The Sun.
London, England, 1818-06-24 00:00:00

PRIVATE AND AUTHENTIC CORRESPONDEN".

(Not from our Regular Correspondent.)
PARIS, JUNE 17.—The French Ministers' (ni
various occasions, have bitterly cotnplainetV°fll:CA
abuses of the Press. To hear them one -3t°111"
fancy the State was undone, if an immediare re.
medy were not applied to the evil. It wool G seem
that the situation of the Throne and the Charts
depended on the caprice of a few writers, who'
from their garrets, amused themselves in insulting
at once morality, good sense, and gramoor''
These Pamphleteers do not cease to write, whe-
ther you prosecute or persecute them ; they, like
other fanatics, aspire to the crown of martyrdout•
Their impudence increases by the terror they Il3vg
excited in the Ministers. Yet France has 17°‘
experienced any of those dreadful catastrollbe:
with which they have threatened her; pa)" I
add, that these writers, represented to be so "11'
germ's, have, without wishing it,
and even uneoo'
sciously. powerfully contributed to Strength'n 'll4
Government. Itr
For, in order to escape the repro"`well or ill-founded, of wishing to establish a NIP
nisterial despotism, the Ministers have 50101
and every (lay seek, to conform themselves to thg
Charter. They take refuge hebird the rampart
of the law, in order to be unattackable ; and It
often from this advantegeous post, chosen eithc-1
from taste or necessity, that they defy and I‘oof
bow to bt awe their adversaries. Were it lot a ,1°-
the Liberty of the Press, I had almost said its
ister
centiousness, it is probable that the Min;
would insensibly have glided into the syst'crl) °
1)3
arbitrary power; it is so convenient and .:
turd, so sweet too, to be able to indulge °net,
caprice in exercising at pleasure the power `rite
which one is invested. The Ministers,
no one to contradict them, have no respoosibl.-
..a
they s(,on shake., off the buttben of the 1.,16''
sacrifice the public good to the desire of s'itisi.):
ing their friends and flatterers, and nialtilliY.l:l:
their creatures. The best intentions (31111
greater part of them do not want for good °lel;
lions), would never be able to preserve timely free
ir
such a fault. They wish to do right, but in II
of
own way, without consideriug that the gre°oo
number are hurt thereby ; withoUt an oPP°SIII4O
they would not perceive their own desiatioe it-
ea
the right line, nay, they would have Wandelliti
clearly out of sight of it, .without a posslbijoit
of being able to return, before they suspect" d;
danger of the false direction they have Pinluetail
it would then be too late. The nation, irritoji

and indignant, seeing its righ's trampled of
foot, fancies that it has nothing. to expect 'or
justice. It separates itself from the Goverle
which, in its opinion, refuses the proteclvt,ll is
has a• right to claim. The legitimate aut"rll,Coor
then in danger, and the Ministers acerric tbei;
people, when, in truth, they have only t° -13

themselves.
'l3°
It the Ministry abuse its power, what frgb
it to demand impunity—what right has it f°°l.4
liicff
ter itself from that moral 'responsibditY' sch•i•tit
is the first guarantee of polhical resrnsi-f tJrs
and which cannot exist without the Libel" 14
Press ? If the Mini3try do not deviate I
e
line of its ditties, what has it to fear ? -1:11
the
will have more weight on public' opioion th
A p
contemptible calumnies of a fesy wretched • it
tPil
phleteers. The people are more just •t4
affected to believe, and know how atb scull
the mildness of an Administration, (112 Ty
of
°llhsP~(f
sage and paternal ; and when theY °re ,
av
they turn a deaf ear to the cries beitreLl
envy.
tt'e
•
But, say the enemies of the Liberty „ape
Press, should we then leave the calunillY
nished ? God forbid : the Tribunals-are at
it o 0
tY
, . .
to uo justice on the calumniators. Po e 01'g
men's tongues because there are some i
to° ell`
a criminal use of that organ ? Ought
slave the Press, because it may somerirnesArie °11,,C
dangerous. writings Alas ! can we „,"- so 111',4‘.
blessing of nature or civilization that linro Ito"-
lignity has never abused : but, does it frier:he col/
thence that men ought to be reduced to `-65 ti(ci
di;ioo of brutes, and governed like flee is b 4
Are
herds ? The publicity of thought Orr
Governments, and strengthens good onesc. ouatrt
nistry which sincerely wishes well to 11i P-,
is more interested titan even the rob",c r doe"
Freedom of the Press, and if the
not possess-41 the independence it ooKlit
if there he some unconstitutional pribeiPeods,
acts secretly beyond its influence, and too iab;
Npite of its efforts, to precipitate then 9,lbe
irhyss, it is then that the LibertY ;,1 tee/r-
might become a powerful auxiliary; by
to the loyalty and good sense of the '
What Ministry had ever wore reason io befri,ol;
with the Liberty of the Press than that ()esistit),,e
XVIII. Is it not by the Rill of the irr dot
force that it has given to public opiiii°l.o,,scace,
Ministry has overthrown the gothic fa
,Intl' fjriti
w,inted to inoculate the barbarity of dr'
t 1
on that of civilization ? Wi•hout it, 14;,`,..,0,
AA
Ministry have dared to propose to his
Ordonuance of the sth September ; or .101
,f Election, and the Recruiting of
admirable laws; which consolidate the bail
if the Press, free from ail restrsiori'iviitit
seconded the generous efforts of the

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Tht.
tn„ W
bar
fears that the Press should express
'C4IBII sentiments, and even unjust ones,
it 't the Arts which emanate Irons it. Would
!ilnt.i' lkti'se freedOnl ? Have the Chambet 9 been
I"
-tirnig the six months of the Session
ri it shut the mouths of the Deputies, or dare
I P°tiler the Newspapers to omit or disfigure theirB
? im'ed'es No. Yet the speeches of thC CHAUVE•
1-3. the•VILLELES, the BIGNONS, end c,ie Con•
have a thousand titnes more influence on
4: Public mind than the shoal of pamphlets which
stcnlt daily from the Press. Would the Ministers
to.:-1 the Press not to injure them—let it suffer its
, Al
anions and excesses. The fears alone. of the
t:nistry it more harm than all the shafts of its
ea"/les but it is seen to tremble—it is thought
e and weakness is the worst state of a Go-
rament.
• doThe multiplicity of these writings infalliby pro-
st3t
es "tiety: between so many different opinions
t 4 contradictory facts, the public knows not how
.fo decide: truth and error are completely con-
totintied, and the reader, fatigued, abandons a
tetttle of reading which only increases his un-
;iblArt'inty at every step, instead of fixing his judg-
,:nt and perceiving that he can gain no intern-
;nee from this multitude of writings, be throws
i_e_irn aside, ceases to read, examines the facts,
"rtir decides according to his own observations.
,ve he Pamphleteers have not ceased for,these two
'4l'4 to attack the Ministry; but have their cla-
iut"B been injurious to the reputation of the Mi-
bite." ? Are they less strong, or less' respected?
440 affairs go on worse ? Far front it : the Throne
tx"engthned, several fundamental laws have taPlain:fd and cemented the Charter ; public Credit
the taken an unexpected spring. Tile factious
%41.,""' off their old hatreds, opinions tend to con-
Aelaation, tranquillity reigns in all he depart"
1,113. The Foreign Powers feel that it is time
te-41esinre France to herself, certain as they are
I,i",`) enlightened by her misfortunes and satisfied
hsatisfieder laws,
she in future know how to
pet k a good use of her strength and tier liberty.
ts-ranee has not been silent, and the severity
Ike I"e•Tribunals has not arrested the licentious-
f the Press.