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Leader (1850-1860), 1st January 1853, Edition Country of 3, Page 6

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      Letters From Paris. [From Oun Own Corres...

      - ¦¦ - ¦ ¦ - - , mamm _^^ ma _^ ma _^ mam _^ maw _^ _aaammma _^^ _mmmamma _^ mmmmamm _^ mmamaammammamm _^ ammmmammmmmi _^ a _^ _amamtMmm more than such as that—it is that which the second of December has given to every man of heart . " M ; Bethmont had to hear back this refusal to Bonaparte , who has since been trying another tack . He now pretends to turn to the Orleanists . He is desirous to try his seductions on the influential members of that party . It is asserted that the most tempting offers are now being made'them . Unfortunately for Bonaparte , the Orleanists will never do more than make a show of rallying to him , and it will be the better to betray him . Their p lan is ready marked out . Steamboats are already purchased to transport the Princes of the house of Orleans to France . All the officers of the army , too , are being plied with rare adroitness and persevering activity . An Orleanist movement is continually expected in Paris itself .- You will understand what a mistake it is of Bonaparte to seek to lean on the Orleanists . Now there is precisely the serious peril of his position—that he has not even the possibility of choice . He can no longer remain where he is without some support ; and if he looks to any party for support , it can only he to the Orleanists , and that is ruin . I see no other means by which he can escape falling ,

      than—being hung ! ( Je ne lui vois _jjIus d'autre moyen de ne pas tomber que d ' etre pendu I ) Hence he is doubling his precautions . He has just decreed the conversion of the Ecole Militaire into a vast entrenched camp , capable of containing 10 , 000 men—infantry , cavalry , and artillery—and an immense quantity of munitions of war . This is a measure of great importance in the event of an insurrection in Paris . Speaking in a military sense , in the previous state of things , the troops were scattered in all quarters ; and thus , in case of a sudden insurrection , all the various barracks were easily invested by the insurgents : every battalion or regiment so isolated , and so surprised , was forced to surrender . Bonaparte is going to change this altogether . The troops within Paris are to be concentrated in three grand masses : the first , at the east end , in the entrenched camp of'the He Louviers , parallel with the Bastille ; the second , in the centre , at the Hotel de Ville , where an immense barrack is now in course of building , capable of holding regularly 36 , 000 men , and extraordinarily , 8000 ; the third , at the west end , at the Ecole Militaire , which , as the Moniteur announces , is about to be converted into a vast entrenched camp , with barracks for 10 , 000 men . The present barracks will only be occupied henceforth by _detachments . The rest of the army , moreover , will he quartered in the forts . So sustained anel obstinate a determination to fortify himself in the midst of a population a I'Anglaise , —that is to say , unarmed , proves emly too plainly to what a degree Bonaparte feels conscious of his isolation and of his weakness : how little he counts on the popularity which you in England are beginning te > suppo . se he enjoys .

      Bonaparte , it seems , i . s not more easy about his foreign than his hemic affairs . The Northern Courts have take'ii a malicious pleasure in retarding as long as possible' the letters eif credentials to their _ambassaeleirs at Paris . Bonaparte , up this moment , is still without any other news from Russia , Austria , anel Prussia , than the _assurane-c of their most insolent elisdain . In _eemsequene-e' of this deday and of this _intelligence , he ; has just g iven _orele-rs to repair all Ihe _forfifie-atieins em our northern anel eastern frontiers . Moreover , he ; has recently decreed the creation of a grand naval port at Dunkirk tor fhe stenni navy . Orele-rs are _givein to construct , without ilelay , enormous basins , _surrounile'd with docks to receive , on i > niorgeiioy , ii ()() steam frigates . If you do not uiielerstuiiel _/ A / . vniove ' , you must , be obstinately determined to _closer yeiur eyes anel ears .

