New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-01-26
FRANCE.

,NcAME's MISSIONS.
lFRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT
PANS Jan. s-You will find the words OF my teAt
4, Napoleon Ill, his New-Year addresses ana o.
FIRST clause of each They were spoken to the mem
70 of te Corps Lecsatif and of the Court of Cas-
soton lSupreme Court of Appeal and run as fol-
1,s. "Tbe COOPERATION Of the Legislative Body be-
,es more and more indispensable eray gear IN order
20 secure true liberty in France and to the mags-
trates: More than erG is it requisite thai the sehtl-
mept of Justice should inform our manners IheIe
nre no Qpsus RRguG nothing lightly spoken IN now.
over brief Imperial speeches. in which, ike thoSe ol
the new year every word is carefully weighed DC
fore being delivered, the shoulders OF the I'M
mediate listeners, to the open cars Of the public
More and more eray year, and now more ina" eref'
my brethren; this year especially more than other
wears perceive that things changing, and with
n changing force whose steadily increasing mOmen-
tum makes the situation almost dramatic, not as ell
gble as it was in 1882"
Without pretending to prophesy what his majesty |
means to do about it, it is more and more evident |
that something more must be done, as he wisely IN
timated last Friday. Awaiting his announcement
of new measures next Monday week. or his mstltu-
ton of them without announcement, letus note some
signs and proofs of movement since his last marked
step in advance his promssory note Of progress dated
10Th January 1867. 1t shows itself most stnkingly
in the periodical press. Seeing the sixty-sx hard
blows dealt at Journalists 10y the courts, between the
ed of last May and the 10th of last December you
may deem this a striking paradox 1t is rather at
first sight, but true statement FOR, IN the hTst
place il is great gain that these blows should De
dealt By tribunals in legal t0m Most OF
the OfenSes for which newspaper writers and
printers of this series have been fined and imprisoned
could not have been committed Two years ago py
material possibility. These criminals OF liberty
would for the most part, have been arrested at the
stage OF lntcnt-thcT very way 10 paper aid PIIlV
barred by Minister'S refusal to let them nave
paper to prints or, being already III possession OF
licensed journal. they would have been punished at
BE earlier and mider stage OF free speech by decree
of warning suspension OF suppression, Issued against
them at the purely arbitrary good pleasure OF an ad'
miuistIatVe officer. The law against the press
the law of May-has the superiority over the m
iquitous organic decree of February 1872 that IL sub
etitutes dangers for iusuTmOunable obstacles IN the
way Of progress. And this IS very considerable
merit comparatively, for lack of courage is not
French defect. Its other great merit is essential SUI
cida imperections which render its repeal or grave
modification in or less restrictive sense with
i'm few years moral certainty. But 1t is already
too late for more restriction; the TetrOgTades with
bowls and the tadgIadcs with Walllng, admit that
an ~. 10 i'r,arf ON y-oit az II
VI could be issued 40 one mans Judgment OF want Oh IT,
n in moment of vocation OF indigestion; for any
motive that Glanced 10 valid To man sitting
in his ninisteria bureau he could send out ms man
In black any all the newspaper Offices advising
(he equivalent of commanding editors to suppress
this TO express that OPINION. Inc more IOunuaOOuI
legal process Of drawing up charges, prosecuting aud
COndemniDg gives time for little anges 10 pass ana
for reflection 10 come. And there IS an Objection 10
the legal process for thOuUh nearly always ends IN
acondemnation OF the accused by the Court, it nearly
as frequently ends in his acqulttal by the public,
which is sort of condemnation of the Courts and the
Magistrates themselves are giving signs of discon-
tent at acting political agents Of power instead OF
befrayiug becoming spnsihtv to the counter YER
diets of the public jury in political OF this
we have q ,Iema5kable instance III the
rial at Toulouse PI0cuTeur Imperial CORE
spends nearly 70 ouT States Attorney. with something
more of judicial quality and much more of official !
is in that. for better worse, magisteTal
OF other official is with Ms, "sOemnly constituted
a shining body IN the grandly o. ganiluo system "a
the administration that reVolVes IN nletaf-
chically spheriC harmony about the central MIN
ister of Justice. NJ. oeguers dashng Out OF sphere
Is notable, almost UNIQUE phenomenon, anu lhe !
event of the day very notable as sign and apoItent
and the manner OF his going, Is as remarkable as
the fact of his exit. For he has given Ine reasons
for 1t in public letter addressed to the editor of an
independent newspaper of Toulouse. 1t appears |
from this letter that the writer has been subjected
10 lively reproOfs from the Minister for his spirit of
indulgence his lack of rgOr and severity when |
prosecuting Offending newspapers before the
surveillance of Secret Police, even while making |
his speeches of such condenDabe moderation TO the
Judges, and that these nsstant reproofs were pro-
Voked by the reports OF these secret reporters which
We're, in part, absolutely false.
THE sentiment of Justice, that ought now more
than ever 10 penetrate our manners IS c1IlOusly
affected by this dgniied resignation of an honorable
magistrate, mindful Of the celebrated saying Of that
other Seguer, The court renders decisions, not
services" His letter is Published in every indepen-
dent journal in France. 1t comes in confirmation of
a warning that EIHyely-thOughtful publiciss have |
more than once OF late urged Government to heed
warning it that the imposition Of political services
the judiciary inevitably tends TO the degradation
of the judiciary 10 the weakening OF the sentiment
of Justice" and, in the dOWn-rn, TO the weakening
of political authority itself Mr.. Seguer's letter of !
resignation is dated January L. His Majesty Is said |
10 be YeXed at tins swift comment on bis New Years
address TO the Court of Cessation, and with this |
comes another YeXauOn.
told you in my last something Of the story of the
Eight of the two MCEtcu5. and how Minister ROuheT,
at the last moment, sheercd OF intTansityely and |
Rheared off HOgteuP JnirGsel" from what he |
meant should be the first title of the Journal
O6iciel of which lie Is the responsible editor. Now
NJ Sainte Beuye, Senator, Academclan, and emf !
monthly critic furnished contributions to the old
NoHifeuV. which together with those of Iheophlle
GautheT made that otherwise heavy sheet readable
Owing 10 little Unpeasantness with the new editor
OF the old sheet, which now sets up to be ndepend-
ent, tame, respectable manner, NJ. Salnte BeuNe
left that concern. Flo had all the world OF |
Paris journalism 70 choose welcome lodgment |
from. The O6cidt journal. the Constitutional, |
would have been more than happy to pay high for |
the Acadeinciaus polished prose. And he has carried |
it, of all places IN the world for Senator 10 lie Temps
one of the best and bestpTOsecuted of independently
beTal papers IN whose columns IT VIII hencef0rth APP
pear side by side with the excellent letters of Louis
Blanc This too is reported TO be an irritating, swift
comment on that New-Iear text 20 be read IN NapO-
leon III. TO the Senators: J. HOu have accustomed !
me TO count on your cooperation and your direct fl
with pleasure. and am glad, on my side, 70 assure
YOU of my constant sympathy"
And there is another newspaper detection good |
deal talked of this week. NT. Robert Mitchell draws
from bis English descent a certain independence of
opinion, which he occasionally Yentured moderately
TO express in the Constitutional, nWhch OifciOus pa
per he was the only not dull writer. lie retired from
its editorial corps last week. Ii appears, from his
own explanations tins week that he could not stay
without sacrificing his small measure Of ndepen- !
dence 10 Blr Editor Minister R0nher impenous dis
nile u e.