The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-04-03
France, England and the United
States.

NJ. de Perslgny has recently made
n remarkable speech in the French
Chambers, mainly in defence of the
wisdom and vital power or endurance
of the French Government. he con-
tended that the Emperor had made
no real change in the constitution,
but had only simplified and formal
lied some successive notifications.
The idea chiefly dwelt upon by the
speaker was the independence of the
Government of party ebullition,
while at the same time the Imperial
authority was the embodiment of the
nationality, the spirit, the will and
the power of France. M. de Per
signy derived much pleasure in con-
trasting the French and English
Ministries. He felicitates France
that her Ministers are not subjected
to the party changes in the legislative
branch-indeed, that they are not
responsible. The responsibility of
the Ministry in England, he thinks, o
bad feature. Democracy, he evil
IDENTITY thinks, is making serious in
roads upon the British Government,
and, indeed, that the democratic
spirit is spreading and threatening
the peace of the world. England, he
contends, might have put an effective
check upon it, and done much to
promote her own safety, had she
seized the golden opportunity which
lately presented itself, when England
shrank from aiding France to break
up the United States by supporting
the Southerners and by establishing
Mexican empire.
The London Times makes vigor-
Gus assault upon M. de Persigny's
spcech-a speech regarded rs State
paper. The Times considers NJ. de
Persigny authority for France; but
denies the fidelity of his picture and
the soundness of his reasons relative
to the workings of the parliamentary
system of England. The Times does
not choose to look upon the French
system as a model, declaring that
France has been governed for centu-
ries by cardinals, by queens, by
mistresses, by intriguers, by theo-
rists, by every class that disdains
responsibility" On this point, we
question whether France is much
ahead of England, the history of
whose rulers is not much behind that
of any country for it's illustrious and
numerous examples of intrigue, vice
and depravity.
| With reference to M. de Persigny's
reminder that England lost the op-
portunity for strengthening herself
by aiding Trance to break up the
United States, the Times says:
''By this time, it seems, we ought
to be resting together after the demo-
lltlon of the great American Repub-
lie, or winning glory in the still unfi-
nlshed enterprise. But under no
Government whatever would England
have marched one foot in such q des-
perate and gratuitous crusade. The
sense of the whole nation is against
founding empires and destroying
them upon calculation of political
consequences, either in the old world
or in the new. Such projects are,
indeed, oftener found in palaces than
In parliaments, and in hearts as well
as hands insulated from social rela-
tions and their natural control. If
this be all-and this idea is to be the
touchstone of otr respective metals
we are content to stand the ordeal
and to be thankful that we are not
nation of great ideas and irresponsi-
BILE rulers
While on the subject, we may add
that Nj. Thiers has come out also with
new speech and q new fear. He
considers the state of Europe, and
especially France, to be serious.
There is an increase of armaments.
The dangerous idea which he regards
as unsettling present conditions is
'that of nationalities and of great.
agglomcrations having the same ori-
gin and the same language" The
ambition of Prussia and Russia, in
taking advantage of nationality, he
says, was an insult to Europe. France
could have arrested this ambition by
a single word, and that word was
European equilibrium. But he
continues, France 'was led away by
the chimera of the nationality princi-
pie and by an unreflecting desire for
popularity" The only remedy is to
restore the European equilibrium
mainly by recovering the alliance
with England" That alliance will be
the protection Of small States.
Thus these statesmen speculate and
scheme; yet events roll on just rs
| though their wise discoveries never
| had been made The laws established