Star.
London, England, 1830-10-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOUR.VALS.

Timos.—lt would be seen bytie report of the proceedings of the
French Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday, which we received by ex-
press yesterday, that the Deputies have completed their preliminary ar.
rangements for the impeachment of the late Ministers, having not only
decided that they should be impeached, but appointed three of their
number as Commissioners to conduct the trial. The names of these
three Commissioners are—M. Berenget who drew up the of the
examination of the accusal, on which the Chamber M. Per.
ail, and M. Mather Monjault. A considerable delay must take place
I before the commencement of the trial, to allow the accused time to
prepare for their terrible ordeal, to settle the form of proceedings be.
fore the Peers, and to form the Upper Chamber into a Court of Justice.
In reading the debates which have taken place in the Deputies on this
novel and striking occasion, we are surprised at the poverty of talent,
and the total want of eloquence, which distinguish the spmthm on both
aides. This may in part result from the magnitude of the crime and
the clearness of the evidence, which left the friends of the accused no
resource but sophistry in making their defence, and relieved their ad-
versaries from all necessity of eniploybg declamation to heighten their
guilt, or reasoning to enforce the charge. The very signature of the
ordinances, and the issue of the order to enforce them by thing on the
people, were sufficient to prove their treason, and these facts could nei.
tha be denied nor aggravated. The very hesitation, at reluctance,
which some of the Cabinet evinced in complying with their master's
commands, in his attempt to overthrow the Constitution of their coon.
try, only establish more clearly their criminality, by showing that they
foresaw the consequences of their act.
Trsimi.—The speech of M. Baryer in the Chamber of Deputies,
contained, we take for granted, the whole of the argument supposed 'to
be in any degree maintainable against the impeachment of the Minis-
ters. We have read that speech, and must be excused for stating
broadly, that a more futile and feeble display of sophistry has seldom
been presented to our notice. If the Ministers have been guilty of con-
spiring with the King the destruction of the public liberties, the fact of
the chief conspirator having been disposed of ought not to ex
ooerate his agents. The Chamber which promecutes, and that which
pronounces sentence, ought to be guided simply by the answer
to the question, whether the lasting interests of the realm re-
quire that an example should be made of these men or not, as
an admonition to future ministers ? That is the only question,
considered as one of domestic policy ; and the discourse of
M. Barret we hold to have been the parade of a practitioner in the
habit of fencing the truth. A vindictive sentence, as we have often
said, would perhaps be more gravely deprecated by us than by the
loudest declaimers on behalf of " dignity" and " humanity;" but if
calm reason should exact • lesson to future ministers by affixing an
austere punishment to any especial offenders, there is assuredly but
little material of mitigation in the conduct of M. Polignac and his
compare. His arguments might do very well for a special plmder,
who is conversant with naught but technicalities. An epigranunatie alter.
native, through which one class of any mixed band of conspirators might,
by suffering. save their fellows from all the penalties of a common
crime, would, no doubt, be a convenient screen behind which future
treasons might be hatched with a double chance of impunity. The
French charter laid it down that the King's person was
inviolable; but if the King was himself a ringleader in an attempt to
destroy that charter,—if he had, in fact, already consummated by his
own hand the overthrow of that charter on which his bviolabllity wee
founded,—what follows ? Could he claim both adantages—absolute
power, and a constitutional exemption from punishment? Extreme
cases are not and cannot be contemplated by general laws. A King who
makes war upon his people, dissolves all pre-existing compasa between
them, and does, in truth, abdiave his constitutional crown. in the hope
of snatching • crown, the enjoyment of whisk shall not be clogged by
any restraints or conditions. He sets every thing—life, and amen, and
dynasty—on the same cast; and if the dice be against is at the
mercy of his conquerors. Now, nobody will affirm that the or
any other people, ought to inflict the penalty of dethronement, even on
a King who has acted towards them as an enemy, from vindictive feel-
ings. The question ought to be governed b a far higher coosidseadon,—
namely, whether the national safety herea will be best consulted by
retaining or by rejecting an unprincipled and culprit mcnsreh. What-
ever may have been the motives of the mob of Paris, we appreheod that
the ground on which men of more dispassionate and extensive views
concurred in declaring the throne of France to be vacant, was a strong
conviction that 'wither Charles X. nee its son could ever be trusted
with the liberties of the French people. A King, brought up la the
spirit of absolute people, never ewe be an honest constitutional sore.
