The pilot and transcript. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1840-1841, 1840-11-10

not the mere madmen some Of the English Jour |
nalists and letter-writcrs would have us consi- |
Ger them. They arc powerful, warlille and inn
pulsiVc; but they have good sense enough to
know the value of peace, and, with some eXcep-
tions, have confidence in their King, and will
sustain him in his policy, whatever it may be.
And what is his policy? That of an enlighten-
ed statesman-that of peace, industry and ma
tional improvement. But why then does he
make such vast preparations for war; Since
light may be thrown upon this question BY the
annexed fragment, which we wrote four years
ago, but which sudden attack of illness pre-
vented us from finishing, and which was brought
to light, the other day, in rummaging an old
port folio:
"LOUis PHILIPPE or FR4NCE.-Il has been
the fashion, for the last three or four years. both
in this country and in England, to abuse the
! present King Of France, without stint or mca-
sure, a tyrant, despot, deceivcr, betray-
er OF trusts, a miser, and a thirster for human
blood. In the United States, especially, he is
seldom mentioned in the newspapers without
some disralaging epIthet; and even among those
who do not Join in the general impeachment OF
| his moral character, as man and as King there
| IS an untavorable impression as regards his men
| tai powers and endowments, which are sun
posed to rank no higher than cunning and a re-
| nned and inscriptions genius for duplictv. In
opposition to this mass of public opinion we do
not hesitate to declare our own, which is that
Louis Philippe of France is at this moment by
1 far the ablest monarch liying-thc greatest King
that has welded the sccptre of that country
since Louis the Eleventh--and the very best
ruler for France that could be selected from
among all her princes, generals and statesmen
! This opinion will perhaps be accounted mons
strous, but we ask attention to the facts and ar
guments with which we shall cndcavor to main
! tam 1t, and If we can succeed in expressing the
grounds and elements of our own conyietion we
do not fear that it will be altogether rejected by
others, even should it not be sanctioned and
adopted.
1t will of course be understood that in pro-
nouncing Louis Philippe the greatest monarch
! that has rcigncd in France since Louis the
! Eleventh, we do not contemplate the splendors
of conquest and warlike achievements or the
munihcence of luxury and art; these are mat
tiers IN which Napoleon AID Louis the Four
| teenth stand unrivalled and unaDproached We
mean the greatness of wise policy, enlarged
| judgment, and vigorous administration concern
ing all those subjects which affect the prosperity
Of a kingdom; that is, Of the people who are its
inhabitants.
The situation of France is peculiar and very
difficult, both externally and Internally. She
stands, as it were, upon the dividing line that
separates Europe into two great divisions not Of
territory, but OF principle. The spirit of epub-
licanism or democracy has been actively at work
upon that continent, ever since tie declaration
of American Independence, but with VARYING
power and success in different portions I'm the
south it has almost accomplished its triumph;
and we behold, almost daily, the mighty heav-
ings of its efforts to obtain dominion in Spain,
Portugal, Italy, and portions of the Austrian
empire. In the north, although existing, and
even at work, it is repressed and kept down by
the as yet superior force of consery atism in its
extreme of principle and power-that is, in the
! form OF despotsm. In this view the South of
Europe, namely, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Austrian
Italy, and some parts of Germany, is standing
IN the attitude of contrast, and OF moral though
not physical hostility, TO Russia, Prussia, and
Austria proper; and France, the greatest power
in Europe except England, stands in the gap
between and has danger to apprehend from both
| parties to the fearful contest which, but for her
would speedily begin She is by position the
negative mediating power that as yet maintains
the peace OF Europe; for who can doubt that if
France were all republican, as after the Revolu-
ton, rePublicanism would be up in arms for ac-
tive warfare against the northern powers
throughout all the South of Europe, or that if
France were ready TO join the northern powers,
they would make haste to crush the spirit of re-
publicanism in the south@o
So far we wrote in 1886. The article is in
complete, but it seems to us that the views then
entertained are perfectly applicable to the pre-
sent state of things; and in fact that with the
Light afforded BY the present state of things, it
need not be finished