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Leader (1850-1860), 21st February 1852, Edition Town of 2, Page 171, Untitled Article

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      features of this new law , which is to appear on Wednesdav or Thursday next . No person can publish a journal without a certificate of French citizenship , or without government authority . The cognizance of offences ( of the press ) is withdrawn from the jury , and handed over to tribunals of correctional police .- . . The caution-moiiey of journals , at present only 24 , 000 francs ( 960 ? . ) , is raised to 50 , 000 francs , ( 2000 ? . ) The stamp is raised from five centimes to six for ordinary papers , and to seven for numbers containing a romanfeuilleton . Two condemnations for offences against , or evasions of , the law involve the suppression of the

      Henceforth journalists will write with the sword of suppression suspended over their heads by the merest thread . Besides the extreme measure of suppression , there is the authorization , which may be withdrawn on the bare decision of a minister . This system , you perceive , strikes at the very root of real liberty . A conscientious journalist would prefer a thousand times the censorship to this perpetual menace of a power

      whose intentions he ignores , and whose interests may depend on the most unforeseen circumstances . What would be innocent to-day , may be criminal to-morrow . The most loyal opinions may be transformed into malevolent suggestions , and . may find calumniators ready to prompt a blind or a prejudiced authority . With this system , a serious journal , however pure , however loyal in its motives , however skilful its editors , will never know at what point criticism may become offence ,

      or even simple remarks a transgression . It is evident that the law is principally aimed at the higher class of journals . The Journal des Dibats will be the special victim . It is well known that , even under a severe censorship , the experienced and sagacious directors of that journal would be able to lend a certain direction to opinion . In these latter days , under our present military dictatorship , it is unnecessary to employ very precise and straightforward lanr guage torguide the public mind . Opinion is quick to catch at the turn of a syllable ; and many words which would have passed unnoticed in a time of complete liberty , would now produce a considerable effect . The Journal des Debats excels in the measured arid

      cautious tactics of this kind of opposition . True , it is an opposition which only makes itself felt in the world of t | ie salons , but as these salons are now become the last refuge of the old parliamentary liberties , it la abore all tnings urgent to silence them . The Journal des De ~ bats is their tribune , and will infallibly be crushed . Pray take note of my predictions . A third measure which Louis Bonaparte is anxiously waiting to effect , is the suppression of the University . The University is certainly a foundation of the Empire ; but as its purpose was to deliver the education of our youth from the influence of the clergy , and as Louis Bonaparte is desirous to merit the good graces of the clergy , ho is going to proclaim , by a decree , " the

      liber ty of instruction / ' so long clamoured for by the priests , and as a consequence , the suppression of the University . Need I explain to you that , by those big words , " liberty of instruction , " the clergy mean simply , " monopoly f instruction , " constituted for their exclusive uso and profit ; and that they only aim at the destruotion of the University in order to take possession of the education of our youth , to mould the rising generation to their image , and to prepare them for the servitude of the intellect—a thousand times more miserable than the servitude of the body . By this you see what an immense concession Louis Bonaparte is on the point of making to the Jesuits , the most formidable instruments of despotism ever invented to onslavo the world !

      Various events of a moro private nature have signalized this week . The sale of the Pavilion du Wurtemburg , tit Neuilly , an appurtenance of the estates of Louis Philippe , took place , unopposed by the administrator of the domains , at the Palais de Justice . The administrator was not present , which occasioned a boliof that the Confiscation Decrees were abandoned . This however is not , nor , boliovo me , will be tho case .

      The Comto do Chamboid lias written a letter to the mon of his party . This missive contains tho most ionnal injunctions to rofiiso all adhesion to tho government of Bonaparto , us I wrote you a fortnight , ago . It taken the direction of tho affairs of tho party out of tlio hands of tho ComiU dirigeant , Bprryor , Falloux , JWon talombort . . It recommends to all severally to abstain from taking part in futuro elections , without , however , making it an absolute rule of conduct . M . La Hortfi , tho son-in-law of Mole " , was tho boaror of this letter from Frohsdorf to Paris . It has caused a proround sensation , boeauso it concludes with an invitation to the Legitimists to make advances ( do se rapprooher ) to tho Orleanists . One of th © oldest sufferers of tho republican party ,

