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ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE,
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Legislature could be got together , in consequence of many of tkose deputies who had been elected even according to the King ' s charter refusing to take their seat in the Chamber . Tins obstinate despotism of Ernest Augustus , Duke of Cumberland -and Peer of England , is a matter somewhat c oncerning ourselves as giving an insight into certain dynastic tendencies \ vlrich are wont to exhibit themselves formidably—even in royal families reputed to have sympathies with representative government—whenever tEe political barriers opposed to absolutism Lave lost aught of their strength .
cowered iu 1848 before the uprising of the people , and swore readily enough to everything required of them . Nav , for several years later , the Government even continued the comedy of apparently adhering to constitutional rule , until the Feudalist and Reactionary party had gathered strength enough to enable the King to carry out his coup d ' etat against the existing parliamentary institutions of the country . The intrigue was begun and accomplished in the genuine Machiavellian style . At the very time when the Court secretly conspired with the landed aristocracy and the chiefs of the Conservative party , the Ministers boldly declared before the
Chambers that ft nothing was further from the intentions of the down than the design of undermining the Constitution . " Unfortunately for the veracity of both Court and Ministers , authentic documents , containing some original correspondence , afterwards came to light , which revealed all the working of the plan for many years past . It was seen from these documents that an hypocritical set of Royalist and aristocratic intriguers had jockeyed the country in the most outrageous manner . The indignation ensuing thereupon may be easily imagined . It "had the effect of diminishing to a considerable extent the ranks of the devotees
to monarchic rule . The Democratic party—formerly bat weakly represented in Hanover—has since then ' received many new adherents , with whom the dynasty will one day have to reckon , though at present it may possess power sufficient to keep them down . As a significant sign of the times , we may call attention to the fact , that the Ministers of the King , a few months ago , came before the Legislature with a demand for a fresh grant of public money , in order to augment the strength of the royal army , and to establish , in six of the principal towns in Hanover , an increased organisation of political police . On inquiry being made by the deputies as to what was the necessity for this sudden au ' d
unexpected demand , they were told that " the democratic spirit had shown ' itself , of late , more dangerous than- ever , though for the nonce it worked only in secret ; " and that the Government of the King " could not wait until the country was in flames , but had determined to prepare beforehand for certain emergencies . " Now this statement of the Cabinet of George V ., regarding the aspect of affairs , is , no doubt , a little overcoloured . Still it makes known facts significant enough , and p lainly shows that the effect of the unconstitutional practices of the House of Hanover has been to awaken an ardent yearning for a better state of freedom among a population hitherto but slow to adopt democratic ideas .
In this respect , the Government of the present King of Hanover , George V ., also points a moral , however little it may " adorn a tale . " He , too , has inherited from his father the predilection for irresponsible administration . This is the more remarkable , as George V ., in his personal manners , affects an affability and good-humour not very consistent with the audacious contempt of law he has so frequently exhibited . It is well known that the Kingfrom youth , has been afflicted with a
de-, fective sight , and for years past been in a state of total blindness . Probably it is this calamity that imparts to his manners in society a certain interesting helplessness that awakens the sympath y , of thooe around , while in reality he is far from being the Jacques Bonhomine which he would fain have himself considered by the many . He possesses a Protean facility of changing character . He can alternately appear a . sentimental , languishing listener to the strains oi Voiles -Heeler's , a plaintive
player on his flute of- — Morgen muss ich fort von tier , und muss Abscbied nehmen , or— Drei Lilien , drei IAlien , die pflanzt' ich . auf ihr Grab ; and then , his little ditty finished , he can issue ordinances of a like complexion to those of any other despot by grace of grape-shot . Thus we have seen , him doing the interesting at popular musical festivals , and anon—sometimes on the very same