      Yem have ; nei idea eif the' aspevl . of Paris at , this moment- —not a single- ball , not a single fete-, neit , a single HoireV . The- gloom Hint prevails is frightful . Excepting the ; ollicial folk , every house is close-el to gaiedy . Neiw the last month eiuglit lei have : lie-on one- leiiuid of fries nnel pleasure . It has been quite ; the ; re-verse ' . Having been unable ; to _peTsuaele : the ; noblesse anel fhe' _boitr-, qe . oisie to dance , _Keinupurto bas funnel out an ingenieuis manner of making ( be people dance , hon gre in a I , gre . Some ; fervent Imperialists eif the ; Vuugirard quart _ie-r bad commenced fhe _preijeet eif a bull by subscription , in honour of fhe- proclamation of the Empire . Subscribers were ; waited for eluring throe or four elays ; but as none ; _nppe'are-el , tiie ; Oomi / iissaire ele ; Peilicc _, _ae-e-eiinpuuie-el by two eif his agents , presented _hinise-lf al , thc houses of the inhabitants , anel without asking whether they woulel subscribe ; , demanded for what sum Ihey desired to be " put , down . " _Kve-r _sine-e ; that day the ; inhabitants of thei Vnugirarel are- called in Paris prisoners condemned au bat farce , in allusion to tea vau . v forces ( hard labour ) . The Democracy has lately ( sustained a melancholy loss in the person eif Madame Paulino _Itolanel , who was condemned tu transportation tei Cayenne ,

      corn-„ . _ , _^^^ _imtamamm _^ i > r " muted to Algeria . The unanimous reclamations of the press extorted a pardon from Bonaparte ; but Pauline Roland failed in strength to resist the dreadful shocks and all the horrible tortures she had endured . She was unable to reach Paris . She died at Lyons on her way to the capital , a martyr to the holiest of causes , a martyr to the sacred cause of human liberty . M . Geniller , the republican , was expelled from Paris last Saturday . He was guilty of receiving at his I house a few of his friends who happened to belong to the Democratic party . S .

      J 6 The Leader. [Saturday, — —-—-—-.-^.....

      J 6 THE LEADER . [ Saturday , — — - — - — -.- _^ .. _« _....-

      Continental Notes. The Berlin Chambers H...

      CONTINENTAL NOTES . The Berlin Chambers have met . The First Chamber , convoked by the King in violation of the constitution , the old Chamber having expired last year without having provided a successor , declared itself regularly constituted ; and after virtually indemnifying the Government for their breach of the constitution , proceeded to business . The Bill for summoning the Chambers in future only biennially instead of annually has been accepted by the First Chamber . In connexion with this measure the Budget will of necessity be always framed for two years in advance , and the estimates be divided into ordinary and extraordinary . This diminution of the activity , efficiency , and dignity of the Chambers—on the other hand , the recal into existence of the Provincial Estates , which had been abolished in 1848—the revival of the State Council , whichj though never abolished , had remained for many years in abeyance , and was virtually obsolete—all these measures together constitute a rapid " progress backwards " from that point of Parliamentary government which the Constitutionalists of Prussia , a few years back , fondly imagined they had attained . The Emperor of Austria returned from Berlin to Vienna on the 24 th , by way of Dresden . Since the departure of the Emperor , the King of Prussia has given a grand banquet to the members of both Chambers , at which the Queen and all the available members of the Royal Family were present . The Court was to go to Potsdam on New Year ' s-day . for one week .

      The Vienna correspondent of the Morning Chronicle has communicated to that journal the correspondence which has taken place between himself and the English embassy in that city relating to his late imprisonment by the Austrian authorities . After communications had taken place on his behalf to the Government , his papers , & c , which had been previously seized , were minutely searched before they were returned to him . He then had an interview with Lord Westmoreland , which he thus describes : — Having got my papers , I at once went straight to the embassy to seek an interview with the ambassador himself , to ascertain if possible what new insult I might expect , and what protection would be given me . After waiting upwards of three-quarters of an hour , I was introduced to his lordship , who . in common with the rest of them , was profuse in expressions eif astonishment at the treatment , I hael received ; but I coulel elicit nothing of a decielcel or satisfactory nature from this easy eliplomatist . Ho begged me to have patience ; "he coulel de ) nothing yet ; everything was going on well ; and Count Buol promised , now the Emperor had arrived , to push matters . My outrage was unknown tei the civil government till the note of thc embassy readied Oemnt Buol , the whole onus of the thing tailing upon ( he military power . " His lordship , like his son , asked me' whether I was anxious to remain here ; to whie _. _-h T , of course , gave : a stremg affirmative answer . My " _preite'otor" wemlel fain have reael me a lecture on the : _propriety eif writing with mexlernlion , & c , living as I do _uneh-r Austrian laws . This 1 cut short , anel sheiulel have saiel mucli meire ' , but was inte : rrupteel by the entrance ; of a stranger . His leirelship congeal me with the warm assurance eif his _he'st e : _xertieins em my behalf . Nous verrons ; but I _ceinfess the inipre-ssiem left upon my mind is anything but . _enceiuriigiiig . Ho e / ielcntly dislikes _meelelling in the : matter . What . 1 want , is a guarantee for the future-, anel se > _e-urily feir my persein , for I . _ve-rily believe the : e : inbassy wemld not _inte-rpose : the ; shielel e > f Great Britain be :-( vve'en me and my _porsee-uleirs , if they _ele-cre-eel my banishment . 1 _ne-eiel harelly aelel that the : offensive passages _e-xtrae-te-d freim my letters , te > whie-h I owe : my imprisonment , have ; neit _ye-t _be'e-n sheiwn te ) me ; eir to anylieidy . The : Government , I fancy , is nshnme-d eif its