reign, whether his name be Ferdinand or Charles. The expulsion,
then, of the Bourbon dynasty was not a punishment, so much as an
indispensable preeaudon. And on what plat ought the Ministers, who
so wickedly co-operated with, or so feebly resisted the suggestions of,
the ex-King's secret (probably ecclesiastical) advisers,—on what plea,
we ask, ought they to be forgiven or chastised ? Beyond all question,
without the slightest indulgence of either resentment or compassion to.
wards them personally, but on a mere unmixed consideration of the
evidence against than, and of what might be best for France.

Ustrtt.D.—The people of Paris seem disposed to teach a lemon of
humanity to Legislators. The French Revolution was characterised by
the beautiful union of moderation and power. In dashing aside the
chains of a tyranny that existed only to trample upon public rights, the
' people, even in the fiercest exasperation of their passions, acknowledged
the influence of that beneficent spirit which has emanated their triumph
in the eyes of all who have the interests of humanity at bean. That
spirit was Mercy. May she ever guide the councils of a great nada,
which, having just pumd through the perils of a fearful crisis with
splendour and strength, has now to reform and consolidate the institutions
on which the freedom and prosperity, and, above all, the moral character
of a country depend. Our great dramatic poet says that " Mercy Is en-
throned in the beans of Kings ;" but the late events in France show that
it is no less the glorious attribute of an heroic people ! Leery incident
which shows the progress that humane principki are making in France,
forebodes well for the moral and political destinies of the world. So
great a nation, in the centre of Europe, adopting merciful and en.
lightened principles of legislation, cannot fail to exercise a useful mo.
ral influence over the legislative proceedings of other nations. It was,
therefore, wii)tohniziliar pleasure we read in the letter of one of our
Paris corns ents, on Monday last, that a vast concourse of peo.
ple, who had assembled to rondo funeral honours to the memories of
some of the victims of Bourbon tyranny, who, since " the Restoration,"
perished by the guillotine, signed petitions to the Chambers, calling for '
the abolition of the punishment of death. Our correspondent, after allud-
ing to some intelligence and rumours of a sombre character, says, "On
the other band, we have the consolatory fact that, invia:4l of having
assembled on the Place-de-Greve, yesterday, to invoke vengeance on the
beads of the Ex-Ministers of Charlet X. the clubs called " the Friends I
of Truth" and " the Friends of the People," after having honoured the
memories of Bodes and his companions, signed petitions to the Legisla-
ture, calling for the abolition of the punishment of death. Thus, with
the examples of Royal vengeance before their eyes—with their feelings
stimulated by the recollection of the sanguinary deede of Bourbon
power—they rejected the lesson of sanguinary revenge, and offered
the homage of their applications to mercy ! and this at a time,
too, when the Ministers, whose guilty advice to their infatuated
Sovereign caused the streets of Paris to be deluged with the blood
of its citizens, are about to appear as criminals at the bar of pub.
lie justice. Who could have supposed, a few years ago that the
question of the abolition of the punishment of death would be
agitated in a country where the atrocious Law of Sacrilege was passed
—a law uniy breathing the spirit of the darkest ages of anguinary bar-
barism ? We, who have been lung endeavouring to induce our Legis.
'gun to undertake a rational and thotou kilt amendment of our criminal
code—a code which, notwithstanding the bowed labours of reform of
late years, is still the most sanguinary in Europe--cannot but feel great
satisfaction at finding that our principles, though hitherto rejected at
home, are making progress among a people whom Englishmen never
allowed to be on a level in point of morality or Christian sentiment with
themselves. It is true we went no further than to demand that men
should not be put to death fur forgery, or for any invasion of the rights'
of property unaccompanied by violence. The French go to a much
greater length; they call for the abolition of the penalty of death in all
eases whatever—and, if this be an error, it is better to err on the side of
mercy than of blood. Such ernes bring neither disgrace on the me.
wary DM remorse to the conscience.