      Huber , who was condemned in ' 34 as an insurgent of April , and who passed the best years of bis life in the dungeons of Mont St . Michel ; the man , too , who on the 15 th May , ' 48 , proclaimed from t he tribune of the Constituent the dissolution of that assembly , has solicited and obtained pardon of Louis Bonaparte . The working men at Paris are furious at what they call a cowardly desertion . Huber was for some years suspected of being a spy of the police . His conduct at the trials of Bourges , and this last circumstance , appear to confirm the suspicion . '

      A new expedition against Morocco is being organized . The Emperor Abderahman has recently demanded an indemnity for the last bombardment ; so to punish his insolence the Algerine army is about to invade his dominions . The regiments of Zouaves , Spahis , and native riflemen have been reinforced , > The military commission established at the Palais de Justice , which had suspended its sittings , has now resumed them . Yesterday ( Monday ) before the first Court-martial sitting at Paris the affair of the National guard of St . Germain ( accused of having attempted to favour the escape of the soldiers from the military prison , on the 3 rd of December ) commenced .

      The court-martial at Clamecy continues its operations . It has condemned ten men to deportation and confinement in a fort ( at Cayenne or Noukahiva ) , and nine to simple deportation . The papers mention , daily , persons released from prison ; but we have at last a key to this new jugglery . In the first place , the number of prisoners actually released is quite insignificant . For instance , in the Yonne , onl y 27 out of 580 ; leaving 553 in prison . In the Loiret , only 71 , out of 320 prisoners , have been set at liberty . Besides , we are not publicly informed that among these persons whose merciful release is trumpeted with so much ostentation , one-half , at least , are obliged to quit the country instantly , or to settle down in some restricted locality , designated by government .

      The Moniteur of this day ( Tuesday ) suppresses the anniversary celebration of the 24 th of February , and replaces it by the fete of August 15 , Saint Napoleon ' s day . The text of this decree runs thus : — " Louis Napoleon , considering that the celebration of political anniversaries recals the memory of civil discords , and that among all the fetes it is right to select the one whose consecration has the best tendency to unite all minds in the common sentiment of the national glory , decrees—In future will alone be recognised and celebrated as a national fete , the anniversary of August 15 . "

      Public officers , such as notaries and attorneys , are daily receiving orders to dispose of their business . On this subject I read in the Journal de Maine , " We are informed that four notaries of the department of La Sarthe , accused of—being republicans , have received orders to dispose of their business within ten days . "

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      CONTINENTAL NOTES . LouiS Bonaparte " communicates" a note to the Moniteur , protesting with righteous indignation against the menacing designs attributed to his government upon tho independence of contiguous states . Tho rumours of hostile threats are declared to be calumnies : and " internal ameliorations , " the solo object of tho new Government of Franco . No demand of any kind has been addressed to any foreign powers , except to Belgium , in order that the Government of that country might prevent tho system of incessant attacks which had been commenced there , from being regularly organized . " Tho French Government has not armed a single soldier , nor has it done anything to excite tho least susceptibility of its neighbours . " This note has not appeared without sufficient cause ; for tho rumours of war , growing daily moro rifo , have concurred with tho headlong tyranny of their home policy to destroy any remaining confidence in tho prosont rulers of France . But wo doubt if it will impress any reader with a firmer faith in tho honosty of Louis Bonaparte ' s intentions . Tho unjustifiable poraocution of the Federal Council of Switzerland with tho most insulting and intolerable reclamations , oven to the extent of demanding tho suppression of civil liberties , and tho postponement of the general elections , is not more rumour , but , flagrant and overt in official acts and declarations . Wo have reason to bcliovo in tho correctness of our PariH correspondent ' s assertion that the Swiss government has oven appealed to England for support . How to reconcile those facts with tho indignant disclaimer in tho Moniteur ? 'In tho first pluce , wo must analyze closely every word in this communicated note , as there in no verbal prevarication of which tho French government is not capable , and , after all , how can we attach any credit to any asseverations , howovor solomn , of tho government of tho 2 nd December P how place any confidence in the assurances of Fjalin . do Perpigny and Loroy St . Arnaud ? Bather

