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Leader (1850-1860), 27th November 1858, Edition 1 of 2, Page 1292, Untitled Article

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    • ORIGINAL COERESPONDENCE.
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      Untitled Article

      It is needless to say that admission wa 3 refused to tha recognised representatives of the press . No notes we ™ allowed to be taken except by the Government short hand writer , whose version of what took place mav perhaps be published after public interest has subsided and after the report has been subjected to correction and emendation . I say perhaps , for it is very doubtful whether anything will be allSwed to appear beyond what has been supplied by the Government t 6 the papers and a translation of which I subjoin . The case was tried before M . Bcrtheliu , vice-president , and in the sixth chahiberof Correctional Police . The charge against M . de Montalembert as author , anil against M . Douniol as editor * was " exciting to hatred and contempt of the Government ; attacking the principle of universal suffrage an < l the rights which the chief of the State

      FBANCE . ( Front our own Correspondent . ' ) Pakis , Thursday , GJ . p . m . The Leader was stopped in the post again last week , not , lam informed , for anything it contained , but because such was the bon plaisir of some officious underling in the police department , especially charged with the honourable office of dry-nursing the press . It is no more than fair to remark that the Post-office authorities have nothing to do with these despotic and ridiculous measures , which proceed from the police , but for which , nevertheless , they are held responsible in public opinion . In the different reclamations I have from time to time had occasion to make , I have invariably found

      among the chiefs of the Post-office most courteous attention and a praiseworthy desire to promote the public service . To politics , in the discharge of their duties , they are as much strangers as the gentlemen in St . Martin'sle-Grand , and from M . Sturm , the Postmaster-General , down to the sorters , there is not one who , if left to his own free will , would open a letter or withhold a newspaper . A gentleman , holding a high and important position under Government , said the other day , in reply to my inquiry what could be the motive or reason for stopping papers in this way , " There is no reason , e ' est de Varbitraire . " There can be no doubt that he is perfectly rightforindependently of his being in a position to

      , , know the why and the wherefore ^ the conduct of the press police clearly proves the absence of all reason . There is an Englishman here who i 3 connected with the London press , and who receives , among other English papers , the Leader . His copy of your journal which contained my letter , in which mention was madeof Mr . Blight ' s exhibition at Birmingham , and of the fact that c . rtain London papers were subventioned by the French Government , and inspired T > y the French Foreign-office , is quite a curiosity . "When he received it from the Post-office , he found it but open and two paragraphs marked on the side with pencil and certain expressions therein underscored with red chalk . The first was the expression

      " heaven-bom Bonaparte , " which is no more than a fair translation of the epithet repeatedly applied to the Emperor by his most zealous courtiers . In Brittany his Majesty was called "l ' homnie du doigt de Dieu , " " le prince envoye par la Providence . " There could , consequently , be " nothing discourteous nor offensive in my phrase . If I am to be rebuked for it , surely the archbishops , priests , prefects , and mayors who used it before roe , and from whom I borrowed , ought not to be allowed to go unpunished . The second phrase that had the honour to be scored was that which referred to the English journals receiving foreign subventions . The fact is too notorious to be contradicted ; and the shame does certainly not rest upon , th ' e French Government .

      Queen Elizabeth , when she said " I love the treason , but despise the traitor , " settled that point , and I fear no Government has progressed beyond this peculiar morality , and learned to despise both treason and traitor . There was nothing in the two sentences to excite the apprehension end indignation of the police , and I must say that such also was the . opinion of the authorities , for your journal was delivered in due course , although after the other papers . For the information of the police here , whose attention will of course be called to the preceding observations next Sunday , I beg to state that they totall y misapprehend the duties and disposition of the correspondents of English newspapers . In the first place , they are

      gentlermen by social position and education , which the police authorities very seldom nro . Next , the correspondents of English journals have but one object in view—to render , independently of all personal bias , faithful accounts of facts that come within their notico ; and if they do sometimes err , it is not from any hostility to the authorities , but from tho difficulty of obtaining accurate information through the ordinary and legitimate channels . With a press fettered , and spies established in private life , occurrences can only bo whispered , and there is . nothing surprising that they should thus become distorted or misrepresented . The only wondor is that , with all these obstacles in their path , tho correspondents of the London papers should bo so singularly accurate and guarded in their Information . It is absurd for tho police to suppose that English journalists hero

      have personal ill-will or enmity ogainat the head of tho State and his Government . To them , individually , ni » d in thoir literary character , it Id a . matter of perfect indifference who is in power , or in whoao name public business may bo carried on . Certainly wo should ( pr , at least , Bomo of us ) be bettor pleased to live under a more liberal regime . If our letters wore delivered regularly , If our papers wore not stopped in tho post , if wo wore not registered at the polipe-offico , and If wo could talk finely in public company with tho oortainty that our neighbours or acquaintances were not movohards , It would be infinitely . more agreeable to report tho gradual development of liberty and self-government in France , tlie contentment of her inhabitants , and the moderation of the authorities , than to be compolled to do tho contrary . Tho trial of M . de Montalembert caino on yesterday .

