General Cissey, the French Minister of War, on March 20th
addressed a Circular to the Generals commanding Corps d'Armie, which has just been published, and is of some im- portance. It informs them that the National Assembly has adopted a new Constitution, and that the Government, while " respecting the convictions and souvenirs which every one may have in his own conscience," expects that they should not be outwardly evinced in any reprehensible form by words, writings, or acts. As Minister of War, it would be his duty to see that every one in the Army conformed to this line of conduct. It will be observed that General Cissey, while ordering his subordinates strictly to obey the law, avoids the use of the word "Republic " altogether; but his utterance, so far as it goes, is reassuring, as no coup d'etat could be struck without his knowledge and consent. That reassures Paris, where, as we have pointed out elsewhere, apprehensions of the violent restoration of the Empire are very vivid.
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