Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-06-03


high literary and political character. In pursu-
ance OF tins plan, the review OF NJ. CARROTS Me-
moral IS embraced as ft occasion for presenting
| the views ofthe Editors in regard to the Justice
| and policy OF themea5ure; of the government of
| france AFTER the restoration of the old ROYAL
Family. The facts comprised in tins are such as
cannot be questioned and the whole Essay, the
material part of which is quoted below, derives
great additional value as to its facts, and conf
dence rs TO its reasoning, from the Revolution of
| affars which took place about four months after
| II was written, symptoms of which are clearly
d'scernable N the following abstract, ifthe events
itself be not pretty plainly Indicated Our rea-
ders VIII at least derive fromlt very good idea
of the state of France year ago
F" When the Allies allowed the Provisional Co
Vernment TO choose a new constitution and dy-
nasty, leaning, however, as is pretty well under
stood, towardsth the BouIbons, q propostio wac
sent to Louis x III. Offering him tlle crown upon
certain conditions These were contained IN 3
solemn decree OF the Conservative Senate passed
| ON the sixth ofAprl--adopted on The eighth by
the Legislative Body-and consisting of tweniy-
n!ne art Giles. This decree has been termed, some
sometimes, the French Magna Charta--and some
times the French Bill ofRights nor would e.
ther name have been too hlgh for IT, had French
men shown themselves as Jealous of its infringe
neat as our ancestors were, want to be Enough
Often without efEect ofroval encroachments upon
our chartered berries. It's prOSisIons need not
here be specially Commemorative agree with
NJ Carnot, that some of them were hasty and IN
Judc'ous, and, that a revision ut 4 quieter mo-
ment would nave been desirable; but some prn-
ciples were so fundamental that to revise must be
to tritter down the very cornerstone of the gov
eminent ana 70 repeal, or in any degree TO break
IN upon them, was an uniusthabie breach If faith
OF this number are the sixth, seventeenth anc,
eighteenth, and thetwenty-third. by the sixth,
the place ofah Senators, then IN that situat on
tg- r,a.a, 4 Al. II
| as should renounce the r ghts of French tizens.
by the Seventeenth and ghteenth the absolute
independence ofthe courts off justice IS decreed !;
and 1t is expressly added, that "the Judges are
Tor life, and irrenoveable." By the twenty-thrci
the entire liberty of the press is decreea, except
ing in so far as offences resulting from its abuse
are subject to punishment
Here, then, are three most d stinct and iroor
tant enactments THE hereditary continuance N
Their rank and functions of al Senators the con-
tnuance 10 office for Life ofall Judges and the
| freedom Of prnting without previous censorship.
Then comes the last article of all---tlat "Lous
Stan slats Xavier of France, described as brother
cftte Lost Rs,lg, N the second artjcle) shall be
proclaimed King CT the French, as soon as he shall
have signed and sworn by act, stating, 9" dc-
cept The constitution II sreeG7 % o6se5oe it ard
cdase it 10 be o6serUsd.' And this oath (adds the
same article) shall berepeated in the soemn,ty.
when he shall receive the oath Of fidelity to the
| FRENCH
"This decree was signed By many known re-
publicans, and by some who had voted for Lewis
| ANlth.s death-as SieyeS, whose e La mart sans
PhrdSe' IS well known-and Carat who actually
read the sentence to that unfortunate Monarch
1t was signed likewise By many stauch adherents
OF Bonaparte, and by such of the Marshals and &c
nerais as were Senator's TWAS published to the
people IN Paris, and the departr ents; # was made
the ieadlng argument for the adherence of the ar
mics, and referred to in the letters which some M
| the T commanders addressed to the government.
| Surely 1T required great deliberation in Lewis
| AFili. before he refused hrs acceptance of such
an act OF State. At all events, he ought speed "
| TO have made up ms mind, and Ell her to have &C
| cepted or refused the conditions by an omen and
distinct declaration; for, that the articles We so
many conditions ofhls restoration, no man can
| pretend to doubt. lfhe left the commlinicat on
] Unanswered, or did not object TO the terms. #
m ght fairly be presumed hat he assented. But
| II he SAID nothing, and then proceeded to enter
France rs king, no one could deny that he came
according 10 the decree, and under its provisions
L o say nothing about the matter until he had
been fairy suffered TO reach Paris upon the I'M
dcrstandlng that he had accepted the terms, ard
then to rely on the effects Unpopular enthusiasm IN
| Iavor OF the new order OF things, for the chance
OF stePP ne out of the restrictions, IS proceeding
| that savours somewhat OF low trick, and one M
hnteiy beneath 4 great Monarch The shame
4
| were vices OF so much more manly a stamp thai
they might almost be called virtues in the com
psrison.
g Lewis XVIII. went, however, even beyond
tnis he was silent until ne approached Paris
and then he published proclamation al the mo
ment OF pl5 entrance, N which he approved, ge
Morally, Of the basis chaiked out IN the decree
observing, that some " things bearing the marks
oi piecip tatlOn could not, IN Their present form
become fundamental laws" This reservation
came after The Senate and Mar.'lals had beer
presented to hun, and done nm homage: MOI
was any experiment made of The effects VIII lcl
it might have produced upon the public and the
army, It issued before the King had reached ms
capital Nevertheless, he states his firm resolu.
ton TO adopt free consti futon, the details Of
winch shall be discussed by the Leg stature and
m the mean time, he solemnly gives &" for tie ba
SIS OF that constitution, certain puarantee3n Ot
these some are so vague that they may cornpie
bend every thing, and therefore they mean moth
ing such IS the thirds that the pubic and IN.
dvIdual liberty shall he secured" Some are am.
l bguOus, tho calculated 10 deceive ard to gu ct
alarms as the FIRST that " the Representative Co
veInment shall be maintained the same as il ex.
lists this day, divided into two bodies, the Senate
and the Chamber OF Deputies !" a stipulation. ca.
pablo, no doubt, ofbcng construed as only sign
t5mg, that the existing form Of government shou d
be preserved but VIII ch, when coupled with the
gth and The 12th, providing for the maintenance
OF Tie mobility, new and old, IN their privileges,
and for the absolute indemnity Of aii men from
the consequences Of former political conduct