French Revolution

There is no one thing that is creating at the present time, so much interest, as the French Revolution. This all absorbing topic, the theme of every paper, and the subject of conversation in every social circle. All information relating to it, is sought with the greatest avidity. lts first outbreaking, the flight of Louis Phillippi and family, - the progress - the announcement of a Republic, all are fraught with the deepest interest. We should be glad to lay the whole of these important transactions before our readers, notwithstanding the general circulation they have already had thro' the Press, but we shall be obliged for want of room to insert only notices of some of the most important characters and events. Under the influence of a principle of Liberty, that could no longer be restrained, France has arisen in her might and shook off the chains ofdespotism. The time has arrived forher bold energetic spirits to move and regúlate the machinery that is to establish her as a Republic, and carry the principies of reform through every deparment of her government. Perhaps no man could havo governed the French people better under existing circumstances than did Louis Phillippi with the assistance of Guizot, the wise Minister, of a wise Monarch. But with all their wisdom they could m longer govern a people who demandad a more perfect and liberal form of government. Guizot's greatesl fanltin the eyes ofhis countrymen is his devotion to his King, and the laws which sustained hun, yet his is an elevated mind, and his talents will not suffer in comparison with the principal actors in the reformation. By way of comparison we give an extract ofhis character by one to wliom he ,is well known - one of his opposers. "Definitely, what is M. Guizot? He is, above all, a man for power and government, and at the same time the most independent of men, submitting to the yoke of principies which he has laid down as his rule of conduct, and holding his head high as to the question of per sons ; a policy of great value estimating all that is worthy of esteem ; more convinced than enthusiastic ; prouder ofthe approbation of his conscience than ofthe homage ofthe multitude; endowed, in the supreme degree, with that force of will and perseverence which make the statesman ; a moral enemy of everything resembling disorder, and capable, if things came to the worst, of throwing himself without hesitation into despotism which he detests, ralher than accept the anarchy which he abhors." " In 1830 M. Guizot was a simple Deputy. He was one ofthe thirty who met at the House of M. Casimir Perier on the first day of the revolution of July, and he never deserted the still smaller band of patnotic Dcputies who had the courage, during the following days, to sit and delibérate in the midst of the struggle while the cannon were roaring in the streets, and the crowd of insurgents who protected them were sometimes engaged in combat under the windows." " As Minister of public Instruction, M. Guizt presented the singular anomaly of a Prortestant directing the chiirch establishments of a Catholic country : yet his impartiality and justice were such, that he never gave cause of dissatisfaction to any party and in his connexion with literature and education, he gave to his department of State business, a development and an inpetus which was unknown before. He was ever ready lo en courage and employ rising talent; and not a few who have since earned tlieir bread by writingagainst him, owed their first advancement in tho world to M. Guizot's generosity." " He has, after eight years of office, amassed in his own person all the feiids.digappointments envíes, bitternesses of checked ambitions , he has sought out odium with all the relish of a martyr ; he has made himself, not as M. de Chateaubriand termed himself, the courtier of misfortune, but the courtier of unpopularity. Othcr Premiers - M. Casimir Perier, Mortier, Broglie, Soult, Mole, Thiers - were content to be the ministers of system ; M. Guizot is the system itself. He has indentified hiinsfllf of inseparably wilh it, that if he hurled from office to-morrow, every institulion in France, is shaken to its elemental principie, while lfis personal qualities, no less than his defects, have tended to envenoni a contest, and exacérbate a struggle, which he has spared no pains to rende r in ternecine & supreme. The re is no such incentive to hatred as inverted friendship ; and it is a curious illustration of this truth, that of the seven members who, nine years ago, formed with him the Doctrinaire Committee so the Coalilion, disciples rather than coadjutors, pupils more than allies, the two vvhom he chose toaccompany him to his celebrated conference with M. Thiers and Odillion Barrot were MM. de Rarnusat and Duvergier de Hauranne (the last the author of all the Reform agitation, and the instigator of the banqueta,) now both of them among the bitterest of his antagonÍ6ts, the Cassius and Brutus of this patriotic iusurrection. Lamertine the Philosopher, Historian and Poet of France so well known to the world, now stands forth and boldly advocates the xause of freedom. His is a glorious course and shows with what ease one master spirit, by bis fearless decisión, eloquence, wisdom and kindness, can govern ar infuriated populace, and calm the turbulent spirits of a revolution. His name must be ever dear to France and the world. The Paris Presse says : " Five times during the day (February 06) M. de Lamerune addressed the people assembled under the windows ofthe Hotel de Ville : " It is thus you are led from calumny to calutnny against the men who have devoted themselves head, heart, and breast, to give you a real Republic of all rights, in all interests, and a)l the legitímate riglits ofthe people. Yesterday you asked us to usurp, in the name of the people of Paris, the rights of 35,000,000 of men ; to vote them an absolute Repubhc, instead of a Republic invested with the strength of their consent - that is to say, to mak of that Republic, imposed and not consered, the will 3Í a part of the people, instead