The Sun.
London, England, 1845-02-01 00:00:00

just to make France an exception. Though she has I
not adopted the reformed faith, she has adopted many
of the principles which flow from it. She has cast
off the yoke of the priests, she has confined them more
than any other state in Christendom to their peculiar
functions, and has prevented them from interfering,
as in Spain and Italy, with the progress of truth and
the spirit of free inquiry. There is another point of
view, however, which cannot escape the most careless
observer. The Protestant laity of England are to a
man hostile to Puseyism. They are rebelling against
the young clergy in all directions, after having ap-
pealed to the Bishops in vain. The entire diocese of
Exeter is in an uproar, and the churches of other dio-
ceses are justly alarmed at the approach of an epide-
mic for which the professed guardians of Protestantism
will provide no remedy. They look now only to
the Legislature. Never was there an opportunity for
a Minister to do so much good, or obtain so just
popularity in a righteous cause. He would be sup-
ported by every political party in the State. Tories,
'Whigs, Radicals, and Chartists, would join with him
in putting down a sect which has broken its vows,
polluted the very sources of learning, truth, and liberty,
and is madly bent on bringing back the darkness of the
middle ages, and the thraldom which a grasping and
worldly religion imposed on mankind. There ought
to be ne scruples about touching the canons or the
rubrics, or any of the ecclesiastical laws formed
for the regulation of the Church. The Protestant
religion is the established religion of the country, and
must be maintained at all hazards. The rubrics are
admitted by several of the Bishops to be contradictory
—possibly, so are the canons—and the safeguards of
Protestantism, therefore, are not fitted for their
original purpose. If they and the Bishops together
cannot exclude Catholic tenets and Catholic rites,
and traitors in the bosom of the Church set all au-
thority at defiance, nothing short of a reversion—in
other words, ecclesiastical reform—will satisfy the
; English people.

Madrid journals of the 23d inst. have been received
hut they possess no interest. The Bourse was closed
on the 23d, which was the feast of San Isidro.

Whatever may have been the intentions of LOUIS
PHILIPPE ten days ago with regard to the GUIZOT
Cabinet, no doubt remains row that it has his full
support, and that all the wavering Ccnservatives who
were watching signals from the " chateau" have re-
turned to their posts in the rear of M. GUIZOT.
SALVANDY, who hailbeen one of the waiters on the
Court, has at last math- up his mind, and accepted the
important office of Minister of Public Instruction, in
place of M. VILLEMAIN. On Wednesday a very
large meeting of the Conservatives was held at a
public room in the Rue Richelieu. The number
present exceeded 200, and among the leading men
were Marshals SEBASTIANI and BUGEAUD, M. DE
SALVANDY, M. D'ARBLAY, M. EMILE DE GIRARDIN,
and M. HARTMANN; the senior member present was
called to the chair, and after suitable speeches in
reference to the late divisions, the power
of the Conservatives and the necessity
for standing by the Minister, the Presi-
dent put the question whether they were pre-
pared to act as a compact body, and maintain their
principles against the motley coalition formed in the
Chamber, when the meeting by acclamation replied
in the affirmative. M. DE SALVANDY spoke out like
a Minister of the Crown, cast off all his doubts and
difficulties, and conjured the Members to act with
energy and decision on an occasion of such interest to
their KING and country. Several Conservatives, who

hung back on the Otaheite affair, and especially the
PRITCHARD indemnity, were present, and said, as that

