The Sun.
London, England, 1850-11-14 00:00:00

q-benting :14 int

LONDON, THURSDAY. NOVEMBER 14, 1850.

Everything considered, the Message addressed to
the National Assembly by the French P2ESIDENT
may be ranked by the Republic among the most
brilliant of her official documents. Throughout every
sentence breathes the serenity of a statesman, and,
yet with all the calmness befitting the office of the
chief magistrate, there is perceptible, at the same
time, the fervour inspired by a genuine and practical
patriotism. Louis NAPOLEON has, in this formal
utterance of his opinions, entitled himself to the re•
spent of all those who, in spite of his sagacious po-
licy, ever since his election on the 10th of December,
have reserved for him the contempt engendered by
two unfortunate remembrances. By this Presi-
dential Message, dated from the Palace of the
Etysee, he has at length permanently obliterated the
memory of his previous miscalculations. The histo-
rian of artillery has shown himself in yet another and
a greater department—the department not of litera-
ture but of government—worthy of representing the
puissant and imperial house of the BONAPARTEE.
In the very exoraium of this masterpiece its excel-
lence becomes perceptible, where, addressing himself
n the Assembly, he reminds the members of that

great Parliament that the same electors who had
chosen them by their suffrages had also elevated him
to the chair of the supreme magistracy. Through
the mere hint of this reminiscence be pours over the
turmoil of factions the balm of effectual conciliation.
His sense of the difficulties of his po-
sition, his knowledge of the jealousy with
which his slightest action is regarded, his ac-
quaintance with the suspicions entertained in reference
to his own dynastic ambition, fail in any degree to
influence the candour of his expressions, or to
disturb, even for an instant, the clearness of his broad
and imperturbable judgment. He scans with the
lucidity of an experienced ruler the whole of the
complicated machinery of administration, taking a
rapid but, at the same moment, complete and com-
prehensive retrospect of the occurrences which, dur-
ing the last year, have in France furnished materials
for her future annalist.
Aware that the principal difficulty be has had to
encounter since his nomination as PRESIDENT is that of
interior re-organization, Louis NAPOLEON reverts with
some complacency to those measures which have led
to the revival of something like order and prosperity,
more or less, throughout the whole of the departments.
Reminding the Legislature that he bad caused no
less than 421 mayors and 183 adjoints to be dismissed,
the PRESIDENT directed their attention to the im-
proved spirit which had again begun to manifest itself
among the municipalities. Calling to mind the cir-
cumetance of his having found it necessary to dissolve
the National Guard in 153 towns and communes, he
intimated that in those instances the localities were
no longer liable to perpetual and unceasing dis-
quietude. With reference to the wholesome cle-
mency evinced towards the criminal population by
the Republican Government, he stated that as many as
2,400 convicts had been liberated without endangering
the public tranquillity ; and, deducting 458 more who
had been sent across the Mediterranean. to Algeria,
observed that 348 still remained in the prisons, in
whose behalf hie Ministers proposed to lay before the
Assembly a project of law ensuring them relief by a
system of agricultural colonization.
Adventuring upon another section in his retrospect
the PRESIDENT maintained that his policy had been
productive of very great and conspicuous financial
advantages. Instead of ending a budget of
300,000,000 francs imposed upon the Treasury, the
national representatives would, he remarked,
thanks to the progress of the revenue and
to the economy introduced into the different
services, find the deficit reduced to 100,000,000 r.
Besides which, he continued, such were the benefi-
cent fruits of internal order and tranquillity, that the
tunds deposited in the savings' banks from the Ist of
January, 1849, bad already exceeded the withdrawals
by 69,000,000 f. Other encouraging particulars are
also enumerated in the paragraphs of the Message
immediately following, and, by a judicious transition,
the scrutiny of the Assembly is next directed towards
the great progress simultaneously made in the ma
nagement and development of Public Works.
Copious details of a statistical character are there-
upon given in reference to the enterprise mani-
fested in the construction of national railroads.
Regard is next had to the real and apparent
condition of commerce and of agriculture. Louis
NAPOLEON observes in reference to this department of
the public service that attention has all along been
had to the compensation of such• a reduction in the
price of grain as would produce a corresponding de-
preBsiun in the cattle markets—a compensation only
to be secured with any degree of justice by a regard
being had to the patronage of the breeding of cattle by
the administration of agriculture. Referring to the
precautionary measures of quarantine, Louis NAPO-
LEON very sagaciously reprobates the exaggeration of
such measures, as tending to trammel the liberty of
international relations.
Equally satisfactory statements are afterwards
made in the course of the Presidential Message in al-
lusion to the department of justice, due consideration
being had to each of those draughts of essential laws
already submitted to the Assembly—those on mort-
gages, on judiciary assistance, and on judiciary or-
ganization. As to the necessities of public instruc-
ion and religious worship, the PRESIDENT avows that
every solicitude has been shown to the urgency of
their requirements. After recording with an expres-
sion of pleasure the important tact that the Holy
See had created three colonial bishoprics, and had
appointed three prelates for the island of La
Reueion, for Martinique, and far Guadeloupe, he con

