Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1830-10-22


" The Charter! the Charter!" they have cried mil
lion, and yet ten million times, but the moment they
had the opportunity, viz in August 1880, they over
threw the principle OF the Charter; took away from il
all that really monarchca and left untouched only
those clauses which involved in them no great princ
PIES For what they have done | not only do not
6iame' but applaud them; but | blame them for
having affected TO feel love and veneration for
the Charter as IL was given by Louis XYIII., when
those who have mixed with them know full well that
they hate Ragnsa, not so much for his having given up
Paris to the Aes as that in consequence of that capt.
tulaton, the French were in fact compelled accept
the Charter at the points Of foreign bayenets.
From lsli to the return of Napoleon in 1915, there
were constant discussions as TO the Charter. The liberty
of the press, which secured by that Constitutional
act Immediately attacked, and the Censorship was
established by the gver OF the Charter The Bourbons
always felt that they returned what
they gave TO France of their own will and pleasures
and TO the moment of this last abdication, neither
Charles ", his son, or his daugh,erin-law, ever
convinced that they could have reigned an hour in
France without the Charter had been given.
In 1915, Bonaparte returned to France. The Char
ter was soon forgotten. The principles of the Revou-
ton soon displayed themselves and a commission APP
pointed by the Council of State consecrated in terms
the most clear and energetic the principle of the
vereignty Of the people =! France demanded of Napo
leon, guarantees and he promised TO rive Them A
few months of repose had brought France TO her senses
and she returning to the Revolution. For a
moment indeed, il was forgotten, when the Emperor
marched at the head of large army oppose Europe
which was in arms against him. Napoleon was de-
Observation-Disclosures almost forgotten. The principles
OF the revolution once more began TO triumph and the
Liberals formed themselves into clubs and associations
for the purpose of gradually attaining by lawful
and without violence, all the objects for which the first
Revolutionsts contended i'm the eighteenth century
From 1915 to 1929 France enjoyed fourteen years of
peace; and in that time generation Of young men,
all mbued with the love of liberty, and the principles
OF the early Revolutonsts, sprung up in the country
ihese principles had been confirmed and extended by
the Revolutions in Spain, Portugal Naples South Ame
RIGA, and subsequently by the triumph of Catholic
Emancipation in Great Britain and of the Flemings in
he Pas Bas During this period of time, the Bourbons
had lost their Chief in the person of Louis XVIII who
although TO the last he retained that love of power which
inseparabe from the Bourbons yet had the sense to
disguise the obnoxious drug, and adapted il as well as
possible to the paates of his subjects But during
his reign, there was never any thing like frank and
honorable understanding between the Prince and peo-
pie Sometimes the Bourbons succeeded in their sys-
tenn, and sometimes their enemies. Sometimes at the
eve oil an election the Court appeared YIELD and the
Liberals cried ViUe Ie ROi. If the Chamber then re-
turned was royalist, and majority could be counted
upon then the old system OF Entaed Estates antique
privileges, monopolies, SC. paronized, and the
Bourbons hoped 10 return 10 the whole system of the
French Monarchy before the Revolution" IT, on the
other hand, the Elections Liberal ard the people
were uppermost, then trlling concessions were
made, promises were given in abundance, and a new
order OF things seemed at hand But when the people
asked for the fuhlment of these promises then the
ministers were changed, the Chambers prorogued
and dissolved, and delays took place. and sys-
tens were adopted. Thus, when Nj. Villele was de-
'eated In the Chamber OF Peers batch of seveny-sx
was created in one aayand when fragrant an act of
injustice, both TO the old Peers and to the Chamber OF
Deputies, was complained of, the Minister'S and Rova
lists cried aloud &c Mails la Chare !" 1t was in vain TO
speak OF the principles of the Charter-and of the alb
surditv oil the translation Interpretation given 10 il by
this Ultra faction. The invariably this
Read the 9th Article, and you will find that the King
Is TO name Peers-and that the number is unlimited"
IL was in this way that for fourteen wears France was
tormented and harassed-but all this time the Revou-
ton was advancing. At length the fall of Viele
the law securing &c the liberty of the press''-and
moderate Ministry. France was delighted, and the
young men said, 60 This is first victory" For w
months the liberty OF the press enjoyed its fullest
extent; but once the Bourbons repened!of that
which they had done and they said Let the press be
free, but let the press be prosecuted !" From that mo-
ment the freedom of the press became merely nominal
Hundreds OF prosecutions institu,ed-hundreds ii
editors fined imprisoned; and though men might
write without submitting their writings to previous
censorship, yet after they were published they were
laid before the Procureur de Ro and the smallest errors
or deviatons from the iogot habits of thinking and
writing of old hack writer's, prosecuted without
delay, and punished without mercy.
The Ministry of Martignac was opposed by the Lii
berals, who did see the Revolution advance with
sufficient rapidty; and by the Royalists who thought
its march much too quick Neither party satisfied
and then came the Pognac Administrations
Up TO that hour the Bourbons had remained unchang-
ed and no better proof of the truth of my siateme mt
can possibly be given than this-that the moment the
press really free-the moment men could write
freely on the political wants and feelings of France
and could point out the remedies for evils and the i'll
conduct OF those who governed from that very moment
he court Observation-Disclosures laws which il had
posed to the Chambers comforting municipal privileges
and advantages on the Departments-and returned to
men and measures wholly at variance with the Charter
with new and regeneraed France-with the prnci-
Piles of the Revolutonthc opinions of the rising gene
ration-and the determination desires and habits of the
people.
The first French Revolution, which had never term-
mated now advanced with great rapdty and the French
Revolution of 1880 became inevitable.
Your obedent servant O.P. O.
The Moniteur of yesterday was calculated to give
great satisfaction to The OF letters The King of
the French has already directed his attention TO
the situation of the University, and has made the
following most admirable regulations by Royal Ordon
nance-
l. All Inspectors General Of Studies. whose appoint
mens are irregular (and there many go who were
named by the late wretched Cahinei) either in form
or for want Of the required qualifications, immed
aey to discontinue their functions, unless re-apponted
by the Minister of Public Instruction. Thus will lit
eratlre be freed FROM the night mare Influence Of the
Jesuits-and the youth Of France will be inspected
in their studies by men who know that love OF ra-
tiOUal and ia