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restored Empire . His real offence is not that he has praised English freedom , or shed burning tears over the cenotaph of . . French liberty , ormuttered half-inarticulate prayers to its invisible spirit ; his true crime was committed on the day when lie repudiated all official connexion with the imperial administration , under which he had consented to act as a senator during the first year of its existence . He renounced that position , in spite ot earnest remonstrance , when the private property of the house of Orleans was confiscated . Ihe oftence has never been forgiven or forgotten , and it is now avenged . What will Lords Clarendon and Palmerston now say of their august and enlightened friend ? How w they acquit themselves in the judgment of England for their recent close tings and . confidential with him ? Will venture to
conferences they say that they counselled him not to proceed with the trial ; and that they are now begging of him to remit the penalty ? It may be so , but they are entitled to credit and consideration for neither ; and Louis Napoleon cannot be such a fool as to be swayed in the desperate course he has entered on by advisers whom he has so recently found incapable of estimating rightly the sentiments of their own country and legislature ^ For their own sakes , Lords Clarendon and Palmerston \ yould be only too glad to get rid of the popular odium that will attach to all for many a day who are suspected of having been the confidants of M . de Montalembert ' s persecutor . But they will not be able to save themselves so easily by throwing overboard their imperial friend and patron .
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LIJFE ASSURANCE IN INDIA . Op the many Indian topics which have recently ongaged public attention , not the least important , in a social and prudential point of view , is the manner in which the-revolt has affected the Provident Funds of the Indian army and the Life Assurance institutions transacting business in our Eastern possessions . At the meeting of the Medical Invalid and General Life Assurance Society—a body which , under the auspices of the most distinguished statistical and actuarial talent , has attained a highly respectable position in the United Kingdom—a point was raised , of interest to life
not merely peculiar assurance offices , but we may even say of national importance , in so far as it affects the very numerous body of Anglo-Indians who , in one shape or other , are interested in life assurance . ' This important class was for generations one of those practically excluded from the benefits of assurance , a form of providence of which it would be superfluous for us to enter into the advantages as concerns intertropical residents . How to extend these benefits to them on arty comprehensive scale was a problein long deemed by many difficult , and by not a few , impossible . Its solution was reserved for the society of which we speak ; whoso operations
had attained important breadth and exhibited considerable profits both to proprietors and to policyholders , when the disastrous revolt in India put extension of business and division of profits for the present out of the question P We gather from tho lucid report presented to the shareholders on Thursday , that out of the treasury of this assurance office a very largo sum has been paid to the widows and orphans of Indian employes , slain by the Indian feuow-servants of the state sworn and armed to defend them . It can
be no matter of surprise , then , that tho bonus fund of tho institution has uccn necessarily trenohed upon , by a calamity so wido-spread as to bo not merely looal , but national and nolitioal . Tho managing ? body have , therefore , in the oxeroiao of a wise and honourable disorption , abandoned all present thought of bonus , and it is exceedingly satisfactory to know from \ Uq reports read at the meeting , that , largo as the unexpeotod outlier hixa been , it m nx > way inconveniences or inter ! ores with tho stability of this admirable institution .
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Switzerland , maintains a force in Rome tc the . detriment of Italian independence , and has extorted a concession from Portugal ; our old allj remaining undefended by our Government . It u said , indeed , that this misprision of treason on . the part of our Government is the price of French support in Central America ; but there is another ugly circumstance which makes us doubt whether we are not about to be diplomatically jockeyed by our Imperial ally . In Central America , lately , has been figuring a gentleman who is a sort of French Walker , a M . Belly . We have called him a French Walker , bearing in mind the peculiar aspect of a certain class of French adventurers at the present
moment—men who unite to the reckless lawlessness of a Walker all the qualities of the lowest class of stock-jobbers and share-jobbers . This M . Belly , whose trading connexions in Central America appear to be peculiar , has entered into some compact alliance with parties in Costa Uica , and has figured before the world as the chief promoter of certain allied movements with the officers of Central American Governments as the mere countersigners of his autocratic decrees . The report of a new alliance between France and England , for some special proceeding in Central America , is contemporaneous with another report that the Emperor ' s Government is decidedly supporting the
in so far as he is presumptive President of some foreign State , to be an alien to the United States with orders that any irregular musterings for foreign expeditions shall be checked by requiring that all persons proceeding from the ports of the United States for Nicaragua or Costa Rica shall only be permitted to depart on showing the proper passports . We have been at the pains to recal these circumstances to the reader , because they sufficiently define the position of Mr . Buchanan . remainThe
It is true that other questions . Claytoii-Bulwer Treaty can scarcely be said to have beenso completely buried but what some questions may arise , even as to its vitality , much more as to the actual position in which the United Kingdom and the United States are left , should the treaty have been practically abrogated . It will be remembered that the treaty refers to the neutrality of the passage across the isthmus , and to the actual fife facto sovereignty over certain territories within the bounds of the Central American States . There
Could be no difficulty in settling either of those questions , if it were referred to the public of this country ; each being determined by such plain matters of common sense and fact , with reference to the local authorities and the geography of the parts , that the people of the United Kingdom , could determine the question as well as any authority in the world . But it is not referred to them . Lord NapLer attained to his present position by the zeal and ability with which he has served the public interests of this country . It has been said , months past , before even the present Ministry came into power , that Lord Napier could not
acrcommbdate himself to the shifting councils which prevail in Downing-street , and could not disguise the fact that he agreed with many of the representations made by the American Government on some points ; considering those representations , and the action taken upon them , sufficient for justice , for public law , and for the interests of England . It is undoubtedly the fact that Lord Napier is popular in the Union , and that he commands a complete respect on the part ; of the Government at Wash ington . It is under these circumstances that , veiled as the matter may be under some form of " promotion" or other , Lord Napier is removed from that part of the world precisely where lie would be most useful to his own country , and carried away to some other place .
