SECOND LETTER ON THE POLITICS OF FRANCE.

Paris, 20th March Is.r.

SIR—Of all the measures of Foreign policy of this Government since lea), the most important are those concerning Spain and Poland. To both cona. tries, the French Government, above all, owed a heavy deht—to the first of retribution ; to the second of gratitude; and yet the French Government has in both cases afflicted all honourable minds, by a scene of the most scan- dalous vacillation, inconsistency, and timidity, if not fraud, es openly asset tell an the Cleuille:r of Deputies here, that ever the world witnessed. First, in regard to Spain : its connexion with France has ever deluged it with blood arid rapine ; beginning with the war of succession, which placed a grand- son of Louts the Fourteenth on the throne, and first imposed on it both a foreign yoke and the Salic law, in violation of its ancient constitution. Spain has had but to lament, in tears of blood, its forced connexion with a more powerful neighbour. Then came the unprincipled invasion of NAPOLI:ON, which repeated the tragedy on a grander scale : its fleets, its armies, its treasures, were at tile disposal of France, and were actively employed against England ; yet these sactifiees would not satisfy the wily Corsican. By a series of frauds, familiar to the present generation, its princes were decoyed to Bayonne, its ar- mies to the North, and Josseit was proclaimed King of Spain and the Indies. A miracle of courage on the part of the people, and of skill and heroic enter- prise on the part of the English, saved it from this humiliation. But alas, Spain sea, ruined by the struggle, for at least a century. Then came the civil strifes, the treachery of the King for whom such sacrifices had been made—a deplorable picture of ingratitude and sanguinary bigotry, which produced the revolt of Cadiz and the family invasion of the Duke ',Asian:Lena: in 1823, to reestablish despotism in the blood of Iliecio and dO many patriots. Consti- tutional France of July 1880 therefore owed a heavy debt of retribution to its hapless and ruined neighbour ; and how has it been paid ?

We are not now to discuss the right of the Spanish people, through its Corte?, to abrogate the Salk law imposed on it by Louis the kourteenth ; anal which every true Spaniard must consoler as the badge of its servitude. It was repealed, and the ancient law of succession restored. The treaty of the Quadruple Alliance between England; Finnee, Spain, and Portu only came to Ate

that right. and to provide for itsexecution against.the traitoroux claim of Des CARLOS 80 the throne, supported by the rebellion in Biscay and the ill-eran cealed aid of the despotic powers. Scarcely was the treaty signed. however. before it became' manifest that the occult government of France repented of dm: act, and would render it inoperative—per foe ant nrfas. Look at the journals of France, England; and, Spain, for repeated daily proofs of the most flagrant nature, that Don CARLOS has received the ahl of Lours Plume in every sible shape, except, indeed, the open disavowal or repeal of the Quadruph Treaty, which would have been the most honourable. The whole burden of efficient operation has notoriously fallen upon Enaland, owing to the rept. nonce of the French Throne. The secret motives of that repugnance have Wily recently been explained. But, taking up the conduct of the-French Government only from the period when the Duke Dr BROGLIE nominally presided at its councils, what a

of weakness and tergiversation does it present ! There wasnlrearly a French and

a British legion in the Queen's service. The Duke, a highly honourable man, though a Doctrinaire, sanctioned the formation of another French legion at Psir It was collected, armed, and equipped at the Queen's expense, under M. THIERS' Presidency ; and was all ready to march, an officer appointed ts communal with the sanction of the French Government, when suddenly it was made known that an order had been sent by the telegraph (without the know. ledge of a single Minister) to stop and disband the legion. The order pub. fished by the General, that he was appointed to command it by the King, ern openly disavowed in the Moniteur, though virtually true, if the King's sanc- tion be admitted as proof. The Debars gravely announced, that the must serious difference existed in the Cabinet on the Spanish question; which woo proved oddly enough, by all seven Ministers walking nut of it, leaving the ms. parity of one (the King), behind them. Even MONTALIVET, the King's favourite and friend, was amongst the dissidents. A new Ministry, of whom GVIZOT was the real head, was hastily got together to meet the Char:den, then about to assemble. The speech from the Throne culled for the congratu- lations of the nation on having so narrowly escaped the most serious disaster* —interpreted by the French penple to mean the threats held out by PAHLEE, D'Arroxv, and Co. The English Liberal press did not conceal its opinions On this unconstitutional, disgracethl desertion of an international treaty. The Debuts retorted by saying, that La France ( ! ! !) knew how to COB. duct its own affairs, without the aid of English criticisms; quite fa. getting that the Debats itself had set the example in November 1934, when, on PEEL'S return from Rome to rule over us, the Debats so. lernnly assured its readers that the English were tired of Liberal domioas tion, and happy to take refuge under a Moderate Tory Administration, in harmony with the rest of Europe; and congratulated the English on their wisdom in taking PEEL, LYNDHURST, and Co. for their guides; an opinion which the very first measures of the Tony Parliament so amply and satisfaa. torily disproved.

