The Portland daily press., 1867-11-23

| hc G"sPeie Peace.
The address Of the French Emperor 10 -,
Senate anu Legislative Body is model Of
breyity. He declares that it is necessary
to accept frankly the changes which have
taken place on the other side OF the Rhine,
and that so long as French dignity and inter
est are not threatened France will not inter
fere with Germany. Nevertheless 1t is i'm
portant to keep the srmy and navy in an
elective condition, and it is particularly ne
eessary to revise the conscription law. In
time of peace the French people are peculiar
iy indisposed TO the performance of military
duties, and at a time when labor is needed in
every part of France, it is certain that the
requirements of the present law are especial
~ odious. The recent exploits of French
arms in Mexico and Italy nave not been of a
character to excite any warlike enthusiasm
at home, and the Emperor is quite right in
submitting this important question tor fur
ther consideration. The Bonapartes should
never forget that the Bourbons were once
welcomed with the cry OF mo CONSUMPTION"
The peaceful promises of the first two par
agraphs of the speech are supplemented by
equally smooth prophecies in the third and
fourth. The Italian question is to be settled
by conference of the great powers, and the
Eastern question is already settled by gem
eral understanding that the Ottoman Empire
shall be maintained and the condition of its
Christian subjects ameliorated In short,
there is to be no European war-before next
summer. .if,lt e.s bnI
Foreign affairs being thus disposed of, the
Emperor turns to the reforms OF last Janu-
airy, which 1t appears are to be maintained.
These reforms were received with considera-
BILE doubt by the French nation, and ii the
Emperor has not changed his mind about
them neither have the people given over
their distrust. There was in the first place
the concession OF the right of the chambers
to discuss government measures, after notice
duly given and app owed by two out OF the
five committees OF the Senate or tour out of the
nine committees of the Legislative Body. As
the government has a majority in every
committee. it is plain that unpleasant top
les can be easily suppressed. and there
is really no reason why the Emperor
should regret this concession in favor
OF free speech, especially as he at the same
time took care to suppress the debate on the
Address, which formerly furnished an oppor-
tunity for the Opposition to speak its mind
freely ON all sorts of subjects The second
measure Of reform abolished the system of
warnings and arbitrary suspensions and sup
pressions OF newspapers, but ii did not grant
to publishers the protection of a jury trial..
They were remitted to the police courts, and
on the bench as in the legislative committees
1t is always the government that is represent
ed. In March Emile de Girardin was fined
5000 francs for an article in La Liberte
which was construed as an attack upon the
government. 1t was as NJ. Girardin said in
court, scarcely newspaper article at all, but
simple page of history Amidst the laugh
ter and applause of the spectators, Girardin
went on to admit that his article was perhaps
inopportune; "there were unfortunate articles
as there were unfortunate circulars and un-
fortunate expeditions" 1t is said that this
unfortunate article almost persuaded the EN-
peror to revoke his rash concession; but if 50,
the decision of the court reassured him. Af
ter years trial, he says his conviction of the
utility OF his reforms is unshaken.
Here then is the measure of French lber-
ty. Liberty to write what you please, subject
always to the punishment which may be
decfeed by an offended government sitting as
judge, IiI,nrty to discuss any question Of
public policy, provided you eau get the cons
sent of the government embodied in COM
mittee.9 Beyond these limits nothing but
meditation or fireside muttering Add to
this systematic repression, an unpopular con-
scription; fancy also the effect of the mistake
as to Prussia, the failure in Mexico, and the
recent demonstration in Italy; consider that
commercial activity has slackened; that the
crops have partially failed, and prices are
Highland the picture of France after the
Great Exposition is tolerably complete The
Empire is peace-for the moment; but the
situation, as the Emperor truly says, is not
free from some embaTassments.