Star.
London, England, 1830-07-31 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

Totes.—We are carried back to the beginning of the French
Revolution again I Every thing that is fearful is portended, and
much, very much, that is foolish in council, and violent in action,
has been performed, and, we fear, is performing. We can predict I
no issue to this affair. The beginning of it resembles, as we have
intimated above, the beginning of those cruel disturbances in'
France by which all Europe was afterwards desolated. But let
us not deceive ourselves—the parallel may not continue long.
If, as the wise man says, there be "so new thing under the
sun," it is equally true that there are no two things perfectly
alike. Much as we are inclined, therefore, to despond, we
would not recommend it to our readers to conclude of a
certainty, that because the last troubles in France occasioned
the overthrow of settled Europe. the present must do the
same. We have had a lesson as well as our neighbours. which
may be useful to both of us, notwithstanding the apophthegm of
Lord Bacon. that man gains experience in his individual capacity,
—nations, in their collective character, never. But in nothing does
the present crisis more resemble the beginning of the last French re-
volution, than in the circulation of false reports, the conjuring up
of extravagant rumours, and the diffusion of unfounded news. We
caution the public, therefom, to receive with caution what we lay
before them, collected from various sources, as the description of the'
events which have taken place. The truth is, no doubt, bad enough,
but there is no means of measuring the capacity of invention, when
all are in a state of excitement. One idea must occur to every
mind,—that this lamentable result has been occasioned without any
necessity for it. A contest has been compulsorily brought about
between the Crown and the people ; and every body looks at his
neighbour and asks—" Why?"

Timis.—We have received the copy of a paper which purports
to be the result of the deliberation of the French Deputies om Tues-
day, and which is statsxl to have been extensively circulated in Paris
on that and the following day, but which is, moat probably, a fabri-
cation. It is remarkable that such a document, if genuine, should
be signed only by initials. This is a circumstance from which might
be inferred a certain dedree of timidity In the persons who have, ac-
cording to the French, taken the phrase • initiative' in the transactions
of the present extraordinary crisis. The contents, however, cornmpond
with the city reports of the events in Paris on iVednesda),which are
said to have led to the deposition of the King. and the Regency of
the Duke of Orleans. The coincidences of the departure of the
Bourbons, and of Buonaporte's abdication, will be striking, if it
turn out to he true, twat Charles X. like the fallen Emperor,
retired to Fontainbleau, and that to :Bannon( the defence of
Paris has been now, as it was then, intrusted. It is right to add,'
that this manifesto has sonic marks about it which make us greatly
doubt its authenticity, and that it has not been sent to us by one of
our usual correspondents.