      should every assurance of pacific intentions increase our suspicion and distrust , and warn all Europe to be on the defensive . The PreSs Law , published in the Moniteur of Wednesday , entirely agrees in all its leading points with the resume given by our . French correspondent . The articles most interesting to ourselves , are the one which imposes the stamp duty on " journals and periodical works published in foreign countries , unless in case of diplomatic arrangements to the contrary ; " and another ,

      by which " the introducers or distributors of a foreign paper , not authorized , are to be punished with imprisonment , varying from one month to one year , and a fine of from lOOf . to 5000 f . This stamp duty , with the necessity of preliminary authorization , will effectually limit the admission of English papers into France . The Duchess of Orleans has addressed the following letter to the President , refusing the dotation of 300 , 000 f . per annum , maintained to her in the decree of January 22 : —

      " Monsieur—As I do not acknowledge your right to plunder my family , neither do I acknowledge your right to assign to me a dotation in the name of France . 1 refuse the dowry . " Helena d' Orleans . " We have another proof of the honesty and morality of the French government . Among their ex-representatives driven into exile was M . Bandsept , the republican deputy of the Bas Rhin . Previously to his election , M . Bandsept was a working shoemaker , and a man of high character and attainments . A few days since , there appeared in the Moniteur , the official journal par excellence , a humble petition , signed " Bandsept , " to the Prince President , soliciting permission to return to France , upon condition of never again taking part in

      political affairs ; and following the said petition was the gracious pardon of Louis Bonaparte to a man " only misguided . " Whereupon , a chorus in all the government journals , singing praises of Louis Bonaparte ' s generous forgiveness to working men , towards whom his heart ever yearned ! &C , &c . All this time , M . Bandsept is in London , gaining an honourable subsistence as a shoemaker , preferring exile and poverty to disgrace . He was only made aware of this shameful abuse of the name of an absent and undefended man , by the indignant astonishment of his brothers in exile at what they deemed a miserable and cowardiy desertion of principle . But how to make the truth known to his brother

      workmen in France ? Meantime Louis Bonaparte was enjoying all the honours of generosity . We are glad to find , however , that M . Bandsept ' s vindication has been permitted to appear in the Moniteur . Here it is , dated from London . " You publish a letter by which I am represented as having addressed to M . Louis Bonaparte a request to be allowed to return to France , promising to ahstain entirely

      from political affairs . I have never written any letter of this kind ; it is an infamous imposture , against which I protest with the greatest energy and the most profound indignation , without being able to explain to myself how it has made its appearance in an official journal . M . Bandsopt ' s generous inability to explain the appearance of a forgery in the " official journal , ' we do not share . Where could a forgery be more at homo than in the official journal of Louis Bonaparte ?

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      LOUIS BLANC AND MAZZINI . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) My dear Confrere , —Among tho journals which in England have most eloquently and most nobly combated the abominable oppression that weighs upon my country , the Leader has acquired especial claims upon the gratitude of every truly French heart . To you , then , I address tho following observations , with the confidence derived not only from the sympathies with which you have long inspired me , but also from the services whioh your journal is ever rendering to the caune of truth . Salut cordial , Louis Blanc .

      Fob . 10 , 1852 . In his address , dolivered at the instance of tho Society of tho Friends of Italy , M . Mazzini took occasion to advance ( amongst many excellent ideas , in which wo heartily agree ) Homo very grave orrorB . I think it my duty to challenge statements which affect tho honour of a generous country—of France , made moro dear than' over ( if that were possible ) to mo , by her miBfortunoa and my own exile .

      Whothor or not the moment is happily chosen for attacking Franco , I will not stop to'inquire : whether , at a time when eho Hoh panting under oppression , it is well to mako tho indignation of Europo vacillate between her and her oppressors : whothor , when she is reduced to nilonce , and her defenders aro dispersed , transported , imprisoned , proscribed , it is becoming to oall her to account : I will confino mynolf to an inqujry how far these reproaches aro just . They aro the moro deplorable in my eyea since they proceed from an honourable man and a friond . M . Mazzini says—

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      Feb . 21 , 1852 } THE b EAPE R . 171

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 21, 1852, page 171, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1923/page/7/