,
must naturally give rise to all kinds of sinister re-
ports and to all sorts of dark and melancholy conjec-
tures. It is more than ever expedient, however,
under such circumstances, that no precipitate opinion
should be formed upon a matter involving the in-
terests of two great countries, and the general peace
of Christendom. At all times it is manifestly ad-
visable for the multitude to reserve their judgment
upon whatever international differences may arise
through diplomatic correspondence, and this because
of the secrecy in which such correspondence
must necessarily be, more or less, involved,
and because consequently, until the publication of all
the documents out of which the misunderstanding
has originated, the people are obviously incompetent
to arrive at any judicious or definitive conclusion.
But especially is the postponement of public opinion,
until such revelations have been made, advisable, when
the evidences of annoyance on the part of any
foreign power are displayed with an unusual degree
of suddenness. Now such is precisely the position
of affairs between the British Government
and the French Government under exist-
ing circumstances. M. DEOUYN DE L'HUYS
has been abruptly recalled by the Republican autho-
rity of which he was the delegated representative in
the English capital. His recall, moreover, has been
accompanied by such exceedingly partial disclosures
of the correspondence which had taken place previ-
ously to this new rupture of the entente cordiale be-
tween the powers at Paris and London, as to impress
upon us more than ever the necessity for that caution
which common prudence assures us to be at this mo-
ment peculiarly requisite.
Every individual has turned of course a close and
scrutinizing attention to the events which, we may say
within the last few hours, have recently transpired.
All have acquainted themselves with occurrences by
which the friendly alliance of France and England
appears to be in a great measure jeopardized. To
evince any apathy in proceedings which threaten
to disturb the amicable relations hitherto
maintained by this country with the powers
of the European continent would be virtu-
ally to acknowledge an indifference to the
interests of fatherland, to the cause of humanity, and
to the peaceful advance of civilization. Such an in-
difference as this, an indifference in the highest
degree culpable, we do not believe to exist in any one
section of the community, even among the most das-
tardly and insignificant. Hence we are persuaded, as
already remarked, that the political incidents which
have recently been observed in the British
as well as in the French metropolis are uni;
vernally known by this time throughout
our intelligent population. Every one is aware that
after the most patient and protracted delays,
England within the last few months intimated 'to the
Athenian Cabinet her determination to see certain
claims of hers attended to, which heretofore had been
evaded by Greece with the most impertinent display
of procrastination. Every one knows the result of
that communication—a result which only manifested
itself in the submission of OTHO and his Minis-
terial advisers after a series of duplicities, con-
tradictions, and tergiversations which it ac-
tually required the awe of our naval supremacy
to dissipate. Almost simultaneously with the
receipt of the intelligence that the quarrel between
Greece and England had been satisfactorily termi-
nated, arrives the information that a quarrel still
more serious has, out of the very fact of that recon-
ciliation, sprung up between the French and the
British Governments. M. DROUYN DE L'HUYS, the
Ambassador, is recalled to Paris, from his, diplomatic
post at London. General LAHITTE, -the Minister of
War, announces the fact of his recall from the tri-
bune of the Legislative Assembly. The announcement
is• received with a storm of- acclamations "from
the so-called Republican representatives. Meanwhile
inquiries as• to the exact position of affairs are put to
the Ministers of the Crown in England. Parliament
listens with suspended breath and eager curiosity as
the Lord President of the Council is catechised in the
House of Peers, or again, as the First Lord of the
Treasury is required in the Commons to give some
sort of explanation, in the absence of his illus-
trious . colleague her MAJESTY'S Foreign . Secre-
tary.' Mere shreds and patches of information' are
torn,
,bit by, bit, from the Administrators and
diplomatists, and thereupon, of course, the very most
is made of these fragmentary intimations and acknow-
ledgements. The gobemouches of the two great ca-
pitals:are yet gloating over such unexpected tidbits
in the way of political gossip, when the more dictato-
rial quidnuncs are already rushing to a conclusion as
to the merits of the respective
.powers, and already
pronouncing most authoritatively their, applause
of the one, and their • peremptory condemnation of
the other. After this, it is, of coUrse, scarcely
necessary to observe that these Quixotic pronuncia-
mentos consist of the most inflated panegyrics upon
the course pursued by the reactionary 'Cabinet at
Paris, and of the most rancourous vituperations upon
the policy of one of the greatest statesmen in Europe,
her MAJESTY'S Foreign Secretary, Viscount PAL,
IKERSTON.

ereecoPellltiiaawye,beara
well
Against these perverse and, precipitate expres-
s
sions of opinion we protest with all our earnestness.
"At least," we would say' to these miserable
apologists of reaction, " evince some decency in the
delay of these paltry accusations and most wretched
encomiums—encomiums upon a race of men whose
congenial meanness of temperament inspires you,with
a :responsive sympathy—accusations against a states-
man whose innate nobility of disposition and generosity
of principle elevate him immeasurably above the reach
of your comprehension." Until such time as the doou-
mente constituting the correspondence between the
French and British Goverments shill beformallymade
public, it must remain imposSible for the masses to
formtn any accurate opinion as to the origin of the
understanding which has betrayed itself in the
atiinpf recall of the French Ambassador.
. That the
Publication a this correspondence will lead to the
exculpation of Lord PA LIABRSTON, and to the dis-
c34otzfintvrtibrelleof his assailants,
significant fiatCitisayinb e fully satisfied.
dieot to bear one or two very
to remember that a ru eteti°n. it may be as well
' alliance with' Russia would- b:ith England and an
political intriguers in, France rat welcome to the
to restore the ancient monarch' who
are now plotting
the Bourbons to the throne y y conducting back
across the Planch N
pole onnienne. It may be as well to remember e a-
reactionaries have gradually. insinuated that these
into the councils of the French PRESIONPITtheraSeIVes
't
o: ar7m. that
they have gradually monopolized the •
Legislative Assembly. , majority a the
her that, according to the reactionist Journals of
Paris and of London, the announcement of the rup.
ture with this country was received with shouts of
delight in the Assembly by "all but the Mountain."
And it may be just as well to remember, that among
those who are thus designated the " Mountain" are'
visible such men as General CAVAIGNAC and his
associates ! Let us whisper a hint or two
to the reflective':—The continuance of amicable rela-
tions with England, necessitating, as it does, the
continuance of estrangement from Russia, is just now
inconvenient to the French reactionary gentlemen !
These same intriguers owe a bitter grudge to Lord
PALMERSTON, because on the occasion of the last re-
volution be did not emulate the infamous Policy of
his ' predecessors, _by interfering with the move•
meats of a free people in the selection of
their form of government, but stood serenely