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labouring under monomania ; and the jury found him euilty , with extenuating circumstances . He was sentenced to twenty years' hard labour . Being now fortyaix years of age , it is probable that he will never reach the end of his term .
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LETTERS FROM PARIS . ( Extracts from Private Correspondence . ) The only diplomatic news is the probable appointment of M . Thouvenel to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs . M . Thouvenel is a man of forty ; he began his diplomatic career at Brussels , in Louis Philippe ' s time ; he won the friendship of King Leopold , wrote in the Revue des deux Mondes , and rapidly established a reputation . The House of Orleans was very fond of him ; he was almost " of the family . " He is brother-in-law to M . Cuvillier Fleury , sometime tutor to the Due d'Aumale . The Revolution of ' 48 found him in Greece , and left him there . It was by him that the little kingdom was saved in the Pacifico affair . He left Greece to become " director" in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , and it was M . Thouvenel who won a state-paper reputation for M . Drouyn de Lhuys . During the Vienna Conferences he supported alone the whole burden of affairs , received the diplomatic corps , corresponded with our agents abroad , all " on her own hook . " The absent Minister meanwhile corresponded directly with the Emperor , in cipher . On this M . Thouvenel founded his resignation 5 but the
Emperor , who highly esteems him , is-determined to make him Minister . Since , however , it is unprecedented that a simple " director" should become Minister without having passed through an ambassadorship , this routine , which has almost the force of law , will be observed , by nominating M . Thouvenel ambassador to Constantinople , whither he may possibly not go . I don ' t know what England will think of our new Foreign Minister being the old protector of the Greek ;? , the old ally of the Russians at Athens , the old adversary of Admiral Parker in the
Mediterranean . , . , A naval friend of mine , who returned last week from the Crimea , and who has been , through the whole campaign since the Alma , assures me that after our first victory Sebastopol might have been easily taken in a day , and the forts in a very short time . The enemy was demoralised ; St . Arnaud ¦ wanted to push on , leaving to the navies to take care of the wounded and the dead ; but the English would not abandon their wounded . So the Russians had time to fortify . Since St . Arnaud ' s death there has been , properly speaking , no unity of command . Canrobert had under his orders generals of his own rank , of longer service than his : every man wanted Pelissier t
to carry on the siege for himself . won divide his authority with any one , not even with the Minister of War : he strikes like a deaf man , and hears nothing . Last week the Ministry of War sent him some " counsels : " he replied , "I can quite understand people in Paris being anxious to know what is going on at Sebastopol ; but at Sebastopol we care very little about what you are thinking at Paris . " You see you were not far from right in describing Pelissier as a mauvaise tele . He is in favour now , and he does what he likes : to-morrow he may be in disgrace , and everything he does will be disapproved . Our Government is un enfant terrible that breaks all its toys .
The Academy will not be crushed because it will bend . You know the result of the protest . Our Academicians will be content with that . The most resolute say that , " after all , there are precedents . " They recal the proceedings of the first Empire , and , what is more serious , the members expelled , and their seats filled up under the Restoration . If you ask them why they don't resign , which would bo the only serious protest , they reply that it would be repugnant to usage ; that a resigned Academician would be a monstrosity in literature ; that you resign a situ ation , but not a sseat in the Academy . These re ' volutionnaires dc bonne compagrrie are good for nothing but to mutter behind doors , and to whisper bons mots against the powers that be . of
You mentioned a mot of Grassot ' s a propos Sebastopol ; he is tho author of another about Pianpri . Graseot said that Pianori had not fired at the Emjperor , but at an aide-de-camp who owed him for a pair of boots . , There is plenty of juicing in Paris , but littlo else . No one likes tho Government , no one takes uny interest in the wnr ; but there is too much luxury , too much pleasure , too much mere desire of enjoyment to allow the middle classes to contemplate tho possibility of a revolution without trembling . The working classes make no sign of life ; they uro lulled as much us possible by work : when the hands are busy tho head reposes . Ifor tho Ateliers Nationaux of tho Champ de Mars is aub-Btitutcd tho completion of the Louvre , and the
Neronian works in the Bois de Boulogne . But when all these works are finished , or when money runs short , what will be done then ? Literature and publishers are doing indifferently well . The Academy , living on its laurels , has just given a prize of 3000 francs to an able treatise on the works of Livy . The author is a young man of twenty-seven , a resigned professor , M . Taine , a man of large and liberal intelligence . The Socie ' te' des Gens de Lettres has divided into four prizes a sum of 10 , 000 francs offered by an " Anon . " This "Anon . " is M . Louis Ve ' ron , who pays his welcome to the Society in this form . It is to be feared , however , that the eminent apothecary ' , 000 francs will scarcely provide bread for all the men of letters who are starving !