      holds from the constitution ; attacking the respect due to the laws ; and exciting the hatred of citizens one towards another . " These offences are by law qualified misdemeanours . The court was opened at twelve o ' clock , but long before then all who were fortunate enough to secure tickets of admission were in attendance , some at seven o ' clock , and nearly all before nine . M . Cordouen , Procureur Imperial in some provincial town , I believe , appeared to prosecute on behalf of the Government . It is a significant fact that recourse had to be had to a comparativel y unknown advocate . Can it be possible that M . Chaix d'Est-Anye and other leading crown lawyers in Pari 3 can have had . any scruples , and have refused to degrade themselves by appearing in such a cause ? M . Berryer defended M . de Montalembert , and M . Dufaure defended

      M . Douniol . The judge , who , as I stated on a previou 3 occasion , always plays the part of a public prosecutor , opened proceedings by interrogating M . Douniol and then M . de Montalembert . I am not aware that M . Borthelin exceeded the ordinary licence * indulged , in . by French judges . It is saiil that he kept as far as possible within the limits of moderation ; for , although being d

      some futurej and perhaps' not very distant , day to dispense the loaves and nshtfrof judicial administration . It is , therefore-, very likely that M . liertbelin sought to please all parties—en nageant enlrc deux eaux . After the interrogatory , which consisted mainly , I believe , in formalities as to name , age , birth , and profession , and as to the responsibility of the two gentlemen for the authorship and publication of the article attacked , the Government prosecutor , M . Cordouen , who by his name would seam to be a Bas-Bretois , made a speech—and a most dismal drearv , lamentable affair it was—stupidly ferocious , and still more stupidly servile . rhe measure of the man was taken before he had been

      speaking five minutes , and after the opemng specimens of his dull platitudes and fulsome adulation of power no one listened to him . M . Berryer followed with the defence of M . de Montalembert . His speech , I am told , was a masterpiece of eloquence , a noble and dignified protest against despotism and the tyranny of the press , an energetic vindication of liberty , and a sweeping denunciation of the manufacture of Jaws for personal and special cub . But the palin isgiveu bvall reports to M . Dufaure , who followed the reply ot the Proourour Imperial to M . Berry ** , for the | soundn with vrhielihe

      of ilia logic and the consummate ability demolished the proposition * of the Government , and made manifest the total illegality of the pro «««! « g The eloquence and argument were , of course cnt rely lost , for the last Council of State held at ^ oinpiegnj it is said , had decided what verdict should bo ana what punishment awarded . Nevertheless , the judge and his assistant , afcer the pleadings were terminated , let iiedto deliberate , (?) and to wine and biscuits . Some tiro « ftcr ward * they re-entered tho «»« rt , aud . amid breathlejs silence M . Bwthelin read tho following judgment , or

      ^ V ^ s , in tho review called tho ^ g " has appeared on tho 25 th October , 1808 , an *™ ° ™ titled A Debate on India in the English 1 « lll « m sooing that the Comto do »^» l » ™ « ' SoriSi self to bo tho ftutlior of that article ; that bo a oiiseu its publication ; that Douniol admits its pub he t . ' . «• Whorcns , that in tho course of this a . rtlclo , rue « in a spirit of systematic dfoparajjeinont , tho " ' ; f , the continual contract which ho U y Umaod to ¦ m » ko tan out between tlio institutions th « t Urnnpo " ^ JV" herself and those of a power nlllfd to 1 ranee , inu £ his duty to pour out irony nnd outrage upon tho politic laws , tho inon , and tho acts of the « "voj ; nniojit , to " That three niladeinonnoiiM—1 . * %% , " , nia . lmtrod and contempt of tho Governments *> * , voMal domeunour of attack against tho principle ot l M" , , suffnigo , and tho rights and authority which hi of tho State liold * from the coimtUution ; an i misdemeanour of attack ngainet tho rospoc » no laws , and tl . o Inviolability of the r . tf liW wlxluh joy d sccrato-rosult from tho whole of tho « iid artJj " ^ particularly from tho passages botf lniilntf ( w £ w . word * * \ Vlwn my oars tln « lo , ' p » go 20 Q _ J , , pugo 200 | » In Canada , ' pngo 200 j ' Wo ha \ o

      Untitled Article

      Palatinate—that is , Rhenish Bavaria—rose m insurrection and altogether threw off royal authority , establishing a provisional government on a republican basis . The intervention of the Prince of Prussia , who marched with a large army against the Palatinate and Baden , made an . end ' . to this promising popular movement . Fortunately , almost all the leaders found means to escape the wrath of reaction . A few only "were captured , and these met with the

      severest fate . One of them , a Count Fugger , colonel in the Bavarian army , and a member of tie rail-Konnaire family of that name at Augsburg , , was sentenced to death by court-martial . It is said his father was asked by some humane men of the Conservative party whether he did not intend to implore the mercy of the Crown . The father , an . ultrareactionist himself , replied , " No ! let justice have its course ¦! " Young Fugger was afterwards shot according to the sentence .

