The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-04-12
Interesting from France.

the emperor IN reply to an address
made by deputation from the Corps
Legislatiff. AS this speech, from it's
peculiar expressions, has created con-
siderable interest in Europe, and as
it Is the subject of comments of the
great leading newspaper in England
(which we subjoin, we give it in full.
The Emperor, on receiving the adj
dress, said:
The great majority of the Corps
Legislatiff have confirmed once more.
by voting this address, the policy
which has given you fifteen years of
tranquility and prosperity I thank
you. Without allowing yourselves to
be carried away by vain theories,
presented in seductive garb. as alone
! capable of aiding the emancipation
OF thought and the progress Of hu-
manity, you said to yourselves, eve
also desire to attain those ends, while
regulating our march by the appeas-
ment of passions and the wants of
society" Is not our motive the com
mon welfare? and what attraction
would your mission have for YOU or
my power for me, if separated from
the love Of justice? Would YOU go
through such long and arduous labors
If you were not inspired by true pa
trlotism? Could I have borne the
weight of government for the las.
eighteen years, with its incessant
anxieties and heavy responsibility
before God and before the nation. if
L had not felt within me that strength
which IS afforded by the sense of duty
and by the consciousness of having a
useful mission to carry out? France,
equally with ourselves, desires pro-
gress, stability and liberty; but
liberty which shall develop intelli-
gence, generous instincts and the
noble eNertions of lahor-not a liber-
ty bordering upon license, which
would excite evil passions, destroy all
belief, rekindle hatred, and give rise
to disorder. We require liberty
which shall enlighten, control and
discuss the actions of the Govern
ment, but not become all arm to un-
dermine and overthrow it. Fifteen
years ago, when nominal chief of the
State, without effective power, and
without support in the Chamber but
strong in my conscience and the suf-
frages which had elected me, ven
tured to declare that France would
not perish in my hands. I have
kept my word. For fifteen years
France has developed and increased,
and her high destiny will be accom-
plished. After us our sons will con-
tinue our work. My guarantee for
tins IS the assistance of the great
bodies of the State, the devotion of
the army, the patriotism of all good
citizens, and, lastly, that Divine pro
lection which has never failed orr
country.
His Majesty's speech was received
with repeated cries of "IIre I En,pe-
ren1!"
The London Times. of March -,
says:
A certain undertone Of anxiety, :.
not of melancholy, penetrates the
measured cadences of the Emperor
Napoleon's reply to the deputation
from the Corps Legis., tiff. He could
not but remember that no less than
forty-six deputies had signed, and
slxty-five had voted for, an amend
ment to the address adopted by the
''great majority of the Chamber.
He cannot be ignorant that among
these dissentients are to be found
some of the most enlightened mem
bers Of the French Legislature, and
the representatives of aspirations
which are gradually possessing the
mind of the French people. No one
knows better than he that growing
demand for greater independence, an
increasing patience of the policy
which still defers the "crowning of
the edifice," n progressive reaction
against the doctrine that social
equality and material prosperity are
equivalents for political freedom, a
sensible revival of healthy popular
interest III politics, have of late been
developing themselves in France. 1t
has been manifested in various WAYS,
more or less significant, of which,
perhaps, the most spontaneous
though least constitutional-was the
recent demonstration at the Cdeon
Theatre. 1t was observed Mt the time
that the Emperor looked PRESERVED
and sullen;' and though too much
Importance may we'll be attributed to
the chance expression of a sovereign's
countenanee, it may we'll be that an
Emperor elected by universal suffrage