Certainly the ups and downs of French politicians are among
the won- ders of history. Efforts have not been spared by Louis Napoleon to ob- tain the submission of the old Republicans ; but in general he has notoriously failed. The Neniteur of Thursday records a rather striking success. It appears that the Sub-Prefect of Doullens has transmitted to the Minister of Justice the abject confession of Sobrier, who gained great notoriety in 1848 by his violence) and extreme opinions. The ifoniteur publishes the petition ; which is a curiosity of political literature. "Sire—The great voice of France having declared itself against the ideas for which for the last five years I have lost my liberty, and having defini- tively confided to you the care of her glory and of her happiness, makes it imperative on me to bow before the powerful resolution which she has just taken, at the same time that it engages me to address myself to you in the hope that, comprehending what are the thousand pains attached to the position of the prisoner, you will deign to put an end to it by restoring me to liberty, to my family, and to my affections. If, in order to return into private life, I must pledge myself on my honour to abandon for ever that policy which, after so many disenchantments, has deprived me of my liberty, that engage- ment I enter into towards you from the bottom of my heart ; for, as much as any one, I know how to submit to the will of France, whose voice has just given you the right and the power to bring her back by progress to that apogee of glory and of superiority which was taken from her by those bad regimes which Since 1815 have weighed so fatally on her destinies. The clemency of your Majesty will, I hope, extend to me, whose health, long since weakened, is every day failing under the regime of captivity : deprived of strength, I have only enough left me to make this appeal to your heart and to the generous sentiments of which the echo has reached me, and which -will, I hope, guide it on this occasion ; for I feel convinced that you would not be acquainted with my present deplorable situation without a wish to apply a remedy to it. I therefore await with confidence., Sire, the decision which you will come to with regard to me, persuaded that your generosity will put an end to my numerous and indescribable sufferings, which you alone can make me forget, by opening to me the gates of that prison which without your clemency will be my tomb. In this hope, may your Majesty deign to accept the assurance of my profound respect SOBRIER.', After giving this letter, the Moniteur adds—" The pardon of M. Sobrier has been granted." Of course, and perhaps a pension to boot.
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