The southern press., 1851-08-27

dhy hll shipments OF specie Wouiu CEASE, duu
the banks were in no fear of stopping them
selves or stopping the merchants. But most
unwise administrators of the affairs of the coun-
try thought the people would become too happy
to have the regulations Of trads secured AZ per-
manently as il is in Europe, where no state OF
affairs in time of peace prevents the bona .fie
merchant from realizing cash for his paper or
produce at trhng per centage over the legal
rates."
e The following letter from the pen of
w. NJ CoRRY, of Cincinnati who passed some
time in France, is worthy of the heart that die
tated it, and the good sense and obseryative
character Of the man.
We remark uponit with the greater pleasure,
because it is truthful representation of the
French people. In no country are those gen.
erous and honorable feelings, which do credit to
humanity, more conspicuous. No traveller can
fail to be struck with it. And man must be
singularly imbued with pre-conceived prejudices,
who could pass even short period in any part
of that country, without seeing and rejoicing in
its progress in the highest civilization.
The upper classes still retain many of the
vices peculiar to their position-aggrayated by
a rage at the progress and prosperity OF the
middle and working classes that manifests itself
at every turn. But the people have been singu-
larly changed by the Influence Of their fair laws,
which have existed since the revolution. They
are no longer depraved or vitiated by aristo-
cratic tyranny. Hence, in the two revolutions
of 1880 and '4S, their conduct was one of con-
ciliation and generosity, as tho events them
selves proved.
/ The HUMANITY OF THE FRENCH PEOPLE
Among the prominent abuse of the French peo-
Pile by Eng'h writers, whose opinions prevail
here, is the charge that there is no humanity in
1 France. We need not retort that charge, with
all its terrible emphasis arsin. out of the daily
history Of Eng and the cold and wholesale
determination of the human race in Ireland and
India The retort would be overwhelming, so
far as the accuser is concerned, for his mouth
would be shut; but the accused is entitled to a
defence. The French people are not sanguinary,
on the contrary they are humane. No ore can
deny, that at the period of their old revolution
of 1889, there was prodgous shedding of
blood; but it was not comparable in extent to
many catastrophes brought about by monarchs
in the different ages of the world. By them,
the human race has been made to fulfil thous-
and times the dread picture of The despot of
Argos, into whose mouth Sergeant Talfourd
puts the speech which describes the people
GAS the common herd,
The vassals of our ancient house, the mass
| OF bones and muscles formed to till the soil
| few brief years then rot unnamed beneath 1t;
Or, decked for slaughter at their masters call,
To smite and be smitten, and lie crushed
| In haap IN ula Or shame
Ion .4ct 9: Scene /.
So do now the ferocious tyrants who have
slaughtered on their own soil bv treachery as
often as by force the generous spirits Of Hun
gary, Germany and Italy, regard mankind.
| That is the estimate of it formed by Nicholas,
Joseph and Frederic; by their creatures and
prime ministers, worthy only of Pandemonium,
Nessselrode, Swartzenburg, and Manteufel,
They have acted and do now, and are preparing
for further action, on the old hypothesis. And
their action has frequently been most unpro-
voked and unnecessary. Their foolish wars,
external or internal, have been often without
cause and contrary to justice. They have been
begun and prosecuted for the qualification of
pique pride, at the instigation of mistress or
favorite, and therefore with most inadequate mo-
tive and basest origin Again, these wars involv-
ing determinations Of instruments as well as OPP
Il
tility to the most noble aspiration of the heart,
the desire to better human condition, and have
been waged without mercy, truce or discrirnina-
I ton, against the struggling democracy of each
succeeding generation. Oa such shrines roy
atty has offered up mankind, and fed the rivers
and the ocean with their blood. But the old
French revolution was precisely no war Of con-
quest or pride. Ii was the struggle of great
people to be free. 1t was, let it not be forgot
ten, struggle in imitation of our own then
recent and glorious example. The revolution
which freed US from the intoerable allegiance to
England was singal to France for the over
throw Of her tyrants. Ii was prompted by the
same definite object IL was a battle for the
inestmable reward of self-government, and for
the construction of free institutions upon the
reluctant soil Of Europe. But it was even more
than this; the authors of the overthrow OF the
throne in France had assisted Us in America,
and the crisis of the campaign Of 1871 was PAS.
sed by French succor on sea and land; the
surrender at Yorktown was a surrender to tbe
/ generals Of the united armies OF the United
States and France. After that victorious day,
Lafayette and his countrymen went home, and
spread the seed and reaped tt0frut Of repub-
lican institutions. Under these explanations,
no American should fail to do justice to the
French people, even with respect to the old re-
volution, a tragedy which has exhausted the
materials of description and exaggeration in the
hands of native and foreign artists "a tragedy
to which England especially has thousand
times returned for topics Of reproach, and on
which she fingers with lldisgused satsfac-
tion.
When We Americans remember the dreadful
oppression Of the French people of that day, we
can estimate the evaporation Of all classes below
the mobiles and clergy. These owed two-thirds
of the land of France and paid almost no taxes,
which were enormous, and thrown on the other
third of the land, and the mass Of the people.
The pampered higher orders tyrannized in every
manner over the lower, and seduced and de-
bauched every young person Of uncommon mind
or beauty il contained. BY their example, they
inflicted almost as much injury on the people
as by these aggressions, for the court and church
were alike hideous receptacles of the worst men
and women, whose individual promotion above
al ....a ~ ,.,,,,oa aud ,;oaa anaiariv