COBBETT Awn run Cmaexict.s--The following appears in Cab.
lielister of this day :—" You must all have been filled with in-
at the contents of this paper, which related to the Musk
as the tax-eaten call it : but particularly as the impudent
owe gimes part of the 'semen,' as they call it, put forth upon from
the pallet by the Bishop of Rochester. Impudence, arrogance, and in.
11 solemn, have always been part of the character of high.priesta, in all
ages; bat verily, if this newspaper de not lie most shamefully, this is
the mom beam of all the basket things ever uttered even by a high.
priest. This fellow's asp is Manny. it MOM j he Is, doubtless, of
the /the beef; so that, besides the MAN: we hen bite the erisfeurta
and the nesepilmen, any one of the three gaits 'Neagh, in all con.
'cisme t bat cep three together, prole and pride more than suet.
dam * it eat even the soul et
" I must step here so Notify argil Iddr regard to this description

of Seotekente. I have, from my earliest entrance Iwo the world, which
was ie the army, observed haughtiness. presumplion, and pride, in
Soxchmen. They are, generally ►peaking. teen of Knee, prudent,
sober, punctual, men of their word, careful, tru.tworthy, and constant
in their attachments. Those of them who wo►k, are amongst the best
of the people of this kingdom ; as soldiers, they axe, in general, more
orderly, more to be relied on than other private soldiers ; and, if pru-
dence accompanies their bravery, still they are brave men. But they
are, in general, uajostifiably proud. This is seen in them in all ranks
and pursuits of lite. So true is thi<, that, in the French language,
' Fier °mew sot Ecossois,' (haughty as a Scotchman,) is a proverb
hundreds of years old, arising out of the experience of the French, when
they were (as they were for centuries) allied with the Scotch against
the English. Of the beautiful comedy of Repaid ' (I think
it is), Tee Glories's.; the principal character. that which gives
the name to the piece, is a &adman, and the Clot-hut '
means, the haughty, and conceited, and insolent. So that there must
be something in the character of this people to cause them to be deemed
unjustifiably proud. This is a quality, however, that does not check
their success is the world. The mass of mankind (and especially the
English) are very much prone to give men credit tor possessing the
merit to which they stake 641 d pretensions; and especially when the
pretensions arc accompanied with a prudent reserve and a general de-
meanour free from allies and &Ike/Wis. Great talents, great skill in
workmen, extraordinary valour, and, indeed, all extraordinary qualities,
are, generally speaking, unaccompanied with the pritemetv that the
plodder possesses. How many men of bright genius have lived and
died the slaves, the mere drudges, of wretches whose minds arc deeply
impressed with the plain fact, that twelve pence make one shilling? Look
throughout the world, and you will find, that it is mediocrity which com-
mands; it is the tortoise, and not the hare. There is hardly an instance
of Seotchmen rising, in sup line of life, above mediocrity ; and yet
look at the power and emolument they possess ! Their presumption
is great beyond belie'; but still it serves them ; and, without any
merit, they thrust men of real merit aside, and especially in this state
of things, which makes the boroughmongers of this rich country call
them in to their aid from motives similar to those from:which the Stria,
were called into France by the Bourbons." Tice Cimino: is a Comedy
of De/touches, and the character alluded to is not represented as
Scotchman, but as of an old French family, Monseigneur Carlo.
man, Alexandre, Cesar, Henri, Jules, Armand, Philagene, Louis
De Mont-sur.biont Chevalier, Baron de Montorguel, blarques
de Tufiere. As all their neighbours say the Scotch are proud,
there must be some truth m the charge. The French, by way of
ridiculing their family pride, used to say " Every Scotsman calls the
King his cousin." But Mr. Cobbett attributes qualities to them in.
consistent with each other. The Scotch troops are not prudent in bat-
de—their defect is excessive ardour, that unfits them for being good
light infantry, for which their compact and active bodies would Other.
wise peculiarly adapt them. In their battles with the English In former
times, they were always too impatient. They are best adapted for in.
teeing breaches, and other hot work. In battle they are better fin the
offensive than the defensive. At one time the Highland regiments were
not allowed their swords, on account of their proneness to throw down
their muskets and rush on the enemy at an unsuitable time. That im-
petuosity is the pendia character of Scotch troops was never, we be.
neve, questioned by any axe who knows them.•