dayfulminating decrees that have outraged the teelings of all right-thinking men in the country . He resembles in this some of the Austrian princes , not a few of whom have been known to blend despotic natures of the deepest dye with an outward bon- > home that seldom fails to delude the unwary . It is said that King George is supported in this double role by his partner , the little Princess of Sax . e-Altenburg , who rejoices in the somewhat extensive nomenclature of Maria-Alexandrina-Wilhelmina-CaUiemie-Oharlotte-Theresa-Henrietta-Louisa-Pauline-Elizabeth -Fredcrica - Georgina , el
castera . During the reign of his father , the present ruler of Hanover was m some degree kept aloof from governmental affairs . The old king , with his absolutist ^ temper , was but little inclined to share his power with any one else . The Crown-Prince , therefore , grew up better versed in bars and crotchets , and all the intricacies of tlic musical art , of which \\ o is a great admirer , than in the knowledge of political matters . His taste for harmony is , natural lv enough , the result of an affliction that robs This dcicct
him of so many other gratifications . of vision gave rise , during the time he was yet licir-presumptivc , to many discussions and doubts as to his right to the succession under circumstances of such physical disability . It was then maintained , by many men whoso opinion had ¦ considerable value , that George could riot rulo as king , his blindness not allowing him to satisfy himself of the uaturo of the decrees ho would bo culled upon to sign . These scruples , which might have called his rights of inheritance into question , were , however , speedily silonocd at the epoch of reaotion , during which ho mounted the throne . Still it remains a
curious fact that a country which professedly is governed in a constitutional manner , should possoss n blind king on whom , of course , many anti-constitutional deceptions might bo practised . This state of things is but a very slight dogroo bettor than that prevailing in Prussia for many years past , whore a ruler continually suffering' from delirium trewens , which ultimatoly resulted in downright insnnity , was allowed full exercise of hia " right divino "
. The Constitution , which has boon violated by Gcorgo V . in the most barefaced manner , had boon fifrorn to by his father as well as by himself . The dynasty of Hauovcr , like other Gorman dynasties ,
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No . 455 , December 11 , 1858 . ) THE LEADEB , 1367
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The Tat-too at Gibkaltab- —That night I fell asleep in the hot-boarded bedroom of the Club House Hotel , Gibraltar > which rears its yellow-ochry bulk in a small market-square juat out of Watorport-street , which is the High-street of Gib . I fell asleep after doing battle with the mosquitoes , and thanking Heaven for again gotting , after many wanderings , under the red and blue cross , and sank down a sort of dark well-shaft into abysses of balray forgetfulnesa . A great boom and bellow , " a twiddling and chirping awoke mo . I ran to the great folding glass window and looked . Good Heavens ! the waits ? A gigantic military serenade , given by the Governor to some hidden Moorish beauty ? No .
The usual night-tat-too , only go-to-bed-Tom , on great drums and little drums , and shrill , petulant fifcs . There they are just opposite the guard-house , where nil day languid young fops in scarlet lounge in tine balcony , and read the Times . Groat drum flinging out his arms n 3 if going to hug tha instrument , or cooper a cask . Little drums subservient but vociferous . Fifta with heads on one side ( wry-necked ns tho groat Williams calls thom ) whistlingly military and official . Now they burst out with tho British Grenadiers , with the tow-ov-row that must make tho sleeping Spaniards turn in thoir beds and linger tho long knives under their pillows . Now they form two deep , and storm away down the main Btrcot , and I fall nsloep before God savo tho Quoon haa died
out in tho distance Many a night flftorwnrds , tired from wild-boar seeking in tho cork-woods , or after wild Tartar scampers on horseback over tho sands to Saint Roquo , or after cavalry charges to Outpost stations at Catalan Bay . or through tho parade to Ragged Staff and Europft Point : aftor pleasant noisy revelries in Spanker and Driver's moss-rooms , or smoking chats in oliairs putsldo tho hotel door , I hoard that band , yet never did tho exhilarating indolonco and tumultuous oxuboranco of military stirring national ardour rouse mo as it did that first night in Gib . I sloop , I thought , beneath the countloss guns of England , guarded by her sons , who are . my brothers . Gib ' s governor ifl my governor , —Howe / told Words .