Nor was the meanness and tergiversation of the French Government confined

to this potent act of desertion of their own treaty. They endeavoured to justify it by the revolt of La Granja and the proclamation of the Constitution of 1812. But first, even if true, these acts, being of internal government, could not sanction the abrogation of a foreign treaty, which makes no mention of the form of government ; while the revolt of La Granja only rendered the assistance to the Queen's Government the more inn. perative ; as it clearly had its origin in the protracted strife in the Basque pro- vinces, which the occult French Government are more than suspected of having fostered and encouraged. But the fact is, and it was clearly proved by time Ex•Illinisters in the Chamber, that the revolt of Lit Granja was not known in Paris, till after the telegraph bud carried the orders fur tine dissolution of the legion at Pau! Er uno, discs mums. As to the measures of the present Cebinet, who came in " to save France from the most serious disasters," they are just such as might be expected from such men. Orieday they chaise up the Pyrenees, hut, with laudable impartiality, equally to Christinos and Carli.ts. The next, they send clothing and supplies to the poor remains of the Algerine legion at Pampelunn ; of whom, by the way, a good part of the elite fought against us at Bilboa, in terms of the Quadruple Treaty of Alliance, and headed every attack. Another day we hear the Pyrenees are only open to the Christine., ; but, in order to prove the strict su- pervision, any guglishman taking his daily ride from Bajonne, Ste. is stopped every half mile, to produce his passport ; whilst in the Chambers the Minis. tens profrss the utmost respect for the treaty, awl resolve to perform all its stipulations. The utter silence of our King in his Speech to Parliament, and that of Mr. VILLIERS at the late dinner at Math lel, as to the French, or Doc- trinaire, fillfilarent of the treaty, liae, however, had some effect ; they Irate

ac-

tu:ilhv expressed same surprise at those remarkable omissions, when it is 80 notorious with what religious fidelity France has executed her engagements. Lord PAL:WI:IV:TOWS late speech has mine to affird them some comfort, how- ever ; though, in troth, on a candid examination of that seeech, it plainly re- fers to the Doctrinaires' failure to perform the tieaty. Ile says, " 'f he alliance with France was an alliance between nations, not any alliance between govern. ments." But as it is courteous an I diplomatic in its language, they of course prefer it to O'CoNNELL'S tirade, which, though coarse and in very bail taste,ls, however, true in essentials. The ll'huts, speaking of it, has the folly to say, " Had these expreesions dropped fr a • responsible and considerate Member of the Commons, they might be produc: ice qt serious consetimences." lace you to set the .D."ints right on this point. Perfect liberty of speech is a pi ivih:ge of the British Parliament as to all public acts ; and does not depend on the pernrission of Louts Plume, the Doctrinaires, or M. Miens DE VA US. Bait tlid Dribufs went beyond all bounds, when he assured his readers that O'CoNNELL's speech found no sympathy in the House: whereas the fact is quite the reverse : the strongest points were loudly cheered, arid by that very Tory partv which the Dithats has foolishly endeavoured to conciliate lam the mon Auk • , trite fiwgetful that of all pay ties in England the Tories hate Louts Pamir and time Revolution of July ':30 mon cordially. I now come to the case of POLAND. If there be one case more glarieg than another of succesful fraud, violence, rapine, and injustice, in the affairs of na- tions, it is precisely unhappy Boland. Yet from 1772, when floe first pat tition,I believe, took place, down to the present imminent, that it is wholly effaced from the list of nations (notwithstanding Lord CASTLEREAGH'S and Wearamar- TON'S Treaty of Vienna of 1815), not a single teclaination has been made on behalf of instilted Europe; and nothing has been afforded to outraged Poland and denationalized Poles, but a barren sympathy on behalf of the people of all nations, anal a few turgid speeches at public meetings and some after-dinner oratory. It was the first step that tended to demoralize Euro; e by its entire success, and by the absence of all opposition, excepting the ruinous struggles of the Poles themselves. It taught princes how " to covet their neighbours' goods," anal how to attain that nefarious object in the shortest way.

