The southern press., 1852-01-07
Relations Of France and EngIand.

/ Relations Of France and England.
| A GOODNESS has sprung up between the Br;
tish and French governments, arising out of the
late despotic proceedings of Louis Nauoleoo
| Upon THE important subject, we copy the fol-
lowing from the letter Of the Paris correspondent
OF the London Times, dated the goth December.
| Soon after the coup d'etat of the I'd, com.
muncation was made in the name Of the Eng.
llsh cabinet to this overnment, in which, whila
any irritating expression or comment appeared
to b6 avoided, explanations were asked Al IN
whether it was contemplated to comple,elv
abandon the liberal and constitutional policy
which had previously formed the bond Of al.
lance between the two countries
The President of the republic was reminded
that England and France, connected as thew
had so long been by the similarity, SO far az the
difference OF character Of the two people per.
mltted' OF their respective institutions, were at
the head OF European civilization; that 10th stilI
enjoyed, with the necessary notifications. the
advantages of representative government. free
dom of the tribune and liberty of the press.
that suspension or cessation of such guaran,
tees for public liberty would necessarily imnlv
an abandonment on the part of France of those
political advantages, and would necessarily di.
mnsh, in a considerable degree the sympathipa
entertained in Engl md for system like the
present, rs widely different from its own. that .
comp d'etat which abrogated the constitution. an.
initiated the Legislature, and DESTROYED the lihar.
ty of the press. was. and must be, distastefnl 70
the people of England, so remarkable for ;ts
enthusiastic attachment to all these institutions
and the French government was earnestly called
upon to give some explanations of its inten.
tions, or Of what it purrosed doing, 80 soon as
the embarrassment of the present situation had
disappeared or been materially diminished.
The note which spoke of was at considerable
length and its tone was, am assured, though
not irritating at all events decided and enerpet.
ic The answer is said to be what perhaps
might be guessed under the circumstances II
is purported to repudiate all intention of aban.
doning liberal policy it spoke of the Pr, sident
as having no desire to establish despotic au.
thority; it alleged the diff lltes of his stua.
tion; the dangers that had threatened not only
France, but the European continent, from the
rapid and fearful progress of socialist IDEAS:
and it repeated the argument already 80 often
put forward in excuse of the act of the I'd inst
This answer, though believe of equal length
with the original communication, was not con.
sidered as sufficiently satisfactory there were
not found IN it assurances of positive nature
sufficiently so to satisfy the parties to whom it
was addressed A second communication was
made, les, of an official than personal kind
and in the name OF one of the most prominent
members OF the English cabinet-not tho for
egn minister, and use the word non.officinl
because it was addressed, not to member Of
the French government, but to parsonage who.
nevertheless, is supposed to possess, and be-
lieve does possess, no inconsiderable share of
influence, owing to circumstances no way in
terest,ng to the public. This second commu.
nication was also replied to; but the answer.
entering as it did into still greater deta. and
repeating with more force the arguments made
use Of in the first, did not produce any greater
satisfaction
1t has been urged on the part of the noble
lord referred to, that it was absolutely necces-
sary to give explanations of still more precise
kind; that public opinion in England required
them; that the momenous events which had
ust taken place in France would, no doubt, be
commentd d on in the English Parliament as
they had been in the press of the SAME country,
and that it would be not merely satisfactory, but
absolutely indispensable, for the British cabinet
to have some data-some assurances-some-
thing positive, in fact--to present to Parliament
when. as would certainly be the case, explana.
tons were demanded, and that it was scarcely
necessary to say these explanations ought 10 be
OF satisfactory kind.
In addition to this reply 10 this second note,
it was decided that person should be sent to
London to confer directly with Lord Palmers-
ton, and give explanations which, it was hoped,
would be satisfactory. The party in question,
however, is said to have declined the mission on
the ground of not being able to give positive
assurance, or an explanation of the intentions Of
the government Of that ecse nature which it
was evidently the desire of the English cabinet
to possess. Such, ! am led to believe, is the
situation Of affairs up to very recent date.
Louis Napoleon and The Despot,c Po,utrs--
The personal relations of Louis Napoleon with
the despotic powers, are scarcely more satisfac-
tory than with England, as will appear by the
subioined paragraph from the letter of the cor
respondent of the London Times, in the French
capital:
With reference to the continental powers, |
am assured, on the same authority, that what has
lately occurred has not disposed those powers
10 regard the act of the President as one that
ought necessarily to induce them to give him any
more sympathy or support than they have hth-
elto done While admitting that Ito use their
own terms) the President has succeeded in re-
slraining and ctipping the power Of the "enemies
OF ORDER, in all continental countries, they still
regard that act quite as conducive to his own in-s
terests as theirs. The suppression of the revo-
lutlonary party ought not Qhey are said to al
lege) 10 change their views with reference to n
power that had its origin in a popular move-
ment.
They admit that, as France is the hotbed of
revolution, any blow aimed at it there must me-
cessarily produce corresponding effect else
where but even that advantage does not, and
cannot, induce them to consider tie power Of
the Presd on', or any power similar to it, other
wise than as provisional, or as a stop gap: but
by no means such as would induce them to re.
gard it in the light of legitimate and permanent
authority and that in fact ruler whose swav
might be stopped by the merest accident to saw
no worse, is not quite that on whom reliance
could be placed as on one of legitimate kind.
THY admit the services rendered to what is
considered by the powers in question the cause
of order, and their relations with France will
otherwise continue the same as heretofore; but
on questions of European policy the provisional
nature OF the present system cannot be forgot
ten. Such, am assured, is The present position
of the PTesi lent with these powers.
French Refugees in Beleium-The French
minister of foreign affairs has intimated to the