Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-02-27
From The Lond0a Daf7y vsscs.
A Loud GroyyI from the British Lion.
"A Sfgnificanf Article.


The Emperor of the French has through
his Ambassador, sigpifed his desire that Bill
should be forthwith brought into Parliament.
AID passed without delay, for the efiectual
prevention in future Of all designs, wholly or
in part, concerted in this country against his
Imperial person. NJ. Persigny has, indeed,
been Instructed TO communicate his MaJesty's
pleasure to the Ministers, hitherto regarded
as the servants of the British Crown. in terms
characterised by urbanity and deliberatlon.
X is nowadays considered bad taste TO issue
the mandates Of power in verbally offensive
phrase. The use of threats in case of refusal
is not indeed Abandoned: hut the official press
has become the vehicle of the one, while OIL
cial notes are the medium adopted for con-
viewing the other. For f ar Of any mistake,
however. the mandates and the menaces are
80 prepared a. to appear contemporaneousiy.
Bureaucratic dignity is thus saved from hu-
initiation; but the insult TO the nation at large
remains unqualified and uBdiseuised. Nothing.
we believe, can have been more bland and
polite than the various communications made
on the sui ject of the required enactment by
NJ. PCrsgny; nothing we know can be more
sanguinary or insulting than the addresses
received 10y Louis Napoleon from his troops,
and by his direction published in the Mont
teur. The soldiery Of the cO,,p detat in Paris
ask to be led to eoayJ a. mann on LONDON;
and their Imperial master, far from checking
the exuberance of their zeal for the invasion
of England, carefully records these proofs OF
their devotion TO his interests, and publishes
them, without scmblauce of exception or
disclaimer, 10 the world. This is to act
the part of an ally with vengeance. But we
have vet to learn that Il free country can be
suddenly bullicd into the fabricaf Ii of new
laws 10y having the naked sword Of despot-
ic ally brandished in its face. What Marquis
of Clanricarde and the personal friends Of
the French Emperor may propose or recon-
mend Parliament TO do, in the alject hope of
deprecating his Majesty's wrath, we cannot
tell. But we know what it behoves the Queen
and people of this realm to do; and we have
perfect confidence that it will be done. No
duty which we owe to an ally can supersede
that which we owe to ourselves. The first of
national duties is that OF sclf-respect; and the
foreign State which demands of us under
Inenance what il cannot pretend TO ask as a
matter of right renders the concession as mat
! ter of favour impossible Unril these islands
shall have been conquered ard annexed by
! his inIperious Majesty OF Inc Tuiieries, II Is
rather premature We would submit, 10 allow
his officers to talk and write as they have
| lately done 1t is certainly not the way to ce-
ment the bonds OF international amity. and it
| is as certainly not tn, way To Facilitate the ac-
| conplishInent of the specific object which IL
! desired.
! \ dcclaratory Act against those who shall,
within this realm seek to compass the dcstIuc
| tiol of foreign prince in friendship and ALI
! ance with this country is now said to be ALI
/ that is required Of Us. AT common law con-
| spiracy to assas-inate has been always held to
| be crime: and nc instance can he cited in
which our tribunals have eXhon, rated all of
| fender on the plea that his intended victim
! had to be sought beyond the seas. There can
! therefore he no ostcnsIble reason why the
| French Government should not require of Us
| 10 institute procecdingsi il the ordinary course.
against any persons with regard 10 whom rca-
| sOnable evidence may exist that they were
| guilty of having cOnspircd in this country Il
bring about the late attempt on the Emperor :
| life. If the evidence against such persons BE-
! sufficient to induce Il Grand Jury 10 find Z
| true bill or Petty Jury to convict. it is not
! likely, though it is certainly possible, that
| iud gnent would lie arrest, On the ground of
Il want of jurisdiction in our Courts TO try such
an offence. Had this course III any single in
stance been adopted-and had there been any
default ofjustice arising from doubts seriously
! entertained regarding jurisdiction - there
| might, indeed, be considered some plausibility
! in the demand for declaratUry Act. Bu,
nothing of the kind is pretended; and we are
driven, therefore, to look beyond the specific
! terms Of the rcquisition, and to inquire to
! what probable use the proposed Act would
| really be applied by those VINO are so impor-
tunate in calling for it. If it he really no
more than formal re-afIirmation Of an cstab
| lished principle OF our criminal law, we look
| in vain for the distinct or definite benefit to be
| gained. If, as some suppose, il is meant. un-
| der the Disguise of a declardtOry Act, to max,
that law which never heretofore has been SO
then all tx indeed explained and there is moth
ing for it but to reject peremptorily and a
once u proposition branded on the face of il a.
! IL clumsy aud Intellectual fraud. Lord Palmer
ston has undoubtedly shown tendencies to t.
! mcrity OF late, in more than one remarkabi,
particular; but we hardly think he would ven
| ture openly to propose Il Bill 10 Parliamen
which. under the missioner # declaratOrl
III a. llft, would be fund, Oh Investigation, (,
Great, new crimes and prni,hmcnts hilbert,
! uIJnown 10 our jIrispradrncI. The Premiel
has said and done not lew foolish things ii
! his tine, but we hope and believe he will no
do tbs. II was recklGs- enough 10 go out o
| his way TO deny the doctrines of original sin
hut with all that he has upol his hands jus
now it scarcely would suit him 10 earn th'
cpithet of an orr Sinal sinner
Assuring huwcve that no offence now un
! known TO our laws and unpunishaDle thereby
is contemplated Y those who seek declara
tory act, and that no provisions of Il move
| and odious character are sought to DE EN-
| bodied therein, the question ariSes-what d,
the French authors of the measure prOmis,
themselves by its enactment! NJ. P,rsgnN
says that what he and his master want il
prevention" Well, supposug the law de
clared, what would he do. How is ii to b,
put into operation in the anticipaIory manne
he desires! We strongly suspect that thos,
who have shown disposition 10 yield to th
irst demand little foresec the further steps o
the series which would be- presst d upon them
The British Cabinet would forthwith be Gale,
oi 10 carry into effect tIcir uwl measure.
they hesitatrd, the rcproach OF i1sinceritl
would. without scruple, be ievcllcd at them
The means, they would be told. lay in thei
hands oi putting the act ciiecEually in force
NJ. Pereigny frankly iatinat,s what he con
siders those means to DE. lie told the Corpo
ration of London that his master eXpecte,
everything 10 Dr. done by the Executive her
which was done ~ The French Government
Tor the prevention OF political offences. III
offered reciprocity OF police surveillance an,
he demanded identity of the Home Office nd
ministration. Everybody knows what thi
means Ii means u glass I'D on every letter
box, and spy at the corner of every street
1t means the humiliation of things which W
and our fathers have held for generations mos
dear and the permanent establishment of
, system repugnant TO every feeling, sentiment
and principle of English life. II, upon sug
gestion from the French Embassy, any rcfug
is TO be treated as an object of suspicion
his letters are treacherously TO be opened an
, a band of detectives set upon his track, til
Ministers OF our Crown viii gradually, bu
inevitably, find thvnrselves drawn into con-
plicity with every species OF persecution whic
the malignity or tia tar oi f,r. ign alisolul
ism may devise. What Il done 10 morrow fo
France must be- done Tor Austria the day aitel
Allegations Of rlniH1d conspiracy ngaiiis
arbitrary rule are every day matters Ia tn
lips of an ab,Olutist police. AMI it once W
began the hateful work 81 helpers 10 hun
down the prey. We should SOFA !i.d plenty {
occupation. How is any English niiuist. /
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