If there be any nation, however, to whom the reproach of having winked at

this enormity, or "consented to the thief," applies more particularly than to another, it is France. I omit all mention of the ancient family alliances, which bound France more than other nations to time duty of upholding Poland, 16 order to come to later days. Who is there that is ignorant how large a portion of the glory of the French army has been earned by the best blood of Poland? The ate of the Grand Imperial Array were the Poles. The extraordinary battle of Soseo.SIERKA, a military prodigy, was gained by the Pulish lancers. Even our English infantry felt them at ALSO ERA. What a pity, what a. weeder, that a yam* certainly amongst the filet imErope 'mouldier. should yet. tts without it country—without a home that they. can call their own l Truly, t11,. aratitude of nations must be at a very low ebb, when the descendauts of th. brave Polish chivalry which saved Vienna aud an Christendom, under

JOIIN SOBIESKI, are now parcelled out like eerfs amongst Austrians, Prus• • mid Russians—ure no louger a nation—have no longer a national wan-, hewer. That a strong sympathy in favour of the Poles exists in n11 the people of Eurepe, iv certain : we need only refer to the•conduct of the English, the

01' ,,reh, the Hungarians,. and Gallicians. But Bib; only renders the timid, t :ing policy of their Governments the more deplorable, in calmly permit- ; ti,e final partition and destruction of that unhappy nation. No war would hic be so popular in all Europe, as one expresely undertaken for the

I , ,hilahment of Poland. Unhappily, the opportunity W39 lost, when the

• ,rch of the Barricades, in " his better day." merle a proposition to our roment to that effect. Perhaps Lord G KEY'S Ministry found they had ,lleuh g. to do at home. But, whatever be the reason, the occasion. was , I fear, to be revived wader such favoulable cireamatances, when all had thrown off the Russian yoke, end the French and English people

• .• enthusiastic in- their cause.