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FRANCE . { From our own Correspondent . ' ) Paris , Thursday , 6 £ p . ar . FRANCE AND CHINA . The English papers that contain any information respecting the trial of M . de Montalembert are still rigorously excluded from France , and the French public generally are totally ignorant of what the world thinks of the recent doings of their Government . It is certainly strange that after your ally had joined with yoo . to break down , vi et armis , the barriers -whereby his brother Emperor—I mean he of Pekin , who claims relationship with celestial bodies—sought to exclude the intelligence of other nations from penetrating into the Flowery Empire—it is strange that your ally , I repeat , should set up in France the very system he herped to destrov in China . It may be doubted if the learned
mandarins were as ignorant of the world ' s opinion of their acts as Frenchmen of all classes have been during the last three weeks or a month . In fact , many are inclined to suspect that the obese old gentleman , Yeh , has disappeared from Calcutta , and is now enshrined in some recess of the Home-office , whence he issues instructions for developing his system of strong and paternal government which he almost succeeded in establishing in Canton . The Government of France is more closely approximating to that of China every day , and the curious in s . uch matters might institute historical parallels which would astound by their exactitude the " outside barbarians . " True , -we have not got pigtails yet , but -we have made a beginning . The
courtiers wear false tails when they disguise themselves a la Louis Quinze to hunt in the imperial forests of Fontainebleau and Compiegne . It is not so much in externals that the influence of Chinese policy is visible as in the science of government and moral ethics . Rome conquered Greece by arms and . physical force , but was ignobly vanquished * by the arts and . civilisation of Athens . So France conquered Yeh and his bravesfor , as the Debuts informed its readers at the time , the English warriors were simply spectators—and now France is converted to Taoli . The Emperor of France is not yet proclaimed brother to either sun or moon , but he is asserted to be of divine origin , and is called Emmanuel . Most certainly his brother of Pekin is not treated
-with greater reverence , or regarded as further removed from common humanity . The braves have their parallels here quite as unscrupulous and quite as ruthless . Upon a given order they would not hesitate to make a " potter ' s field" in Paris which need not fear comparison with the one in Canton . The dignitaries , officers , and servants of the French Empire are as little likely to have a will of their own , or conscience , or to act independently , or superior to considerations of salary , as peacock-plumed mandarins ; and Yeh , not were he tenfold more intensely Chinese than he is , could he
fe « l greater hatred of the " yellow-haired devils " than does the ex-Secretary to the Polish Revolutionary Committee , the recipient of the largess of the Czar of all the Russias , his Excellency the Count Colonna Walewaki , present Minister of French Foreign Affairs , and who is entitled to bear tho bar-sinister upon the imperial escutcheon . But , after all , the great point of resemblance is the adoption to the full of Che exclusive policy of the Flowery . Land . That is the great and most apparent victory of tho intellect of China over the imperial mind of France .
TIIK ENGLISH JOURNALS . The English , the Cologne , and the Belgian papers aro excluded , in the foolish expectation that Frenchmen will not be able to learn how great is the contempt excited abroad by the sories of official and governmental blunders which accompany and follow M . de Montalembert's trial . The eloquence of Berryer , liis biting sarcasm and loathing contempt , tho irresistible and merciless logic of Dufauro , it was expected would bo shut up and stilled within the four walls of the Sixth Chamber of Correctional Police . But , on the contrary , the English papers spread tho news to tho uttermost corners of the earth , and coming into France , although stopped in tho Post-office , they aro road , translated , and copied , for circulation among all men who can read . A great publicity is given to tho trial ; more , iniinitoly more , public
interest is excited than it' tho papers had been distributed in tho ordinary "way . Tho Thn ^ a baa been already stopped three days , and all daily and weekly papers , except the " base exception . " Now , I most respectfully euggost to tho English Government that this is a question In which they are bound to intorforo to protoct tho property of their subjects . That tho Freucu O « vornniont is at liberty to provont tho delivery of English papon I admit , but that they nro entitled to rotatu possession of them I wholly deny , unless tho teachings of Fagan are to bo adopted as tho law of France . Msmm . Smith , of the Strand , J will suppose , posted last Iriday evening a number of that day ' s papers , prepaying on each tho postage , which , perhaps , mayhwro amounted to spme pounds . Tho poatago was pa d on the faith of the ninors being delivered to tho addresses they bora . But nothing of tJl 0 hlnd-thoy are all kept back at tho
Original Correspondence,
ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 11, 1858, page 1357, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2272/page/21/
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