Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-01-16
FRANCE.

BosTow, Jan. 9.-The last No. Of
the British) Christian Observer con.
tains the following unbiased view Of
France, as she now is:
"Ths French papers during the
month have been occupied chiefly with
points relating to the late state trials
Berton, and one of his eccomplices in
the Summer conspiracy, have been ex-
ecuted. Cafe, another of the condemn.
ed, anticipated MS fate by suicide -
Four Of the Rochelle conspirators have
also suffered, and are stated to have
died with decency Of department ard
attsntion to the riies of religion which
have not been displayed in oil similar
cases. On the shelving of the French
government itself, the disaffection, of
which these coDspiracies were a proof
and result, is widely spread through
out the country. The strong fears they
entertain On the subject, must tend to
aggravate the evil Fear is cruel pas
SION, and leads men who are under II,
influence to indulge suspicious and mui
tlpiy precautions without measure or
end. These will of course appear un-
founded and irra,ional-The effect Of
the mere sprice and wantonness Of des.
potic authority, or OF a hatred of free.
dom--to the unc oncerned spectator,
and they must, often also involve the
most loyal and peacesbie persons in
their consequences. Disaffection is thus
secretly and rapidly diffused. The
feeling Of restraint and uDeasiness be-
comes general. d mems minds are
Infatuated to look forward to revoIu-
ton as the natural crisis Of the disor-
der. We are disposed to think that
such is pretty nearly The state of France
at the present moment The existing
ministry in that country has few or no
sympa;hies in common with the great
mass of the population. It is regarded
as alien from France, 1t is known to
be in heart attached to an order Of
things Which is there almost universal
ly dreaded and delested and every ar
hitrary act of the government, aid eve
~ ,abridgment Of the public Liberty, is
eonte mplated not as a solitary exertion
OF power, but as the result Of fixed
design 10 restore the ancient regime an
idea pregna!.t with alarm, not meraly
to those who speculate in politics, but
to nine-,enths of the occupiers Of land
in France. 1t 10 to be remarked, that
here sgaia the passion of fear, when
once excited, is likely to produce, if
possible, still more Irrational and ex-
aggeraled effects, than We have sup
pussd It likely to produce on the part
Of the government. The bulk of a peo-
pie will be still less apt to reason. and
still more quick to feel. than their ru.
lers; and with the lessons on this sub.
iecI which the revelation has taught, it
surely would have been the true wis.
dom Of the royal1st ministers to have
set themselves sednlously to abate pre-.
judicss and alarms, instead Of pursu.
ing measures directly calculated to ex-
cite them. We allude, for example, to
the manifest disc engagement they have
.,iven to. the diffusion of light and
knowledge. by means Of tho schools Of
mutual instruction, and which has pro
cured for them the significant title Of
Eteignors We allude also to the in
creasing jealousy with which the Pro.
testants are regarded, and tho direct
countsnance afforded to practices aud
proceedings which excite the apprehen.
sion of a. revival of jesulstical power
and bigosry, with all their injurious
accompaniment. We should say tina,
the tendency of things under the Ere.
sent men, 10 further manifest from this
| that the Slave Trade. instead Of being
prescribed and punished. is connived
At, aid in private defended.as desirable