The Sun.
London, England, 1845-03-29 00:00:00

"

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 1845.

whose object is the destruction of domestic institutions
existing in other sections—institutions which existed
at the adoption of the constitution." Would any
honest man believe that this stout Republican, who
freely invokes the blessing of GOD upon his admi-
nistration, and talks glibly of the mercy of Paovi-
DENCE, was in these set phrases disguising so
atrocious a practice as negro slavery, and excusing,
in this boasted ark of human liberty, -forsooth, the
damning pollution of wholesale, natural slave-trading?
Why, we shall look to the next overland mail for a me-
morial to the Governor-General of India from the per-
secuted " Thugs " of Mysore or Rajhpootana, pray-
ing that their highly respectable " institutions" may
not be put down, in compliance with the wishes of
other " sections" of the Penersales. But this hypo-
crisy is of a piece with the colouring at-
tempted to be given to the Texas affair. " The
Republic of Texas has made known her desire
to come into our Union —to form a pars
of our confederacy, &c. Fortunately for the truth,
President TYLER had " made known" the " desire
of our confederacy " to filch and kidnap Texas from
Mexico at any hazard ; and it will require a better
casuist than J. K. Pore( to show that it was not the
United States' Government which took the initiative
in the matter, and resorted to such means for the at-
tainment of its object, as will for ever reflect infamy
on that Government, and, in all probability, at no
distant period, dissolve this perfidy- cemented " Union."
We know that in Washington a man taking office
would sometimes, without scruple, commit himself to
parties who had avowed in the heat of party and elec-
tion contests very extravagant designs, but we never
did expect to find a President prepared to maintain from
his official chair, as courses to which his Govern-
ment would feel itself pledged, the wildest and most
monstrous fallacies that had ever been spouted to
credulous mobs from municipal hustings. Of this
kind, however, was his grave reiteration of the over
and again exploded notorious fallacy that Texas had
ever formed part of the Federal Union. But really
the most impassable medium we have ever heard of is
a new PRESIDENT'S conscience. It is impervious to
any given set of recollections which might inconve-
niently disorganize a preconceived statement shaped
to a particular end. But recollections, on the other
hind, which if they escaped would blow away
the whole effect of such a statement, it smothers
" sub ino pectore." The PRESIDENT, talking compla-
cently of the enterprise which American citizens
have shown, under the auspices of their free Go-
vernment, in exploring the wild countries about
the banks of the Mississippi and the Missouri, says,
" The titles of numerous Indian tribes to vast tracts
of country have been extinguished." Why did he
pause at that point, and forbear to touch upon the
tribes of Indians," as well as their " titles," ex-
tinguished by the exterminating operations of the
force employed by the United States ?
But enough of this sorry composition, in that
character. The inferences it suggests are of a nature
so, grave, that we cannot trust ourselves to follow
them out to the point they seem to tend to, lest we
should seem to desire rather to insist upon than
to mitigate the mischievous construction which pro-
jects thus crudely enunciated are necessarily liable
to. If the political morality upon which it is
sought to justify the annexation of Texas, were
to be acquiesced in by this country, we cannot see
how we could dispute its application to Mexico.
Does the PRESIDENT imagine that the United
States w ill he permitted to absorb into their Federa-
t ion the Empire of the Aztecks ? If Great Britain
could be induced to tolerate the execution of the de-
signs of the States on the Oregon territory, with what
reason could she resist the incidental passion that the
model republic will assuredly conceive for the pos-
session of Canada ? If the PRESIDENT finds Texas
on the southern boundary with such happy pre-
dispositions to join the Union, will he be at any loss
to discover similar longings equally evident in Ca-
nada on the northern frontier ? But be the intended
future march of territorial avarice what it may, it
must be stopped in these first steps of its actual pro-
gress. We begin greatly to fear that the moral foible
of the natural character of America, her intolerable
passion for boiserous vaunting, must be checked by
something more than a great moral lesson. But how-
ever much we shall deplore the necessity, whenever
that may arrive, we have nothing, thank God, to fear
fur the re-,ult. It will be the felicity of Great Bri-
t:tin to put forth her irresistible, pokver in the most
disastrous issue that may follow these portentous
indications, in vindicating the triumph of her un-
sullied character and her indefeasible rights, authority,
and possessions.

done at Saint Maur, where they are establishing two
arsenals, a Manufacture of arms, a foundry, Ecc. The
Chambers have consented to some forts supporting
the fortifications of Paris, but they have never dreamed
of placing Paris under the guns of a great fortress,
and of stationing at that fortress an army beyond the
reach of the people and laws ; yet this is what has
been dane at Vincennes." The National, one of the
original supporters of the measure, joins in the cry,
and calls upon the whole population of France to re-
sist a scheme for overawing the friends of liberty.
The Courrier Francais can attribute this act of the
Ministry only to insanity. This question, it is an-
ticipated, will excite war discussions in the Chamber
of Deputies, but in vain. They have sanctioned the
measure ; it is one of the hobbies of the " Chateau,"
and besides it would be utterly absurd to erect forts
without guns. The discussion in the Chambers on
railway companies and the Customs Bill were still
going on, but they possess no interest to the English
reader.