      conduct-Here is an _inti-re-st ing and _signifie-ant _episejele : in the prison tei whie-h flu : _e-orre-spemelemt was taken :- - " My berth feir the : night , was a slight _inipreivemie-tit hot li as tei _appeiintincnts and _e-ompany . The _reieim was _tenaule-ef hy an 11 uiigarian , in _' wheim I bce-iime _iniii-h interest , _e-el . lie : leieik me ; by tho hanel as if iiistine-live'ly aware : that , we ; wore ; both _vie-lims of an unjust _Geive-rinnent ,. _^ Though not . abeive : t _. wei eir three and twenty , he seoine'd tei have ; outlived anguish , but not _heipe-, lie ; hael he'em _arreste-el in his native : village : beyemel the : Theiss for what _eiffe-iie-e he knew neit , anel carrie-d off tei prison , _whe-re : he ; hail _languished for ( on _meinf . hs , without e'vi'i * having _bee-n brought , tei trial a boon he hael _fre-epie'iilly _elemianele-el . lie : was _mue-Ji _e-mae-inleel hy want eif air anel exercise , anel by the ; prison _elieit , anel he teild me' he ; _lie-lie've-d he' wemlel he ) left , tei perish as In : was . Iliseuily amusement consisted iu swooping his _e-eill every morning , anel he ; sleiutly re'fuse'el my _prollon-el assistiinco . _Neitwithntaiieling his _yeiulli , there ; wus an air eif marked iiidiflcre-nco alieuit him truly painful lo he-hold . I forgot to ask his name :, whie-h I havo _re-gre-l _te-el _e-ve-r _siiu-e-. Our nuuibi'r wus 2 ' A . He ; saiel he : hael lie : en _elrafle-el into the Austrian _e'eirpH of occupation at lloinhurg . / Lorel Mahiie : sbiiry ' s _ri-ign in the : _Keire-ign _Olfu-e ; began with an outrage ; hy an A list rian _eilliee-r upon , an English _traveiller at , I ' leiremco , and emds with an end rage ; upem an English gentleman al . Vienna . II is tei he ; Imped Lend Jeilm Russell will seize 1 he opporlunit y eif rcsleiring thei pi-CHfigo of Knglunel _iibroael , eir at _lenul , of insisting on the safety eif English niiImccI . h in ( _bre-ign cities . His _filst eluty will lie : ( ei reslein _; ( ho Earl of _Weufinoioliinel to hi « operatic dutieu in Lngland .

      _. The Times correspondent at Vienna has the following sensible remarks on the condition of our diplomatic service , by which , while ambassadors are absent from their post _* for months together , and lisping _attaches left to protect British subjects and interests , continual outrages are endured by those who have a right to look to the representatives of their country for protection and redress : — "It has _lojig beei _^ my purpose to call public attention to one of the great faults of the British diplomatic system , and this appears to bo a favourable opportunity . In Russia , as in Austria , persons to whom some of the most importantrinterests of their native country are at a future time to be entrusted are regularly educated as diplomatists . They are obliged to acquire a profound knowledge of the languages , statistics , resources , and political relations of the principal States , and when an appointment is made , not birth and connexions , but the fitness of tbe individual for the post is the great consideration . How is it with us ? Do more than two British diplomatic agents out of every ten perfectly understand the language , statistics , & c ., of the country in which they are employed ? They possess _, a sufficient knowledge of French to carry on their diplomatic relations , but seldom much more . Let us suppose _, that one or two of the great clans have been in office so long that their proteges have had an opportunity of acquiring some little experience in any particular country ! : What almost invariably occurs when there is a change of Ministry ? The man who by dint of long service has become a useful public servant at Paris is sent to Constantinople or St . Petersburgh , of which cities he knows about as much as he does of the languages there spoken ; and the First Attache at the last mentioned city is removed to ' Vienna , because some clansmen particularly wish to see Paris and St . Petersburgh . The natural consequence of this job system is , that no country on the face of the earth is , on the whole , so ill represented as our own , which fact would become more painfully apparent if England were a second instead of a first-rate Power . Common decency of course forbids my citing particular cases in support of thepreceding assertions , but you may believe that they ar & " plentiful as blackberries . "