CHRONICI.E.—We have had an interview with a most intelli-
gent gentleman, who left Paris on Wednesday evening. The ac-
counts he brought are the latest which have reached this country.—
On Wednesday, about one o'clock, the tumultuous assemblages had
greatly increased, when there were repeated discharges of musketry.
The populace were every where collected in dense masses, but more
especially in the Rue St. Honore and the market places. The
Place Louis Quints was crowded with persons in the strongest state
of excitement, calling out, with deafening shouts—" A bas lei
Bourbons !"—" A bag les Despoles !" &c. By the various dis-
charges, it was said that fire or six hundred individuals had been
killed. At the Boulevards the people cut down the trees, and
tore up the chaussers. One unfortunate Englishman, who was
looking out of the window of Lawson's Hotel, was shot.
Every shop with the insignia of the Royal Family, was at.
tacked—the offiehes were torn down, and the shops were li.
terally battered to pieces. The Tuileries were closed, and large
bodies of military were stationed all round. The current report,
when our informant left Paris, was, that M. Cassimer Denier
had issued a Proclamation, stating, that obedience was no longer
due to the Government, hich was to be considered as at an
end. We suppose the Proclamation alluded to by our informant,
is the Manifesto with which we shall conclude this article, and which
will appear in the RepresenMat des Prupks, to be published this
day, with slips of which we were furnished by a friend. who assured us,
that the individuals whose initials are subscribed to it are of the first
respectability in Paris. The National Guard had assembled in great
force, and it was understood that M. Layfitte. or General Lamarque
was to be at the head of it. The massacre of the people happened
when they were breaking into every place where there were arms
to seize them. None of the mails were allowed to quit Paris,
and it took about four hundred men to succeed in getting the mail
to this country out of the capital. This could not have been
effected but fora regiment, which had gone over to the people,
having taken charge of it. All the Bureaux were closed, and no
were given. The English, who were all eager to quit
passports
taking their departure without passports. All the
English were stopped by the populace and made to call out,
' " Vine la Cherie.' The people tore off the lairs delis from the
dresses of the postillions. What added considerably to the con.
sternatlon of the English was the circumstance of Lady Stuart de
Rothsay having left Paris. It was confidently reported and believed
that the Prefect of Rouen had been hanged. Indeed in every
quarter the indignation was strong against the Government, and
what added to the excitement was the complete destitution of all
men in office who had not, during the recent election, exerted them.
selves in procuring votes. As much will depend on the feeling of
the army, our informant says that the Gerdes du Corps and theSwi NI arc
supposed to be staunch to the Government ; but theregiments of the
line were on the side of the people to a man. Be assures us that
on this most important point there is not the least doubt entertained
that all the regiments of the line are with the people. The defection
is complete. An officer on duty was desired to fire by one of the
Garda du Corps. The answer was Nn ;—I will never fire on my
countrymen. It was reported in Paris, that individuals of the
Gerdes du Corps, found separate from the body, had been dragged
from their horses and massacred. The report was, that great da-
mage had beenldone to the Louvre. It was said that cannon were
posted on both sides of the Seine, and strong detachments of ca-
valry were marching from all the neighbouring country on Paris.
Hand-bills were distributed every ten minutes or so among the
crowds, containing the most vehement phillippies against the
King and Ministers, summoning every man to arm for his
country, and to aid in ejecting the Bourbons. The Pith& Royal
was:the scene of all sorts of devastations. The Duke of Orleans, '
from his having the misfortune to be a Bourbon, is a great sufferer
for the sins of his relations. Our informant assures us, that no ex-
ception is made—that the race is devoted. Parra, be says, exhibits a
most extraordinary appearance at this time. The state of excite.
mot cannot be described. Great indignation was felt at the mean.
nee of the King in skulking at such a time. Some said be was
concealed in Paris, others that he had gone to Compeign. It was
considered by the Parisians that the Government had intended the
destruction of the Capital. The Garde., du Corps, our informant
said, did not by any means appear elated ; they scented to be filled
with any thing rather than anticipations of a successful issue. No
Frenchman had the least doubt of the issue. The people were
pouring into Paris from all the places of the neighbourhood, with
such arms as they could find, breathing vengeance against the
Bourbons.

11ENALD —There an two points connected with Parliamentary
Reform which appear to be very mistakenly blended—we mean the
influence which Peers posses. in returning Members of the House of
Commons, and the fac of junior members of Noble families being
' Members of that !louse. These two points, some of the declaimers'
upon the subject of Parliamentary Reform would have us believe
constitute one and the same description of evil. A little calm re. flection will, however, show not only that such is not the case, but
that the :latter, so far from being an evil, has been at all times a
practical benefit. The undeniable fact that so large a portion of
what are called the Representatives of the people are the mere no-
minees of the Aristocracy is an anomaly in the Constitution which,
though Mr. Canning said, had been found to " work well," no
man, not wedded to the abuse either by interest or by obstinacy,
can seriously profess to defend. We are not among those who
would withhold from property its fair influence even in popular
elections. When fairly used, it is, perhaps, the moat legitimate
source from which the Representative principle can spring. Rut
the fair influence of property, and the exercise of direct nomination,
are very different things; and the latter is, if we mistake not, what
the spirit of the age will not much longer consent to succumb to. Rut
the introduction of the sons of the Nobility into Parliament is a very
different matter. Abstractedly considered, we know not where the
power can exist to deprive them of their rights as citizens, while, in
practice, their introduction into Parliament has been found of great
value ;—firia, as blending them with those numerous other ranks
of which that assembly must necessarily be composed ; and,
secondly, as training them to higher stations by the per-
k:mance of the duties (lam which they would otherwise be
all their lives shut out and unacrainted. Need we do more
than mention the names of Pitt and Fos, among the dead ;of Lord
Grey and Lord Lansdowne, of the Marquis of Blaadeord and Lord
John Russell, among the living, to show at once the futility of this
objection, and of the talents of which the country would have been
deprived if any such unjust and absurd principle of exclusion had
existed up to this time ? No principle in political economy is more
undeniable than this, that all ranks of ►eople in a free state should
possess one common interest in its welfare : nor is any thing more
calculated to set at nought this valuable principle than one of ex-
clusion, like that which we are alluding to. which sets out by in-
structing our young nobility that the, belong to a distinct race,
having no common interest or duties with the rest of the community.
It surely requires no great powers of reflection to be satisfied of its
futility, its inipolicy, and injustice.