Year: 1867

inclined TO fear IilaI Ifle buDStlluVN "'NA "N
ward rather than forward from 1860 aud that they


ere IN he kent moro than ever in the dark as to the
forecp nolicy OF the Emperor about which this year
tbov are exceptionally curious. Government there
fore twentyfour hours after the publication oil the
decree bastened to administer, as prOphyactlc TO
the growing anxiety q public assurance OF lts
"lively desire to submit the reasons that nave
puded its conduct of foreign affairs to the apprecia
tion of the Senate and House: that the abolition OF
tbe address debates will not retard these eXpana-
tons for it is resolved to accept from the outset OF
the session tho demands of Interpolation on foreign
affairs"


In the letter of the 10th, which will remain one OF
the monumental dates in the history of his reign, the
Emperor gives three notable motives for the reforms
he announces: They will put an end to that in
iurous state of incerttude in which the public has
been kept for some years [lS601S67l while uneasily
waiting for an answer to the anxious question
whether the insttMions of the country were already
perfected or susceptible of further improvement
Now is the opportune moment FOR the reforms. Inc
address debates granted by decree of 1s60 have dis
appointed his expectation-led to q great waste OF
precious time The closing declaration is also quite
noteworthy that these reforms finally complete
the crowning of the edifice."


As TO the state of "incertitudc." the just quoted
note of the Monew testifes that it existed in tho





note has certainly relieved somewhat, but by no


means removed the sense of uncertainty as to ono OF
the reforms-the only one that is nearly defined by
decree In reference to the night Of meeting forbid
den now in assemblies of more than 20 persons the
letter only says that it must be legally modified by
legislative enactment within the limits of public I
safety In reference to the press the appreciation OF


its offenses will be subjected to the decision OF the
courts Government Tenouncing the discretionary
power of lifo and death hitherto exercised 10y the
administration Here again is large room of in
certituder much thr0nged with cOniect~es just now
It would seem certain gain for journalism that its
"offenses" be pronounced on by legal magistrates
rather than by minister acting purely at his own
discretion. But whatever changes are made in the
actual law on the press it will remain surely very
severely restrictive Its application to offenders
will be pronounced by Judges Ofthe Correctional 11O-
uRals so-callcd, that is by judges without jury By
honest Judges doubtless who are not removable but
who are appointed and promoted by Government, and
who Just in virtue of their quality as awlearned mag
istrates incline always to stIct stern Interpretation
of law. Journalists here however with few eXcep-
tions regard the change so far as indicated favor
ably. The dangers of their position will be rather
increased by the change but decidedly their dignity
Want of courage to affront danger is the least de
feet of French journalists 1t does not appear from


e letter that tho Emperor rclinQushes his power OF
suppressing and offending newspapers by decree
Still less If possible does it appear by that docu
ment that he relinQushes his power Of Withdrawing
all these granted reforms if, when practically cx-
perimonted with they, like the ganted dis
cussion of the address," refuse TO produce the re-
suits that were to be expected from it"


This passage in the letter is paraphrased in the ap
pended explanatory editorial follower of the NoRi-
ter with refreshing naiyete The writer of that in
genious follower trying at plausible (the next days
note, already quoted, shows how insufficentl ex-
PLANTATION of the substitution of interpretations for
the Annual Address Debates remarks of these last:
"Their duration surpasses what any one could have
expected from the nature of the case or from past
experience (under preceding French r6gimes from
that of other countries This naive overlooking of
what was essential in the preceding French parlia-
mentary regimes, and is essential in the constitu
tienal character of parliamentary governments in
Belgium. England and other countries, namely: the
constant opportunity of discussing Of
foreign and domestic policyis only less qbcer thap
the ignoring of a patent general law OF human
nature Except apTOpos of the budget and then
with more restrictions, the address debate offered
members of tho Legislature, not merely their only
opportunity to present their opinions of Government
policy to Government, but the only opportunity that
any FIenchman had TO safely offer his opnionsto the
public on any political question And Government is
disappointed that the opportunity was seized and
used The shortest time occupied by the discussion
Of e address during the six years, from 1861 TO 1896
inclusive, when it was permitted, was one month,
the longest time one month and twenty-eight days;
this was last years session. This year, underthe rc
latjon Of the decree OF 1sGO what with the Mexican
,nexpedIency and sRome, and the German war-old
themes grown rankly fertile under last Summers
sun-the address debate threatened 10 run on in
dangerous flood Of talk for three months.


So far as your reporter can gather means Of judg-
ment from various sOurccs-all, all the mponant
ones open and freely dribbng for ALL should say
that at this third day after the publication of the
reformatory Imperial letter. the ar@age result of its
apparent effect public opinion is favorable TO the
writer's dynasty. to tho Of freedom in France
and to the Of peace in Europe not that any one
is fully satisfied with it, AS have already observed
it does not by any means put an end TO inccrtude.
At best, it points toward without fairly opening the
way out of The inpdsse where personal Government
can sustain itself perhaps so long its founder
mains al its head but from which bissuccessOr want
ing his prestige and probably other of his advantages
can only ANONYMOUSLY retreat from or make Rht
and advance though foTvdId II discOncerts ultra
Conservatives; semi liberal Conservatives arc'doubt-
full as to Its practical application and ardent Liberals
are little satisfied as ever. 1t solves. cleanly re-
solves nothing. The final declaration that this is the


ccowning OF the edfice," unless 10 be taken as it
doubtless is 10 be taken. in n provincial PCkwcljan
sense is proof Of final impenitence hopeless danger
gng about, it and all ears filled with the noise
thereof in these last thEec days those who lay their
ears TO the ground still hear the mutered rumbling
OF that old volcanic Eastern quesiOnand its eyeTre-
sonant echo from Western Europe Wherei Old
English, 1reTo; French gaerTe; Italian guerra; mod
er English raT-lct alone Greek and deep-reoted
Russian responsive etymOns There is no perfect
rest.


The publication of the Imperial letter was immedi-
ately followed by the resignation in mass of all the
writer's Ministers. A very notable and hopeful sign