      The Austrians in the Italian Legations are about to take a most singular step to ensure themselvesfroni the event of any unexpectedly successful rising of the people they are called . upon to protect , by destroying all the fowling-pieces anel muskets deposited , to the number of 80 , 000 , in the Citadel of Ancona , according to the requisitions of the- leyge stataria . This wholesale destruction of private property , the " confiscation of which is usually considered to be onl y temporary , whilst the state of the country is unsettled , is committed on the plea that they are valueless and dangerous weapons , being a tacit confession that , whilst foreign garrisons occupy the country , the guns can never bo safely returned to their owners , nor even be preserved in the fortress of a citadel .

      The new Spanish Ministry show some signs of a more conciliatory policy than the last . The press is discussing the proposed modifications of the constitution . General ' _Narvaez is at Bayonne . M . Bravo Murillo has started . for Bordeaux . Tho Government of Portugal has reduced all its foreign ! debt to 3 per cents .

      Society Of The Friends Of Italy, The Sec...

      SOCIETY OF THE FRIENDS OF ITALY , The Second Conversazione of the season was held on Wednesday at the Music Hall in Store Street . Mr . Douglas Jerrold , who was expected to preside , failed from unavoidable causes to be at his post ; anel Mr . P . A . 'Taylor took his place . The speakers were Mr . Taylor , Mr . Lawrence , Mr . David Masson , and Mr-James Stansfield .

      Referring to the new chances of a liberal foreign policy , Mr . Lawrence said he could emly feel alarm at the _retifrn to oflicial power of Lorel Aberdeen , who was " implicated" in the martyrdom of the brothers Bandiera , anel of Sir James Graham , who was chiefly known to the Liberals of Continental Europe ns the ; man who hael lent himself to despotism , in opening the letters of M . Mazzini . What , he ; asked , did sueh persons as Molesworth , Cockburn , Robert , Lowe , en- _Keriml _Osbeirne in company with Lorel _Aberdeen or Sir James Graham . Mr . David Masson saiel there were ; twei reasons why he ; felt , anel asked for sympathy with the Italian struggle . In the : lirst , place , horrors , shootings , hangings , unel garrof . fings we-re : _be-ing perpetrated in Italy _, by despotism upon the people , against , which Christ mm humanity ought fo rise : in arms ; anel in the next p lace ? _,, il , was his firm conviction that thc Koine , which had ! _siiee-e-ssivedy led and _governeel the wenlel in arms and uii arts , woulel be : the centre , for ( lu : third time ' , of a new civilisation , the civilisation of _Eurojie'iLii libcidy-( Cheers . ) He believed in Italy — he ; believed thmt

      Italy , united , would be : erne : eif the greatest eif modern _pe-oplcs ; and those who supposed that their I talian unity unel _indcpciidcnero was a chimera , he ircforred to the ; opinion expressed al , SI ,. Hclcn . k by the : Enipe' ' _Napole-em _-spi-cifying that he ; meant the great anel n" ' the : little one . He saw no _obslne-le 1 hat _sheiuM forbid them to hei sanguine ; he : considered that the ( lay _wii _* neit , distant when they woulel see Mii' / . ziui , now _sitt'i'tf so _epiiefly on that platform , trampling upon the 1 (' nl " porulity of the : papacy . ( Louel _ohee'is . ) An- ' when that day _e-aini :, he : trusted that oflicial Eng leind would not be _pi'riuitfe-el b y Englishmen to back a Krciich ar » ' > in bucking tho Peipe against Mazzini . Uo believed " ¦ great change of opinion on this _subject hod taken ph _' < , ( J

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 1, 1853, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_01011853/page/6/