of the will of the vvliole nation. To-day you demand from U8 the red flag instead of the tri-oolor. Citizens for my part, I will never adopt the red flag and I will explain in a word why I will oppose it vvith all the strength of my patriotism, It s, citi.ens, because the tri-colored ilag has made the tour of the world, under the ltepublic and the Empire, with our liberties and OUT glories, and that the red flag has ouly madfl the tour of the Champs de Murs, trailed thro' lorrents of the blood of the pcople." At this part of the speech oí M. de Larnertine, in that astonishing sitting of sixly hours, in the midst of an irrilated crowd, every one was suddenly aft'ected by liis words ; hands were clapped and tcars shed, and they iinislied by embracing him, ihaking his hands, and hearing liim in triumph. In a moment lifter, fresh masses peoplo arrived, anned with sabres and bayoneta. They knocked at the; doors ; they fil'cd the sallies The cry was, that all was lost; that the people were about to fire on or stifle the mernbers of the Provisional Government. M. de Lamertine was called for. He was supplicated to go once more, for the last time, to address the people. He was raised on a step of the stahcaso; the crowd remained hali'an hour without consenting to listen to him, vociferating, brandishing iheir arms of all kinds over his head. - M. de Lamertine folded his arms, recummenced his address, and h'nished bv goflenintr, appeasing, and carressing the intelligent and sensible people, and determining them eitber to withdraw or to bceome tliemselves the safeguard of the Provisional Government. The Commerce says : " Veste rday moming every heart was (illed with confidence, and the streets were crowded vviih 'piomenaders meeting, grouping and hearlily embracing, each other, and happy at finding tliemselves at the end of events the glory of which has cost the hves of so many of our brothers in gaining the great triumph of tho rights of humanity. The niglit passod admirably. We traversed Paris, frnm the Poisoniere to the Hotel of de Ville, at 2 and 4 o'colck in the morning, and at every pointf'ound the duty at the barricades admirably performed by the citizens and the National Guards ; the sentinels being vigilant and the passwords and countersigns given and returned. The capital was admirably illuminated to its roofs with lamps and olher lights of a thousand colors, and perambulated in every part bv a population intoxicated with jfiy. The Boulevards, in particular, presented a magie spectacle ; the 'Marseillaise' and the Hvmn of the Girondins resounded on all sides, the voice of women and children joining in concord with the masculine tones of the héroes of Februery 24. In the passage of Verdot, the Lyric Society of the children of Paris sang popular hymns, composed and arranged lor the event, with a precisión and harmony which went to the heart, and drew forth peals of applause at the end of every strophe. Whosoever has not seen Paris last night - Paris full of order, Union, and majesty, amid the sublime disorder of the barricades - can never form an idea of the beauties of the soverignty of the pcople." Baltimore, March 22d, 1848. ) Green House, Gray Street, No. 96. ) Jno. H. McElhany, Esq - Dear Sir ; - I have justlearned from Hcnry Tliompson Esq. tli rit my boy George is employed at the Adams House and is willing to come back to Baltimorc and work until he pays for himself, providcd I will not punish Kim for leaving me. Will you do me tlic kindness to inform hirn tbat if ho will do as lie proposes, and come directly to me, or to my brotlier in Pratt ctreet I will agree to let him work either for me or get some otlier place, and as soon as he returns me the amount he has cost me, I will give liim his freedom papers. George knows that my disposiüon towards him was to treat hun kindly and make his home as good as if he was free. I gave him on excellent suit of clothes before lie had half earned their valué, and I thought he would be contented until his time was out. But it appears that he was induced to join a runaway party notwithstandinjj. By attending to the above and using your endeavors to get him to return immediately, you will confe-r a favor on me whif.h wil] be f'ully appreciated, and which I shall be ever ready to reciprócate when nocded. Should it be necessary for you to incur any expense or loss in him ofT, it will bo repaid by me. Respectfullv yours, with regard, L. P. KEACH. P. S. RFy brother is engaged at the National Theatre as one of the company. I will write to him to cali and see if he can be of any aid. L. P. K. The following lines were suggested by reading the above epistle, as copied by the Boston Chronotype, addressed to one McElhanv, who is some sort of an habitué of the Adams' House m that citv. And ]ost thou think againto bind Thy fotters on the inmortal Blind, Of him who hus freedcm tasted? Who once lias basked in her lji-ight smile - And breathed in Liberlv awliile - Nor thought his life all wasted. Who has looked ubroad on finid and flood" - On all the " glorious works of God," VVitli a mind free to enjuy The bliss dispensed with bounteous hand, His person at his own conimand - A free enfranchised boy ! Hast tliou i;i childhoods Riuiny hunrs, Near roamed in dell,orfairy bowers, With free and wild delight? When " oarth, and air, and sea, and sky," A'iJ all around seemed to reply- r Liberty's our right. And when at eve thou hast return pd, With happiness thy bosom burned To meet a mother's Binile : A mother who could clasp her boy, Without the fear- some idle toy Might purchase him - the while - Tlien thiuk how differont was his lot, And be not all liis wocs forgot, Slavery ! was his doom - His mother trcmblcd with affright, And startli'd at the dead of nigut - A purchuser - had come ! - Then thiuk not soutliron toAind, In slavery chaina tgain-tbtt mind- Thoiigh he wkhh kindly treuted," Liberty ! hath fired his soul - And may stern slavery's control, No more to him bo meted, Battle Creek April 1848 Cora. A gentleman on being asked what ho had given for hie watcli replied a negro boy [Eng. History.]