The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-15 00:00:00

AMERICAN NEW►.

We subjoin a copy of General Almonte's protest to
the Executive against the annexation of Texas. The
Minister, it is now said, intends to remain in New
York until he receives fresh instructions from the
new Mexican Administration, and he expresses openly
his belief that war will ensue. The New York Herald
states :—" That it is kis intention to issue through
the press, and place before the American people, not
only the recent diplomatic correspondence between
him and our Government, but a number of other
views and considerations addressed to the American
people against the policy, the justice, and the legality
of the recent movements_ in favour of the annexation
of Texas."

The protest of General Almonte is as follows :

(Trltnslation.)

" The undersigned, &c., has the honour to adiress
the lion. J. C Calhoun, &c., for the purpose of making
known to him the profound regret with which he has
seen that the General Congress of the Union has passed
a law consenting to and admitting into the American
confederation the Mexican province of Texas.
" The undersigned had flattered himself that in this
question the good sense and sound opinions of the citi-
zens most distinguished and experienced in the manage-
ment of public affairs in this republic would have pre-
vailed in the deliberations of the legislative body and of
the union ; but unfortunately this has not been the case,
and, contrary to his hopes and most sincere wishes, he
secs consummated by the American Government an act
of aggression the most unjust which can be recalled in
the annals of modern history, such as the spoliation of a
friendly nation, like Mexico, of a considerable part of
her territory.
" For these reasons, the undersigned, in fulfilment of
his instructions, finds himself obliged to protest, as he
dots accordingly protest, in the most solemn manner, in
the name of his Government, against the law passed on
the 28th of last month by the General Congress of the
United States, and sanctioned on the Ist of the present
month by the President of the said States, by which the
province of Texas, an integral part of the Mexican
territory, is allowed to be admitted into the American
union.

" The undersigned, in like manner, declares that the
aforesaid law can in no manner invalidate the right
which the Mexican nation possesses to recover the afore-
said province of Texas, of which she is now unjustly
despoiled, and which right she will sustain and enforce
at all times by whatever means are in her power.
" The undersigned will say, in conclusion, to the Hon.
Secretary of State of the United States, in order that he
may be pleased to inform the President of the said
States of the same, that in consequence of the law
against which he has just protested, his mission to this
Government is terminated from to-day. Consequently,
the undersigned requests the Hon. Secretary of State to
be pleased to send him his passports, as he has arrang‘ d
to quit this city as soon as possible for New York.
" The undersigned, &c.
" Washington, March 6.'

THE THEATRES.
DRURY LANE._

Dupree appeared here last night in the character of Ed-
gardo in Donizetti's opera of Lucia di Lammermoor. Deni-
zetti composed the music of Edgardo expressly for Duprez,
and he created the character on the first production of the
opera some ten years since at the theatre of San Carlos at
Naples. The admirable talent which Donizetti possesses of
exactly suiting his music to the peculiar talents of the
artistes who are engaged in the production of his
operas is well known, and he has certainly been morethan
usually felicitous in the present instance. To speak theatri-
cally it is the best fit he ever made, and we think that all
who have heard Duprez will agree with us in opinion, that
it is also his greatest character. He perfectly embodies the
ideas of the maestro, and does him more than justice. It is
seldom that he has occasion to have recourse to his falsetto,
his voice is never strained, and his full rich tenor tones tell
beautifully. His acting too was magnificent, and as a
specimen of 'what the highest order of lyrical tragedy ought
to be, the Edgardo of Duprez is perfect. Nothing
could be more beautiful than the duet at the
close of the first act, " Vevianna a to sull aura," as given by
Duprez and Madame Garcia, whose Lucia is already well
known to the play going public, and who made her debut at
this theatre last evening. There was something sublime in
the energy which Duprez threw into the concluding scene of
the second act, in which he bursts in upon the bridal festival.
Awe-inspiring was his manner of asking Lucia if the signa-
ture to the marriage contract was hers—low, tremu-
lous, subdued, yet energetic, and intensely impassioned—
his every tone thrilled to the soul; and then his burst
of fury, as he accuses her of perfidy, and
spurns her from him, was absolutely terrific. The
last scene was a perfect triumph. The strong man is
broken down—the impassioned man has become weak as a
child. He woos death as he would a coy mistress—his
great want is to die, and to be at rest. Never has the utter
prostration of despair been more beautifully delineated—
there is nothing on the lyrical stage more intensely pathetic
than Duprez's " Tombe degli avi miei." He was loudly ap-
plauded throughout, and was of course honoured, in union
with Madame Garcia, with the usual call at the fall of the
curtain. He was excellently supported—the Lucia of Ma-
dame Eugenie Garcia is by far the best on the English
stage, and the Enrico of Burdini was a more than creditable
pertbrmance. The house was crowded in every part long
before the rising of the curtain.

FRENCH PLAYS.—ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.
Who that pays any attention to French theatricals has
not heard of M. Ravel, the Prince of Farceurs? His fame is
European, his name has long been "familiar in our ears,"
but his person was unknown to us until last evening, when
he made his debut at this theatre in the new vaudeville of
L'Etourneau. Verily he is worthy of his fame ; a more
amusing, laughter-moving, lively, bustling, humorous, aye,
humorous actor, has not appeared on this stage. We use
the term humorous advisedly, for humour is the distinguishing
characteristic of the acting of M. Ravel. Wit is more com-
mon among our neighbours across the channel than it is
among us islanders, but they are deficient in humour, in that
broad, rich unctuous humour, we mean, which keeps an au-
dience in a roar from the rising to the falling of the curtain.
Now, M. Ravel possesses this power, and for two hours last
evening (lid he by his acting keep the aristocratic audience
of the St. James's in a roar. At first the laughter was
constrained—they laughed as 'twere despite themselves, but
after the lapse of a few minutes nature overcame etiquette,
and peal followed peal of hearty laughter, because, as old
Charles Mathews would have said, "'i hey could not help
it." L'Etourneuu is an admirable farce,—and who and
what is L'Etourneau? Why, L'Etourneau is M. Ravel—a
Certain Felix, a scapegrace of a junior partner in a broker's
of4ce, who must needs fall in love with Madame Dunois, the
young wife of one of his old clients, and who can find no
more effectual mode of telling her the story of his love, than
that of writing it in a letter, and presenting it to her in a
bouquet. The bouquet with the letter is presented. The
lady laughs—Felix simpers—the lady laughs still more. Felix
suspects some contre temps, looks at the letter he has given
the lady, and finding it is a letter of business which he had
addressed to the husband that he has inserted in the bouquet,
while the billet-doux for the mife has been regularly posted
to her husband, and his best of clients, M. Dunois, he
hastens to the post-office to endeavour to get the letter
back—he cannot succeed—he is driven nearly mad.
lie runs about from pillar to post in search of this unfortu-
nate letter—he gets into all sorts of scrapes--and at length
he finds the letter in the side-pocket of his coat, where he
had quietly deposited it when he placed the business letter in
the bouquet. These are alight materials for a three act vau-
deville ; nevertheless, in the hands of Monsieur Ravel, they
were all- sufficient. He is all life, and bustles and keeps up
the fun gloriously the whole time he is on the stage. We are
rejoiced to have made the acquaintance of M. Ravel, and
hope he will remain among us a long time, and when he dots;
quit us, we shall say to him from the boitout of our heart,
Au recoir. The house was well and fashionably attended.