males with an air of exultation—" The SOVEIRIGII
PONTIFF proclaimed at the same consistory three new
Cardinals granted to the French Church as an end-
vent proot of gratitude towards our nation and of

esteem for the French Episcopacy."
A brief but significant paragraph in reference to
the war department evidence the scrupulous anxiety
,f the Republican Government to economise the public
resources without j?opardising the national tran-

quillity—as, for instance, where it is observed
Oat the army has bts.n gradually reduced from
451,000 men and 93;754 horses to 396,000 men
And 87,400 horses while arrangements are
being made for its still further diminution•
Simultaneously it is shown by Louis NAPOLEON that

he has had an aye to the better organization of the ma-
rine forces of the Republic, forces which embrace now

125 ships, manned by 22,561 sailors, whereas, in 1848,
the former numbered 235, and the latter 29,331.
These particulars go far to corroborate the sin-

cerity of those pacific Intentions which have been

,xpressed by the French PRESIDENT, when speaking
_ _

of the foreign relations of the Republican 6.overn-
oent. Pernaps the most important part of this
section of the Message is its commencement,
where allusion is made to the most remark-
able achievement of French arms since the outbreak
of the revolution. The language of the PRINCE
upon this subject is 4imple and emphatic. " Since
my last messtr," says he, " our foreign policy has
obtained in Italy a great success. Our arms have
overthrown at Rome that turbulent demagogy which
throughout the Falian Peninsula had compromised
the cause of true liberty, and our brave soldiers have

had the signal honour of replacing Pope Pius IX. on
the throne of St. PETER. The spirit of party will fail in

obscuring this memorable deed, which will form a
glorious page for France." As to the diplomatic
policy of his Alinbtry, the PRINcs has found
every reason for expecting with some show of

confidence the felicitations of the national repre

sentatives. Turkey, Greece, Spain, and Denmark
have dike experienced from France the good and

friendly offices of her Government—the Cabinet,
which was once accustomed but " to set the world

in arms," entering, and with success, upon the labours
of international conciliation.

After a masterly resume of the entire Message, a
resume in which the Prince Loris NAPOLEON

grapples boldly with the various and complicated
difficulties by which he finds himself still,
more than ever surrounded, he closes his
address to the Assembly with these bold and
manly exclamations I have honestly opened my
heart to you. You will respond to my frankness by
your confidence—to my good intentions by your co-
operation ; and GOD will do the rest." Language
worthy of a patriotic statesman and of the chief ma-
gistrate of a young but vigorous democracy.
From our rapid, but suggestive, synopsis of this im-
portant Message, we are satisfied that it must be suf-
ficiently obvious we were justified in declaring it
worthy of being ranked among the most brilliant
documents of the Republican Government.

Another terrific explosion of fire-damp has carried
dismay among the collieries. Most earnestly do we
hope that in the end some effectual preventive will be
discovered by scientific experin2entelists for the pre-
servation of the unfortunate miners from the dangers
of these melancholy catastrophes. Hitherto, un-
happily, although of frequent recurrence, no efficient
mewls of security has yet been suggested. Neverthe-
less, in spite of the lung absence of any such philan-
thropic hint, we are still sanguine that some simple
remedy is discoverable. The apparent miracles ac-
complished from time to time by
the
in-
genuity of our chemical or mechanical
philoso-
phers encourage us in this confident expec-
tation. From a sense of the beneficent things
already effected, through the medium of researches
made in the laboratory, we are still filled with a
reliance on the resources of that great department of
intellectual inquiry. Only on this ground can we
finci_any consolation in our hearts when hearing of