State Of The French Press...
The Times, 1824-07-12T00:00:00

Through ourjournals you hlave'4.oubtless been informed of A. de Vifele1i wfihto stifle evetry- ld of publicity in France, and of tDC succers . s, i hasajtsiid` his efforts, but you bave probably found it difficult to compirehend the practices which have been cm- ployed t6oBtaisn thiL rcsult. I sbali endeavour to explairi them to you, in' o0der tbat youi may at 'last comprehend the discussions with whilch all ona jour'a1 ure fiUid, and the numerous' presecutions of whici thcy are the cause or the object. The laws on khe press axe slo aitfullcobnrived, that those who promoted their enactment for ihe-purpose of empldying thern to crush their adversariesj find them. selves caught in a snare of their own laying. Whben ihe p,resent dominaut party obtained its ascendency about thrtc yearaagg,tlte iMiristriybroughtinalaw,by which itwas enacted, :lgThaMt no new journal or periodical publicatbn should be eestablish- ed witliuttbe nCijg's perimission. 2d, That no existing journal should be suppressed except by thu tribunals, aud under the follow- ingcircunistances, viz. wvhen an offence has been committed, nnd *han the tefidency ofthe jorna has been proved to be bad by a succession of articles. 3;, That all the journals should remain for one yearsulxIect to the arbitrary censorship of the agents of the Mfinistry.' The journals iere- frther obliged to enter into seri- 'tits to the amount of 10,000 riencs 6f rentes, and to narnea re- sponsible editor who must sign every sheet of the Journal. The -Ultras thought they had got agreat t-iumph on the pase- ing of tbils law. .they lost, it is true, the powver of establishing new journial, but thley had alridy a sufficient numuber, and the Alinisters could suppress none.. The only authority whicb theynight have hid reason tU dread was the tribanals; but as the J6utla had. been eeleeted in 1815 arid 1816 from amnng the tnost declared 'Wtir.is, they justly 'cncluded that they migteb ex;liect to be supportel rather than cheeked by the Courts. Thi judiolid a4thcrleii.hich whi, and is, devoted to the tJ;itraparcy, appeared a means of keepizig the Ministry ina state of dependence, -bythe poWe'r which the Courts possess of suppressing even (iovern- ment' joarnals ou the groupd' of tendency. Tlie Liberal journals aWpeared; therefore, slone'expoed'd the operation of the new law. Ie faci, severalof them were crtsbhcd by thpe Censorsbip, or were giver UP toagvoid the humliation to wbhieh they were liable arMong thicse-wee LVAhitarqruc, baRenornmmi, 'Isdependent, &c. TlheUltras had looked only to the law as afiording a means for two powers to lafluence the existence of journals,-namely, the Go- zernsena, by' which' the esfablishment of new journals was to be aulhrized; and the trIbunals5 by' which existing journals were to be annihilated. They had no need of the assistance of the first, and the 'second 'as their ally. uhit there is a t:hld power, the influence of ;iAic' rivals that of the Judges, anda operates with no less cer. tainty on Royalists than on Liberals: that poweris gold. The Ultras did not foresee 'that unless they could ensure the perfect in- corruptibility of the prqprietors of their papers, their party would stoon be left without any literary organ. You shall hear how thlis' third power bas been put into action both against Liberals 'and T,litras. 