Year: 1863


NAPoLEoE.--An immense sensation has been
created in Paris by the publication of
despatch from the Turkish Minister
for Foreign Affairs, in which he declares
that the Sultan cannot sanction the construc-
ton Of the Suez canal, saving on the condi-
tions that the great Powers shall guarantee
the neutrality of the canal, that forced labor
shall not be employed on the works, and that
the company shall abandon all claim to the ad-
joining lands. But if these conditions are not
fulfilled the Porte will be willing to return the
money already expended by the company, and
will then concert measures with the Viceroy of
Egypt for the completion of the works.


This, if persisted in, will be a great blow to
the Emperor Napoleon. He has ever betrayed
intense anxiety that the Suez canal should be
completed as soon az possible, and his official
and semiofficial journals have, on all occasions,
lauded the enterprise as one certain to rebound
to the credit and glory Of France. 1t was fore
shadowed by these journals that, once the canal
completed, the commerce of England would be
forced to pay tribute to France-in fact, that
all the world would choose this as the shortest
route to the East, and that the canal being
owned by q French company, Of course the
whole profit of the enterprise would go to in
crease the commercial greatness of the empire


England has at all times shown the greatest
hostility to the Suez canal scheme and has done
all in her power to prevent its construction by
the French. 1t is plainly to be seen that the
present move of the Sultan of Turkey is a direct
result OF the intrigues and influence of England
Embarrassed by the Mexican expedition and
by the Polish question, Napoleon LII. will
find it a most difficult matter now to deal with
the Sultan, who would not have issued such q
despatch as above cited unless he had previous
ly consulted the viceroy Of Egypt and obtain
ed from him entire adhesion to such course Of
policy 1t will be borne in mind that last year
the Viceroy was on q visit to their MAjesties Of
France; and. that after that he visited Queen
Victoria and remained some two months at the
Court of st. James. We may naturally sup
pose that England's crafty Premier, Palmers-
ton, improved the occasion to sound the
Egyptian prince upon the subject of the Suez
canal, and that he caused the Viceroy to COM
prehend the danger Of allowing France to keep
possession Of such a short cut to England's
possessions in India.


The result is one that will sadly embarrass
Napoleon. Will he submit to the requirements
of the Sultan or will he refuse? In that case
Turkey and Egypt, backed by England,
will no doubt put an immediate stop to
the works, unless, indeed, the idea is to
seize upon the canal, now that it is 80 nearly
completed, even at the risk Of q war with
France. Were Napoleon to submit to the de-
mands made by the Sultan his loss of prestige
would be enormous. Still he may do this, and
allow the great Powers to pronounce the neu-
trality of the canal, rather than make any re-
sistance, and see it, If he failed, fall into the
hands Of England, which Power would surely
manage somehow to obtain possession of the
canal The tolls are decidedly closing around
the man of destiny. He finds all his movements
slowly but surely undermined by English in
trigue, and ere long he will see formed against
him that alliance or coalition which destroyed
the great Napoleon. We lave pointed out to
the Emperor Of the French an escape from the
Vaccinations Of England, and we predict his
speedy ruin unless he follow our advice and
obtain an alliance with the government of tho
United States. We could and would easily rid
him Of the deadly enmity Of England, which is
constantly undermining his power and accom-
plishing his ruin. Let him throw her alliance
to the dogs. and make her openly show her hos
tility, which now she covers up under the cloak
of an entente cordiale