      This is not tho only instance of the severity of the present King ' s government . In order to g ive our readers a correct picture of his administration , we need only say that , a . few years ago , in Rhenish Bavaria , at one sitting of the High Tribunal , no less than three hundred and thirty sentences of death were pronounced against absent democratic exiles , and that all these sentences , up to this . 'day , remain uncancelled . Happily for humanity , the intended victims are out of the clutches of "justice . " But

      can . we wonder , under such circumstances , that the population of Rhenish Bavaria has fearfully diminished , and is still on the decrease ? What avails it , in presence of such facts , that King Maximilian should play the condescending towards a certain species of sycophant Court literati , whom he greats on an apparently equal footing in his cigar divan . ? These mockeries of royal simplicity of manners can only corrupt those who are already worthless—but will never mitigate the absolutistic nature of the King ' s government .

      Jn more recent times , tjie King of Bavaria has seemed inclined somewhat to forego these literary acquaintances , and to cultivate with greater zeal the priestly element . His social manners are becoming constrained ; his policy grows more and more ' unscrupulous . A few weeks ago he summarily dissolved the Legislature before it had held a single sitting , merely because it was known that a certain moderate Liberal would be elected its

      president . The Munich Court Gazette tried to palliate this measure , by declaring that " an aristocratico-republican conspiracy had been concocted , calculated to introduce into Bavaria a parliamentary government like that of England , where in reality republicanism rules supreme , while the Crown is but a cypher . " With such bombastic nonsense the King endeavours to mask the despotic measures with which he now pursues , not only democrats , but even the most loyal constitutional Liberals .

      Untitled Article

      The Sundat QuEsxioM .- ^ -Last -week the debate between Mr . Baxter Langley , of the Sunday League , and Mr . Robert Court , of the Protestant Laymen's Association , was concluded in the City Hall , Glasgow , where upwards of three thousand persona attended . Mr . Langley opened by a disquisition on the necessity of the culture of the whole of man ' s nature , if we could make him a religious being , and went on to show that the Study of nature was absolutely necessary to complete education , and that the opening of museums , &c , on the Sunday afternoon should be regarded as an accessory to religious teaching in the church and school . Mr . Court replied that any recrcatipn or instruction , except in the chapel or sabbath school , was immoral . Mr . Langley showed that drunkenness and Sabbatarianism went hand in hand , that in sabbath-keeping Scotland immorality Attained its maximum in Europe , and that unmixed good had everywhere resulted from the rational use of Sunday . The proceedings were concluded with votes of

      thanks to the chairmen . thanks to the chairmen . The Dukes oy Wei ^ ihgton ' s ConnKsroNDENcrc . — * An advertisement in the Dublin papers states that the correspondence of the late Duke of Wellington from September , 1805 , to April , 1807 , is missing . His Grace was of opinion that ho had deposited these papers sorne-¦ whore in Dublin , on assuming , in 1807 , the office of Chief Secretary of Ireland . They are supposed to be in boxes in some public store , or bank , or in some private bouse in Dublin . Any information that may lead to the disepvery of these papers will be liberally rewarded by the present Duke * Spanish Purity . —JLca IJonnea PaUvrea , a play of the Dame aim Camiliaa , class , which had a great run at the Vaudeville theatre in Paris some months ago , hns been prohibited at Madrid . " A lesson of morality from Madrid I" remarks Galignani , Tho Entr'acte exclaims , " II y a done encore dea Pyrtfndes ?"

      Untitled Article

      mm ^ rn ^^^ r <^¦¦; ¦ ¦ : ¦ - ¦ •¦¦ ¦ ~< ¦ " : ¦ > ¦ * . -: . ;; :: -r ;¦ ; - ¦ <;¦ ; . ¦¦ ¦ v - -rr " ¦ - ¦ . - - . ¦ . ;¦ ¦ ¦ : ¦ * . ; ¦ ¦ : . : : . : .. . y : - •¦• ¦ ¦ ¦ - . •¦ • ; / - . ¦ . ; . , /¦ v ; - . ¦ ¦¦ ¦ . ¦ ,. - * „ ¦ ¦ ¦¦ , --:. - ;;;^ p 2292 THE LEADER . [ No . 453 , Noyember 27 ^ 1858 .

      Original Coerespondence.

      ORIGINAL COERESPONDENCE .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 27, 1858, page 1292, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2270/page/20/