ANGLO-FRENCH CONSPIRACY IN CENTRAL AMERICA . Without further explanation , ample and substantial , the recal of Lord Napier is an event which must be viewed without distrust ; and since , until the meeting of Parliament , we are not likely to have any explanation , the course of events must be watched with an eye to the apparent tendencies of the removement . It is made at a time when , according to report , some other movements are made that certainly the public opinion of this country would not altogether sanction . President Buchanan has lately shown the sincerity of his government in reference to Central America by liis proclamation against General Walker , the so-called President of some Central American
republic . It seems very doubtful whether Walker can rally more than a minority of any state which he may enter with his adventurers , though in that respect it is probable that he is not worse off than many popular leaders in the same disordered and melodramatic quarter . The constitution of the United States is unfavourable to enforcing a very strict control over any persons who may be seeking to leave the frontiers with somewhat * irregular intention . The several states are each sovereign within their own limits , and seldom take cognisance of foreign affairs , except in the indulgence of some local caprice . If South Carolina or Florida took any exception to Walker ' s proceedings , either the state Government might interfere , or more
probably the people wouldshowsuchpractical discouragement of the adventurer that he would find it convenient to leave the place . On . the other hand , irresponsible with reference to foreign connexions , South Carolina or Florida may decline to take any notice of Mr . Walker ' s proceedings , may abstain from withholding any conveniences that he requires in the way of shipping , and may , without any formal public step , afford him the requisite number of volunteers to rally under his Hag . When the federal Government interposes , therefore , it sometimes , by the very constitution of the country , is impeded cither by local indifference , or by local oppugnance . In the present state of tho union , tho bouth wont
xs to regard auy interference from tho North , or from tho central district , as an encroachment upon the interests not leas than tho authority ol tho feouth . Mr . Buchanan might at this time be supposed willing to conciliate the general support oi the entire Union as tho first half of his term has expired , and already speculations are rife with regard to tho next presidential olootion . Noverthe ' less , disregarding personal motives , which , wo must confess , low English Ministers would disregard- — keeping in view tho policy which the Union has inherited fioin its ablest atatosmen since tho time of Jefferson- —looking forward to the mamtonanco of that position which America ' s best sons havo ohalkod out for them in the future , Mr . Buchanan has takonthe dooisivo course of proclaiming Walker ,
By whom is he to be succeeded ? By the present Lord Lyons , who Las at this moment obtained , his title by inheritance ? Far be it from , us to say a word in disparagement of the Admiral just departed , who was one of the most distinguished men of his time ; but no one will deny that auiongst the traits of his character was a very strong disposition to side with the ascendant party in this country , and to follow very eagerly in the footsteps of the late Governinentj whose hostility to the United States more than once perilled the interests of this commercial nation . The present Lord Lyons is unknown to the public excepting as a man of . remarkable ability , partaking in any of his father ' s characteristics ,
and distinguished by much personal success in that service which is not generally considered to be inspired by the usual political feelings of the country — -the diplomatic . Undoubtedly lie is a very able diplomatist , and if ho had been sent to Berlin he would probably havo turned out a diplomat-statesman of that colour which would be peculiarly suited to tho meridian of the Prussian capital—not too liberal Jto be of actual service in the complicated state of parties there . But it is Lord Lyons who is sent to Washington , where an ordinary diplomat is not of much value ; and it is Lord Napier , the statesman who thoroughly understands American alluirs , and has proved himself in more than ordinary sympath y with tho feeling of this country , who is sent to Berlin , whore , perhaps , his peculiar temperament and abilities may bo loss valued . SuqIi is very apt to be the distribution of the country ' s representatives under our present system !
While thoro are these inconiprehcnsibfo shiftings of our representative at Washington , there avo very ugly reports that Lord Malmesbury has entered iuto some kind of alliance , at present perfectly unexplained , with tho Government of the Emperor Napoleon on tho subject , of Central America . Far be it from us to prejudge the course taken by Lord Derby ' s Ministry in that part of tho world ; it may bo tho bost that could do adoptod . It will not , however , be considered that Franco is the ohampion of national independence , seeing that within tho memory of man she lias made attempts to encroach upon the independence of Belgium , has threatened
movement of M . Belly in Central America , just as it did the movement of M . Rouxel in Mozambique , and we suspect with about as much equity . It would he only just if unreserved and practical explanation were given a to the public on this subject . The Government may be right , but the worst of it is * that in such cases the mischief is all donethe influence of this country is diverted to bad uses , the . Government is plunged into hostilities for which the people have to pay , ducks and drakes are made with commercial property—before the public eould interfere ; although if we knew the circumstances beforehand , public opinion would be quite sufficient to arrest the proceedings of our stray officials . Here in Central America we have too much reason to suspect that serious mischief is brewing , and the public ought to know what the Government is about .
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No . 453 , November 27 . 1858 . 1 T HE : ' li E AP E It . 1289
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 27, 1858, page 1289, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2270/page/17/
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