The artists have remarked that the Emperor , after having opened in person the Industrial Exposition , liad not honoured with his presence the opening of the Exposition of Fine Arts : it was opened like a shop , without any ceremony . We are overwhelmed by an inundation of police . M . Laurens , a painter , went lately to Jersey to visit Victor Hugo . Since his return the police have been incessantly inquiring about him among his acquaintances . By-theby , have you heard the following anecdote ? A lady of the Faubourg St . Germain , veil known for her anti-Bonapartist opinions , was about to give a ball . The Commissaire de Police of the district presented himself at her house , and asked her permission to send
to the ball three Messieurs well dressed , who would pass muster very veil among her guests , who would even dance if necessary , and play a rubber without cheating . The lady was aghast at the proposal , and exclaimed with some vehemence that she would rather put off her ball sine die than to be exposed to such au intrusion . The police commissaire endeavoured to appease her . " I should be sorry , indeed , Madati . e , to be the cause of such a disappointment . Would you allow me to glance over your list of invitations ?"—" Certainly , I am not in the habit of receiving people who will not bear inspection . " The commissaire read the list , and returned it , smiling . " , rnadarne , I wilL not press my request to be allowed to send three of mv employes ; you have
invited six /" ( From another Letter . ') Your article on our Opposition was excellent in principle , but it seemed to me to be deficient in practical application . Beware of Socialist chimeras—that is the pith of your counsels , nesl-ce pas ? Perhaps you -were thinking a little of your troublesome Chartists at home when you gave us that excellent advice . But that is not the whole question with us . 'The republican party—I mean the temperate , enlightened , statesmanlike leaders ot the party—know perfectly well that they will have to resist the exaggerations of impossible reformers . But at the same time they foresee other immense difficulties ( which 1 have discussed in previous letters ) . We shall have to encounter royalists of every colour , and financial embarrassments of which it
is difficult to form an idea . Consider the ignorant mass of the population , astonished to find themselves poor after having allowed their affairs to be conducted by a spendthrift and a gambler , will accuse not him , but the Government , whatever it may be , which will have to demand extraordinary sacrifices . Consider the working classes , accustomed to the application of the droit au travail by dint of loans continually renewed , but in a sudden crisis impossible , to a man they will join the Socialists , who will promise to continue , in some form or other , that system of disguised spoliation . If you have any formula to help us with , pray hasten to state it . * But a mere Beware of the Socialists will not carry us far . We shall have to contend with misery , with hunger , with bankruptcy , with the ruin of all credit , and with all the ordinary consequences of such , a complication
( From another Letter . " ) I have only been once to the Exposition To my shame bo it spoken , I have never seen any pictures of Millais , except those now in Paris . In truth , however , I have scarcely been in London since he began to exhibit . I am adverse to the Pre-Raphaelite doctrine ; hut I am told that Millais is no longer a fanatical adherent to it . It has been wonderfully beneficial to him . I never saw more solid , obstinate , and effective painting ( once tho peculiar donne ' e admitted ) , mid I suppose his example will have a wonderful e / Icct in putting an end to the
slurring conventional hypocrisies of art 1 have not heard many valuable opinions on the English school expressed here . There are two conflicting tendencies in the public ; one towards admiration without bounds , another towards contempt . The public seems waiting for the mot d ' ordre . Among the few casual observations I have caught flying are these : " There are great qualities in the English school , but it does not know how to paint ! " " The handiwork is excellent , but the English can ' t
think . ' The cry is , "The Exposition is a failure . " The Opposition attribute this to the Prince ; Bonapartists to the Companj- : about the fact all agree . I passed through on my way to the Beaux Arts , on the 4 th ( second franc day ) . At three there were not more than three hundred people in the building ; most of them seemed to have something to do with the stalls . I suppose you have noticed that the shares have fallen thirty francs within a month .