'In the first place, a fund to bs errsployed in buying up journals was established under the management of two individuals, of opi-. tiioaz appientily somewhat different. AM. Sosthene de la Rochefou- .ault is publicly charged wi'h being: the agent for the extinction of aristocratic journals, A deputy of the centre. wbose origin is alto-, ~etherplebeian, und who has made common cause with every minis. try, h'as taken upon himself the task of putting an end ro the dc- mocratif journals. The find set aside for this purpose is already to notorious, that it Is commonly known by the name of the Caisse i'AoioHissrinc,d de PEtprist rblique. Had all the journals yielded with a gwd grace, the sales -would Eave been mrade in the dark, and the, public would haveseen the effects of the corrupt bargains, without having any positive pr-of.- of their beling made. Bat there were in both parties, men, who either would not be bought at all, or who set too high a price on thetiselves. The Ainister-s endeavoured to overcome this difficulty by artificemrfinaces, ald violence,and thus alltheir mrnieuvres- have got wind. The journals which villingly stold themselves are the D)ragpeaif BlanC, the Gaaette de France, the- Fondlre, the OtH. jffisrne, die Egotle, the Lettres Cd ampenoises, and the Journal & Pgris.. Those wvhich resisted are 4a; Fra.nce Chtr9tienne, the Quo tidienne, the TablkUes Univcrselles, and the Pilote. 11aving no hopt of w6rking 'by' co'-ruption on the Couricr Francais and the Con- titaitionnel, they have both been brought before the Courts, the fdrnser. on a prosecut2on for tendency, and the second for a pretend- ed contravcntion of police. In France the'establiihment of a journal, more particularly of a dAily one, requiresaconsiderableoutlay ofcapital; and companies are theref'ore generally formed for xuch undertakings. Theproperty of tht joarnalist'hendivided into a cestain number of shares, the holders .f *vhich votecor the responsible editpr,who deternaines the political cbsa racter bf the publication. Notice of this appointment of the editor is given tothe Government. In general this editor bas nothing to do but sign the copies-of *he papers-vhich sre-deposited in the'police.office, and to gb to-prison -when the sentence of court makes bim a victim. Vou may nowv eassily conceive in wehat vay the -Alinisters htave pro. deeded; I;ahall first speak to you of the ,Liberal journals. .- The 7'dbletter U,iiver.cs.~ a--weekly jiurnal, -edited by some, of the most distinguished literry isen in. aris,was at-fit assailed by several prosecritions. ieans were next. -found to mtllifv a pert of the security, and when tbe proprietors wished 'o-npply the dcfi. den6k they wvee not permitted eooto do. The proprietora were thus placed in the alternative of either selling their jmrnal, or exposisig themselves to.new prosecutions on accourts of tne security not beinit cornpleted, orfor some other cause. To hasten their decision, they wrere threatened with the veneeance of the Russian Government, rhose Ambassador, it was said. had-made representations. The propnietors vere at - length, forced to yield and sell their shares, but they were ttot alowed to anenounce i'n the journal thattlhey hadl not longer any connexior.with It. andno other printer had-coura geto dlvettise -the fact. At last thdy got the Afinisterial maneuvre made known to their subscriber.; through the ntedium of -a- lirhographit crcular letter. ' The- Pilotc, a daily journali-is cniefly the-property of M. Tissot, who established it, ansd'who retains the managemeut. Corruption and-threats having been :tried in 'etin -on itri, it wash contrived to gaits over his: responsible editor. t. ?issot then - resolved to declare: himself- the responsible editor, but the first number he put forth was seized. by the police, and a prosecutiot -is in- stituted againgst himn for irregular publications The old respon- sible; editor continues to publish, in spite -of the proprietor,- abd as the question lies between a Einisterial Piloe and a Liberal PIrote, - formtiet is sure of protection:. - La;rance ChrAtienne, an Ultra journal, has experienced the sanme destiny ae the- Pilate. - The responsible -editor was bought, anti-the proprietors finding it inpossible tb --prevail on him to obev thei! instruetonsm,were-obliged- to entcr themselves -editotrof their ownjo'urnal.