difficulty had been surmounted, they were now pre.
pared to take up their usual positions in the Chamber.
A deputation was appointed to wait upon the Presi-
dent of the Council and the Minister for Foreign
Affairs, consisting, among others, of SEBASTIANI,
SALVANDY, and BUGEAUD—aII men dependent
on the Court, and said to be much in the
KING'S confidence. The old Marshal, upon whom
they waited first, seemed a good deal annoyed
at the small majority for Ministers, and doubtful as
to the result of a still further trial :of strength. He,
however, yielded to the suggestions of the deputation
and engaged to lend his influence in furthering their
views. M. GUIZOT received them more frankly, though
he admitted the majority was too small for practical
purposes, but as it had reference to only one point of
diffet ence, he would join heart in hand with the de-
putation, and stand to his post. The Count, too, has
thrown off all reserve. The KING, it is said, speaks
in the strongest terms of his determination to support
the Ministry, recommends another trial of strength,
and should that be unfavourable, hints, as a last re-
source, at a dissolution of the Chamber.
Indeed this is the most probable upshot of
this awkward business. The Chamber is so
equally divided, that no business can be done without
a struggle at every step, which only retards the pro-
gress of affairs, and keeps the country in a state of
constant excitement. According to some accounts
measures for this purpose are in active preparation.
Circulars have been sent to all the Prefects, with in-
structions to lose not a moment in adopting steps for
returning, as far as in their power, Ministerial candi-
dates. The Duke of BROGLIE gives the Cabinet his
full support. This was the state of affairs on Wed-
nesday, but on the preceding day, judging from one
of the Ministerial organs, the Cabinet had all but
made up their minds to retire from office, waiting only
to see whether the Conservative party were prepared
to make any movement which might encourage the
Government to maintain their ground. This is
evidently the drift of the article in the Journal des
Debate, and as it evidently contains information that
may be relied on, we give it at length :
" The Opposition journals triumphed yesterday; they
declared the Ministry conquered, overturned; this was to
be expected. For our parts, we have nut dissembled the
gravity of the situation which Monday's vote established
for the Cabinet. If any one wishes to know what is our
personal opinion on the important point, what advice in
our friendship for M. Guizot we would recommend him
to adopt, we declare with the same frankness that, in our
mind, the Ministry would do best to retire; abandon the
game to the intrigue ; and leave it the burden of power!
Let it be teen by a trial what these men, so arrogant in
the tribane, are worth! Power is the chastisement of ar-
dent ambitions and of inferior minds. Let them feel in their
turn the pressure of responsibility—their acts will be com-
pared with their superb words! They are so clever in get-
ting up a Parliamentary stroke! They find it so amusing;
and so convenient to recompense by stupid abuse the
devotedness of those who sustain the weight of affairs !
Place them a little in face of real diffieulties, that we may
admire their genius ! Either we are much mistaken, or
the retreat of the present Cabinet at this moment would
do it honour, and would not be long. It would retire
voluntarily, not having lost the majority, but not ac-
cepting the charge of governing with too feeble a one.
It woula retire without having 'been beaten on a single
point of its policy, yielding to an intrigue, and to
wretched personal rival ties ! It would retire after hav-
ing restored order everywhere, re-established peace on a
solid basis, and forced its adversaries themselves to pro-
test, whether truly or falsely, hypocritically or sincerely,
in favour of the English alliance ! It would retire with
the cannon of Isly and Mogadore still echoing; and this
Ministry of four years has raise d those who made part
of it high enough not to fear that France should forget
them. After so many fatigues courageously supported
and services rendered, it is certainly allowable for
honourable men to select the moment of their re-
treat from official duties. The moment is very
propitious. At present they could retire freely and
with glory. M. Thiers has always quitted power smaller
than he entered it ; who dares assert that M. Guizot
does not go out greater ? Can a Ministry like that of
October 29 be contented. with a majority of eight votes?
Such is the counsel which we would not hesitate to give
to the men whom we love. They entered on power like
men of honour ; we should like to see them leave it
without constraint, and the head high ; to do honour to
their principles, and not to yield to necessity. Patriotism
demands sometimes that one should sacrifice one's self
to the end ; it demands sometime ;also that one should
reserve one's self. It is for the interest of France that
Guizot and his colleagues should not exhaust their
future. These considerations are grave, yet they are
not the only ones that the Ministry is obliged to weigh
before determining on their course. They are not the
only judges of the question. There is some ono who
ought to decide on it with them, or perhaps before them
—the majority. Four years of struggles, courageously
and:gloriously sustained, under the flag of order and peace,
have generated between the Conservative party and
the Cabinet close ties which cannot be broken
without the most imperious and the most clearly shown
necessity. It is not sufficient that this necessity should
be recognised by the Ministry, it must also be so by the
majority. The separation cannot take place, let us be
allowed to say, without the consent of the two parties.
The noble and firm attitude of the majority in the last
struggle gives it an additional right to be definitively
judged. Notwithstanding some individual treasons, the
Conservativem u
partycuoeasn
hee. has remained compact and immove-
able the end itthehraesfobreeeonwfeaisthitfutol
at
obiteh teocommon
the last
itself, before determining on a definite course, to take the
In that M. Guizot and his colleagues e majority.
In and clearly ascertain the aprity.
resigned, bee h hd
an illustrious example. It may be
a uWit
el only D y
rememberedfollow
that Casimir perier resi
ob
twined a majority of only one vote. Some day-