( From another Letter . ) I have heard that the recent attack by General Pelissier was in defiance of a formal order to undertake nothing against the place—an order emanating from an august personage , but that Pelissier replied that the order arrived too late , that the attack was commanded , and that he could not be responsible for a second edition of the Kertch expedition disni > pointment , jit the risk of losing the confidence ot * the whole army It seems certain that in the recent engagements the lives of the troops have been lavished . At the Tuileries the loss caused consternation ; hence the order to desist . Such is the rumour I have heard . Perhaps it is but a rumour , circulated with the design of throwing the whole responsibility of the sacrifice of life upon the hero of the Dahra
We have a grand picture by M . Winterhalter , painter of all the dynasties , at the Exposition ( representing the Empress and eight ladies of her suite sitting on the grass ) , which would make a fine signboard for a marchand tic modes . This Decameron , however , is so richly framed , that on Sunday last it was completely mobbed . The good people fancied it represented the Favourites of the Emperor . Such was the universal suspicion in the Faubourg St . Antoine . I hear on good authority that the so-called Pianori was a man of family . When the Procnreur-Ge ' ral came to question him for the last time , the prisoner answered him in good , and even elegant French .
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CONTINENTAL NOTES . Lettkrs from the Caucasus complain of the high prices of articles of consumption , which have risen enormously since the conveyance of tlieni by sea has been terminated . A small wheaten loaf , which used to cost no more than three copecks , cannot be had now under ten copecks . The Spanish Cortes have decided , by ninety-live votes to sixty , to take into consideration a proposition declaring that municipal elections shall henceforth take place by universal suffrage . The Madrid Gazette , of June 8 publishes a circular suspending the execution of the decree relative to the National Guard .
A Prussian circular , dated May 23 , has been forwarded to the diplomatic agents of Prussia throughout Germany . This despatch , which is signed by Haron Mantcuucl , is an answer to the two Austrian circulars of the 17 th ultimo , of which we gave an analysis last week , and which had reference to the Russian intimation of the Czar ' s intention to abide by the iirat two Points , on the understanding that Germany shall remain neutral . Prussia states her agreement with Austria that the Russian despatch did not call for any discussion in the
Diet ; but she altogether dissents from the assertion of the Vienna Cabinet , that Russia is only striving after tho disunion of Germany . While not denying Austria ' s claim to merit in acquiring 1 the Russian concessions with regard to these two Points , Baron Manteutt ' el thinks "it would be matter of easy proof to bhow that Prussia a incessant exertions at St . Petersburg have also at least shared in bringing about" the result in question . He is inclined to doubt that the Cabinet of St . Petersburg desired to assure itself in advance of tho determination of
tho Gorman courts , wince no responsive declaration was asked for by Russia . The Prussian Cabinet , in short , claims for all tho powers concerned a fair and impartial interpretation of their acts and motives . Ifut Huron Muntouucl " will not atop to inquire if this degree of ( at leant intended ) secrecy and reserve with which AiiHtno shrouds her negotiations from tho Western Powers from us still moro than from other German Governments —exactly corresponds to tho degree of confidence that she claims from us . " Prussia , out of " consideration for Austria , and the " dilliuult position" in which aho is pluced , does not wish to " drive" that power into further communications . " Wo shall , an I hardly need repeat , whilst examining into the utato of tho ai ' so , strive , by wish , by fooling , and l > y resolution , to prove that Prussia , both as a European and an n Gorman Power , ia wont to look upon luuwilf an Austrian ally . Hut wo claim for ourselves and for Germany tho incontestable
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* Wo have assured our esteemed correspondent that wo purposely abstained from even appearing to dictate a programme . Wo . rCHpeetfully enforced certain general principles , essential to tho vitality of a nation , but w < j never protended to emulate M . do Girardln , and to bo ready with a aeries ofJMcreta de VAvenir . Tho excessive indulgence in formulas wo humbly conceive to bo one of the most sorioua elements of tho disease which hns reduced Franco to her praticnt feverish atony . —J £ d . Lkai > kr .
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560 * THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), June 16, 1855, page 560, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2095/page/8/
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