The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-22 00:00:00

any wrong done by the French authorities ? If
there was, England had a right to demand reparation ;
and France ought not to hesitate in giving it ; for it is
only by acknowledging our wrongs that vk e can main-
tain our rights. Now, it is clearly proved that the
French authorities had the right to arrest Mr. Prit-
chard, and send him away, because he excited dis-
turbance ; and neither the English nor any other Go-
vernment can deny the legality of such an act. Only,
there was on the part of the French officer an abuse of
power—a fact which we are bound to admit. Nobody,
therefore, can complain of the English Government for
requiring that this ill-proceeding should be censured, nor
can any man of sense blame the French Government for
according such censure. It is not at this moment, when
we are bombarding six towns on the coast of Africa,
that we should be accused of weakness in expressing re-
gret for a useless act of harshness. England, if she
does not wish to be accused of folly, ought to be con-
tented with such satisfaction ; and France, if she does
not wish to lie under a similar imputation, cannot refuse
it. And as both the Governments are justly considered
to be possessed of some rationality, the two kingdoms
may be perfectly at ease as to the issue of this af-
fair. We have before noticed the change which has
been operated in the style of the English press. It con-
tinues to believe that wrong has been done by a French
officer, still exaggerating, it is true, the importance of
that wrong; but as there is some reality in it, the press
has reason when it relies upon the candour and honesty
of France in acknowledging it. At bottom, the English
press wishes for peace as much as France does, and it is
not when peace is sincerely desired by both parties that
war can arise from the harshness of a subaltern officer.
It was better to wait to know what effect the bombard-
ment of Tangiers would produce in London. The effect
is favourable to us. The feelings of the people of Eng-
land have remained unmoved, and this proves that it
has confidence in the good faith of France. She has an-
nouncedpubliclythat she will not fire a gun but to avenge
injuries, the existence of which could not be denied, and
that she had no views of aggrandisement in making war
npon Morocco. England, in full reliance upon the word
of France, has listened with calmness to the sounds of
our cannon, although they had awakened the echoes of
Gibraltar; the public funds have not suffered any de-
preciation—a fact that proves there is in that stock
market more good sense and less jobbing than at Paris."
The other Ministerial paper, the Journal des De-
bats, comments on the Morocco affair in rather a
different strain :—" Without doubt," it says, " the
bombardment of Tangiers caused a great sensation in
England, and so it ought. It is not to be wondered
that the English, the possessors of Gibraltar, the pos-
sessors of Malta, the possessors of the Indies, with
which Egypt is the most direct mode of communica-
tion, should look with jealousy upon anything that
could by any chance establish a superior influence to
their own at the mouth of the Mediterranean. The
permanent and, for a long time past, irrevocable oc-
cupation of Algeria by the French, has already been
for them a source of great inquietude." It then
adds :

" The English press cannot altogether dissemble its
uneasiness, but it acknowledges that the French Govern-
ment only exercises just reprisals, that the foolish obsti-
nacy of the Emperor of Morocco has fully justified the
chastisement inflicted on him, and that France and Mo-
rocco are two independent States, which may wage war
on each other, if such is their pleasure, without England
having in any manner a right to intervene. The
French Gorernment carried its patience to the utmost
limits, and it may assert, without being suspected
of weakness, that it only waged war in personal de-
fence. It did not seek hostilities ; it never had, and it can-
not reasonably have, any view of conquest, or permanent
occupation of Morocco. It has declared publicly, and on
several occasions, in the two Chambers, that it had not
any intention of adding a single inch of ground to the
possessions of France, already sufficiently extensive on the
continent of Africa ; and if there is anything clearly de-
monstrated, it is that the sentiment of the country on
this point agrees with that of the Government, and that
public opinion universally declares itself against the per-
manent extension of the French dominion beyond the
boundaries of Algeria. When, therefore, the English
press range in battle array a quantity of big words, to
declare that Great Britain cannot consent to Morocco's
becoming, like Algeria, a French possession, we cannot
help thinking that it displays a resolution altogether out
of season, and exhibits an amount of courage which is
not called for by circumstances."
As a counterbalance to the " big words " of the
English press, we take at random, from a Contem-
porary of the Journal des Debate, the National, a
specimen of boasting which it would be difficult to
equal :

" The superiority which our officers have over their
rivals is too well established for any one to deny
it. It is the natural consequence of more extensive
theoretical knowledge, and longer practical experience.
Out of twenty years' service, fifteen years must have been
passed at sea, whereas in the English service five years
is only required, and it has been admitted by English
admirals themselres that our ships are as smart in their
evolutions as the English. The success of naval actions
depends less on the number of vessels than the rapidity
and precision of their evolutions, on the intelligence of
the commander, and on the instruction of the officers and
the resolutions of the crews. In the event of a war, all
our attention would be directed towards our navy. In-
numerable steamers would be built in every port, and
some fine day, when a storm had completely swept the
channel, we should suddenly land 50,000 men on some
undefended point of the British coast. This landing and
this result are, in our eyes, but a question of time and
opportunity."

The French Funds on Tuesday were rather more
firm. The Three per Cents. closed at 80f. 40c ; and
the Fives at 120 f. 20c.
THE BOURSE—TUESDAY, AUGUST 20.

First Highest Lowest Last

?rice. Price. Price. Price.
French Five perCsnts•• •• .• 119 65 .. 120 15 .. 119 55 .. 120 15
Four per Cents. lO5 .. 105 • • 105 .. 105
Three per Cents.— •• 80 10 • • 80 20 .. 79 75 .. 80 20
Rank of France•.... • • 3005 .•3005 .•3005 3005
Lallltte Bank, I,ooof. Shareslo9s ..1095 . • 1095 ..1095
Belgian Bank.. ...... ...• .. 650 • • 650 .• 650 .. 650
Belgian Fives, 1831.•
1840 ........ 1034 • • 1034 • • 1034 • • 1034
Portuguese Five per Cents.. 431 •• 431 .. 431 .. 431
Neapolitan ••••••• • • • .• • .. 97 50 • • 97 50 .. 97 40 .. 97 40
Roman ••••.••.••••......• 1034 .. 1034 .. 1034 1034