• hin Narot.E08, in 1812, aesembled his army in Poland for his ill starred m enupaign, the writer of dila fully expected that higher and more gene- . aotives of policy, WI well as his own interest*, would have induced him to the scattered provincea of the Polish monarchy under one head, ahd (le- d ■1'. POtIATOWSXY its King; that as the season was evidently too far advanced ( August) to finish a Russian campaign, he would have employed the srs, ef the year in consolidating the new Polish kingdom, and particularly its aredrs, before he creased the Dwina. This policy would have enabled him to ciollect at least 150,060 or 200,000 Polish tcoups, eager to avenge their former rervitonle on the Rtasshuis, to send 100,000 French troops back to Spain, and to innocence lois campaign the following spring under happier auspices. The Eirperor, however, eontenteil himself with the miserable shadow of Polish in•le- rendenee, called the Grand Dutchy of Warsaw, and such means as that district 5ifor.3ed ; reserving Poland in genetal- as. a peace-offering to the Emperor M.EXANnEn,„ when the occasion arrived to treat. Every one knows.the result ef this sordid, selfish poliey. The winter, premature plans, and the Cossacks, disareytd his army ; and then belied no Polish empire or consuli.lated resources VP foil buck upon. The miserable Grand Dutchy of NVarsaw fell to the Ras- aio.s by the came blow. The iusurrection at.Warsaw in 1830 was the nationl consequence of the Frenelo Revolution and of the often-violated Treaty of Vienna, a* touch as that at 1:i ussels. The Polish Deputation was openly received at Paris, their cause spaily encouraged by the first and more generous Ministers of the Barricades; bat as these Ministers of" la pensk royale " frequently changed, in the gradual deelension from the principle of the Revolution of July '20, it was snort found expedient to assume an, altered tone towards Poland,. The. French papers of the day explain a circumstance which, if true. covets, that Govewnuent, with shame. After one of the battles gained by the Pules over Dieurrsen, (I think the battle of Groschow,) it was asserted that the Polish agents waited on the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to acquaint him of it ; adding, that the remains of the Russian army were surrounded, and it was the intention of the Polish Generale to force on another general engagement, which should utterly destroy diet Rimy, before the reinforcements then on the way could arrive. The Minister was stated tolave entreated them not to do any thing of the sort ; that %would exasperate the Emperor beyond all hope of a peaceable solution of their indeir ndenee as a nation ; that if they would leave the matter to him, mid Write to their Generals to remain satisfied with the advantages they hail already gained, he would be answerable to secure all their objects of independence as a nation, by a stroke of the pen at Paris. The Poles fell into the snare, for it could be nothing else; their Genetal assumed the defensive; PASKEwrroi airived with the Russian Guards, heat down all opposition, and captured War- saw ; and then, by way of climax, the very same Minister who had before assured the Chambers that "la Polegne no perks pas," cal nly informed them, that "• l'iortlre ro',gne a Varsovie." Was this the price paid for the acknowledgement by Russia of the King of the Barricades? Since this period, the successive Cabinets here have endeavoured to stifle every manifestation on the part either of the Ftench People or Chambers in fa- vour of Poland or the Poles. The present Doctrinaire Cabinet, in particular, Lave uniformly dories(' ; and in the last address of the Chamber of Deputies, in reply to the speech from the Throne, were all found voting in the minority on a parseraph moved as an amendment by the popular party, recording a hope that Polish nationalty would not be lost sight of, which was carried against them. dinners or meetings are prevented by the police, if attended by a Deputy, or if any speeches are intended. In short, they wish to forget there ever was such a nation. To complete the picture of French subjection, of the total oblivion that pre- vail,. as to the principle of the last Revolution, in the Doetrivaile coterie in particular, contrast the conduct of the French Government in regard to Aft erica, with that towards Switzerland. how painful to ore a French Ii strv playing into the hands of Russia, Austria, and Prussia, in its eel:ohms Iva:, Switzerland, and assuming the tone of a Hector and a bully with a Re public too weak to resist this unholy alliance of the four great military powers of Europe; while towards the great American Republic I need not say how diffiTent has been its tone. There were many redeeming points in the last Ailininistration, that of M. Tomes, which are wholly lost in the present one, which may he characterized as one purely Tory. THIE its tried to execute the treaty of the Quadruple Aili- !Inee—te allay the persecution of the press—to liberalize the government and Institut lone of France—and went out because none of these objrcts were enn- tenoplate.1 loy the presiding genius of the Council. I need not say what the l,, lit Cabinet have done or attempted at any length, as the Mete are before the c) es "fall. I. In the law of Disjunction, which has failed. 2. In the Stras- burg to iale. whkli failed, because the Government had put itself douse the law in reieasing the principal without trial, while it persisted in trying the accessories. 13y way of climax, Colonel Vii DllEY will, they say, be elected a Deputy in the next Chamber. 3. In the mismanagement uf the Army. the feeling of is rated to be greatly altered. 4. In the new law of the National Guatd, which his di.satisfied thiit great and infloential body, by rendering its service almost as striet and severe as that of the Line ; and has given season to fear that the twat elections of milkers will be more no favout•able to Uoverionent than before. a. 1,1 the new lane, and extravagance of public works, which are looked upon by the popular party chiefly as a new and indirect means of extensive bribery and corruption in the haunts of the Ministers. 6. lu the alarm caused by tamper- ing with the Savings Banks, which has caused a rim them. 7. In the propusals for the Duke DE Ni: snout Ds' appanage, and a ;rational dowry for the Queen of the Belgians. B. In the neglect of Marshal CLauset.'s remon- stranees and requisitions for the expedition to Constantine, which caused its failure after Tim as had agreed to send him all the aid he required. 9. In the ittocii..s affair, which has caused such damage ta the second city of France. 10. In the augmented rage against the Liberal press, and the establishment, at the stational oTense, of midi joarnals as La Pala., La Claude de 1810, and M. FON rn EDE'S rnbid Journal de Paris, fac. &c. ; and finally, the enormous de- mands for secret service uf 80,0001. per annum.