The inaugural address of the new President of the
United States contains some passages that should not
be allowed to pass unnoticed at the period of their
first promulgation to the British Public. In the
rapid notice we have already taken of this document,
such passages have been, perhaps, too lightly touched
upon, not to make it desirable to subject them to a
more particular notice, before dismissing the paper
from our view. It is but too probable that the " Ad-
dress," however humble its pretensions as a State
Paper, tried by our European standard of political
criticism, may hereafter be found to possess an ad-
ventitious value and notoriety, from its shadowing
forth of events that are in rapid progress to develop-
ment, to which its intrinsic merits would never en•
title it.

THE BOURSE-THURSDAY, MARCH 27.

First ilirh,st Lowest

Last

Price. Price. Price Price
Fr.rcb Five per Cents. 117 85 .. 117 85 .. B 7 70 .. 117 80
Three per Cents•• •• 8a 80 .. 85 85 85 70 85 80
Loau ... •• •••••• 86 GO .. 86 65 .. 8•: 60 .• 86 65
Bank of France .• •• •••• ••3210 ..3210 ..3200 .. 3200
(Winn Eank. I,ooof Shares 10 5 ..1085 ..1085 ..1085
Belgian Bank . •••• • • .. •• •• 670 .. 670 .. 667 50 .. 667 50
Be glen Fives, 'B4o •• •• •• 105%2 •• 1051 .. 105 .. 105
1842.••••••• 107 .. 107 .. 107 107
Four•and-a-Half ... 1078 .. I(3n .. 103% .. Ic3'jle
Two-and-a-Half. •. G 2 GO .. G 2 65 G 2 GO .. G 2 65
Spanish Active ..... • • •• •• 4 1 .. 40 .. 40 .. 40
Threes . • • •••• 41 • • 41 .. 41 .. 41
Passive •• •• •• •• 7 • • 7% .. 7>a .• 71/6
Neapolitan ... • • •• 102 .. 102 .. 102 .. 102
Roman ... .• 105 3 • • 1,5% .. 105% .. 105 y

The accounts from Switzerland, of the 24th inst.,
are not favourable. The country is in a very excited
state, both from the spirit displayed by the free corps
and the attitude taken by the neighbouring powers.
The Basle Gazette states that Switzerland is threatened
either with a civil war or a foreign intervention, and
all the battalions of the canton of Lucerne were sum-
moned to arms on the 23d. Orders, also, had been
given for reinforcing the Austrian troops in the Tyrol
in the event of a civil war breaking out. The following
is the intelligence from Argau, dated March 23 :
" Important events seem to be impending. Last week
the free corps were convoked in all the districts where
there were any. They have been organised into com-
panies, and have received orders to keep ready to march
on the first signal given them. The officers have been
appointed. Yesterday orders were given by the Com-
mittee to the Chiefs of the Communes to provide
vehicles for the conveyance of the free corps to
a rendezvous, and, perhaps, for the conveyance of the
wounded. The free corps have thirty-eight pieces
of ordnance at their disposal. It is affirmed that they
are commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel, styled in-
spector of the cantonal militia. Despite, however, the
effort made by influential persons to increase the effec-
tive: force of the free corps in our canton, their numbers
will not amount to above twelve hundred men. The in-
cursion into the canton of Lucerne is fixed for the 26th
or 27th of this month. Eight hundred men from Lu-
cerne were yesterday expected at Sursee."
The Paris Constitutionnel, which is supposed to re-
ceive correct information from head-quarters, says :

" I cannot," says Mr. Pomc, " disguise the diffi-
dence with which I am about to enter on the dis-
charge of my official duties." This mealy mouthedness
is really pretty well f)r the head magistrate of a
Republican Government, who proceeds to announce
such schemes of territorial spoliation, and to become
the apologist of such wholesale aggressive encroach-
ments on the rights of independent States, as
have probably never been publicly preached
since the days in which SPAR Or GENGHIS KHAN
used to exhibit the ferocious courtesy of dispatching
heralds to the remote monarchs whose dominions it