- AccordinglW twa papers called. La France Chritirnw.e appeared, ihb-one ptxreiyitr,--the other--ministerial.- - The latter' wonmthe day,:.the other licing-condemned -by- the.tribunals-, but Nl,!de Cateaubriand bad-not therrbeen;dismissed. - - .Tbhe-Vltt joarnal sbhe Q4otidiennc-was- divided Into 12 Tshares. TheOlin!i3sy at- firet purchased, five, -which cost!gGOQ,Wfrancs. Thes -five-etwelff'hs,s thich - were purcbased. nder-tbse -name of- a AM.B'niealt, lwere- rot -sufficient to give a majority-of -ettes- to the rsnisorylt; two-in ar-were necessary. To obtain them- application 'wx4- madelto one of the- proprietors4 named Laurentre, a-puWblic furietitnary< . Hd fvasflhreatened-w,ii the: loss of-hiaeplace-; snd fin?llpthef ifmisfersdid-!plainly.to him,- eL,et us have your shares in -the-Qq;otdienne'-.ell ngonly gtrsn&ufbr'cormnerscing a-rocess_- ihst -Wall- ve ask oft you.?, ' While the -Ministers thus- menaced - one of the --proprOetors, tlffy t4o care -to disgus6 tmnther,' U-.Michaud, and -thereby- induced. hiln to resol.vt to part with his interest in the paper. Their lawyer- -was- fliterede to rrai-ap a dd .of -sale vei'th a clause. reserving to- A-IMlSCbattd-the-efglt of inserting a declaratien inr-hg-Qaotdieirne' of tshe 'caus- of- his abanflotig the paper. 'This -reset-vat-on made ghe:ergain-be. brokens -off. 5The Miisters were-then coucent with oBtM .tt elie -two- -shares -through -he-mdiam- -of M; Sosthene -de ale- W cbefolscault;-the ir3gent fo r tboepurcase !ofr:aristocratic coxi~cieneeq. --- ;-'-rAid'isay ndoiinb -artlaep afthrolnttigtsQAAhetmenaces, and!rhe acts of violencq whic the Ainib empfoyed So: get possession- of this journal, as htbe Whole' ws'e,xpOsed id; public cotitt- but vwhat -1r.- ssto'-:Shvou s,- that -,e 'Minist i$ l enstew1 -eotl-.- deniff1 add~iitra ic-U rra-s Qidfehne is-the OO2+one now;- ll6wed 4to 6 so theipublic - It is to'the-dissnistA of Chateaubri9od;that - c'i dvs Q11ptidienme is iodebted forxsssess. -te Ultsba'idlng theirojfraels, ot;ebofter si,e022her, bsnigh't; !BY, the 'I'Dsrusti fe1 upofs sthgu1au ky' of bbtasflmg a new ite'rv UpdW ' 4'+hs fitthied th'r title' of a Lb'eral 'jbnrnlt usoi : d st e ,jvenfr ago bythe cetsosshsp, and isfto@hY'4 cu'f Fe~*M}ihiUtt'inimsdra*eTvr5e 0sh te conies tb-o aDnXjWthe * outd1eif&&h Ybs b ao~ltere f-2 -j4z< af Ehte:edianAthitth it tietlltb( th= tiitthe,'hich. - ] -,lplitqii :nortmisslble nott thaftti5sl'dfilfflstaRthe fis Igo4t'i4 itj,th,5f f s2epy, hi& 8ds5 *ivthi bth*al;s*ih. '1r'r .^' 'lis2 -'AitEst riley av allowd5 t1o rii hdi,t-ih fitsse e2 Iild^{fi; -ti:iinib *hilih the' ojprleQ7h1oitl ls in:llXgWe '7dailp ahadfbkt;iVahv w ut lest N t r &'X.,d,ist,i, iti&pieiti! 7Pihiiti"t ;h t-f~"the' 'obpdiit-thi:re * B lltiid% tedtf of Sihitie iskiytino op}N 4Xst7teg7j'tflSirS tse' ~~ ~ OlQ1ltltz~ tAtt It ntvert 3Aw4 a@ Isoha iEt7 iatedg gle 's tbitsr1fichistUspprsri, ' fittsallttswiet-hap\:t4ni -e and 3Titeoiiritsla-redlted mudii ~ $eel;once thti 'OtB of vioIeh?e of thie'A4stinIsstre .tionih ;t'su in iitpests,ions &sbel^awby rls~Judt,5 rid,tshe r,,,,1;>A='dnisvr,ifiii tvutizgt6 dtkaghvr-h^ I~ . T.OF.HP1BC PRS. I . .. VPARIs dJ.Y 4.