had occurred to the mighty conqueror (after the
fashion in which similar projects suggest themselves
to JAMES K. POLK) that it would be highly expedient
to unite to his own—on what day of what month ar.d
year, and in what city of the world, they would do
well to be prepared to surrender their sceptres and
their lives into the hands of the all-conquering King
of the Kings of the Universe. This diffident gentle-
man, accordingly, begins with a measure for taking
from Mexico, against her consent, a portion of • her
dominions, about as large as Great Britain, and an-
nexing it, contrary to the protests of its own de facto
Government, recognised by " J. K. P." himself as an
"independent one," to the overgrown dominions of the
Union. He proceeds, in a parenthesis, to assume for
granted—in defiance of history and fact, prior right of
discovery, and stipulations of treaties—and with about
as little recognition of the purposes and objects of the
British Minister, Mr. PAKEISHA AI'S mission on the
subject, as his predecessor had shown of the reclama-
tions and protests of the Mexican Minister against the
fraudulent attempt upon Texas—to assume forgranted
the title of the United States " to the country of the
Oregon," as " clear and unquestionable." - Such an
impudent perversion of facts could never have entered
the mind of a State officer who had not, from the
habit of dealing with, for, and in slaves, acquired
the bad habit of supposing it unnecessary to consider
what amount of qualifying truth ought to be infused
into any statements he might vouchsafe to make. As
to the annexation of Texas, it had been clearly shown,
as we remarked in a former article, by the best
authorities in the American Councils, that the project
was contrary to the federal Constitution—a positive in-
fringement of express and declaratory articles in that
instrument. Mr. Poui, who is of that faction among
his countrymen who are fur " going the whole hog,"
throws that ugly recollection overboard, and sets up
a false colour in its stead. " It will be his first
care," he observes, " to administer the Government
in the true spirit of that instrument, and to assume
no power not expressly granted or clearly implied in
its terms." This was already done to his hands by
that very honest person, Mr. Jowl TYLER ; and he
adopts and gives operation to TYLER'S act. We pass
over the large demands he makes upon the good na-
ture or simplicity of mankind, for all credit to the
manifold practical as well as theoretical excellences of
the form of government enjoyed by the subjects of
the Union. These paper virtues have been fur some
time past at a considerable discount in all other parts
of the world, like the Pennsylvanian bonds ; and we
see no likelihood of J. K. PoLit's patting them on
any better footing, as to foreign circulation, than
had been effected by J. TYLER. " In some sections
of our country," says Mr. POLK, " it is a source to
me of deep regret to observe that misguided persons
have occasionally indulged in schemes and agitations

" The news received from Switzerland would seem to
give warning of grave events. The Government of the
canton of Lucerne, of this canton subject for more than
three months to a system of terror, of which there
has been no example in that part of the world, ap-
pears a prey to a feverish excitement, and rushes into
extreme means, thinking to supply by violence the
elements of life which are wanting to it. It only re-
strains itself through fear of foreign intervention, in case
of a domestic struggle. On their side, the populations
of liberal Switzerland, which form the immense ma-
jority of the nation, support with difficulty the tone
adopted in certain diplomatic notes. They would pro-
bably have submitted without too much objection to an
adjournment, seeing the impotency of the Diet to decide
the Jesuit question at present ; but they are exasperated
by this intervention to such a degree, that on many
points it is impossible to restrain the expression of their
discontent ; so that it 'may be said that all the steps taken
by the Powers to prevent, as they say, the popular out-
break, have only served to accelerate it. The men
who enjoy the confidence of the nation, such as the
Avoyer Neuhaus, of Berne, M. Wieland, of Arau, and
M. Druey, of Lausanne, exert all their influence to re-
strain the resentment of the masses. What has raised
to its height the indignation of the Liberal party
M. de Metternich's note, less violent in form than
M. Guizot's, but not at bottom less offensive. We
understand that ;the Prussian Minister has just taken,
will the President, a similar step to that of his col-
leagues. , Thus, there is only wanting in the concert of
representatives, of which Switzerland is the object, the
co-operation of Russia. It is nevertheless possible, ac-
cording to what our correspondent writes us word, that
the crisis, which appears inevitable, may be confined to
the overthrow of the unnatural state of things which
prevails at Lucerne, and that the question of the Jesuits,
the sole cause of the state of disorder in which Switzer-
land is plunged, may at last receive a solution by the
change of the vote of this canton in the Diet. In the
midst of the grave circumstances which agitate Switzer-
land, M. de Puntois quitted Zurich on the 23d, to repair
to Paris, where he comes, no doubt, for directions."

The Bill presented to the French Chamber of De-
puties by Marshal SOULT, requiring a vote of
17;750,000f. to provide guns fur the fortifications of
Paris, has raised a violent outcry from nearly all the
Orposition journals, but the time for such a display
of patriotism has gone by. Most of these papers
cordially supported the plan when M. TIIIERS' party
raised the war-cry against Englsnd; they now find
themselves sadly mistaken, and exclaim against mea-
sures of their own seeking. The Commerce, how-
ever, is an exception. If w•e remember right, it has
been constantly opposed to these fortresses, and may
therefore show that its anticipations ware well.
founded. " Extensive barracks," it says, " are
about to be erected in the very capital, which
will convert each bastion into a citadel im-
pregnable to the citizens. In raising the
forts the Chambers never intended perpetually to
concentrate round Paris the greatest military estab-
lishment in the kingdom, or to collect there all the
attirail of an army; yet this is what is about to be

TELE SUi4, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING: MARCH 29, 1845.