LETTERS FROM pAros, By o. P. Q. No. XXXII.

THE FRENCH STAR.CHANIBER AND THE MON'STROUS CONDEM- NATION OF 'nit.: NVEIONAL.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.

Paris, 17th December 1A14.

Ste—Deeply afflicted, profoundly indignant, and sincerdy &spooling. I have just entered my study, closed my door, directed that no intruders nue disturb my noeditations, and have resolved to endeavour as briefly, but as t■oreiloiv as possible, to depict our situation, and present you with a sk.etch of that s i.t „r tretible, agitation, civil war, distraction, and disorder, which is inevitalde pieced before us.

And I confess to you, th it I have some hesitation in my mind as to the eourse I shall adopt. I exclaim with M. CA KR EL—the great, good, wies dis- interested, patriotic, sincere, and devoted Axe a al) CA RICE —" I i: how not, Gentlemen, Peers of France, whether you are astonished at finding s out selves our judges; but we cannot for ourselves abstain from asking you, Ity what ov..orthrow of principles, by what subversion of facts, by what course of peliii • cal changes, it comes to pass, that we ale now before you—to be tried by 3 on— you being our judges ! " And yet I find, in my correspondence with the Chronicle and with the otipee- tutor (and this ;affords me a inoinelit'a consolation) that I have ter fear years past predicted this result. I have told you, and I have told the fri,!ools of li- berty in England and in America, that which I once more repear—th It there is no medium between marching with a revolution and marching ag tinst a revo- lution; and that the moment the French and English Whigs (for such men as GREY, PROCCHIAM, and Atermee, and such men as De Bsocr.te, Prates, and DurD4, are the real authors of all our present calamities) obtained power, and resolved on " arresting the progress of the Revolution," horn that eminent the Coureree-Revotuelor, Wet inevitable ; and in England you marched to TORYISM, as in France we march to HENRY THE FIFTH. Ye!, by Heaven it is true ! The WHIGS, in whom a large portion of the frit-tali a libel ty in England confided, have sold the cause of. Reform i as in France the .Drsce Matter and the DOCTRINAIRES have sold the Revolution of Ds:3o1 to the Counter-Revolution anti to the French Tories. These are bard saying,s—these are blunt truths—these are plait, facts. I state them broadly, not for the first or even for the hundredth time. The English Reformers did not undetatatel their luta:ion—did not act up to their duties—did not carry- out and carry no their own principles; and over and over again, when spoken te, and when wit:ten to, by the French Reformers, they replied—" We are for a Parliamentary Opposi- tion, and we disapprove the conduct of the French Republicans." Mt It [LAST, CAvsinrssc, CARREL, and others, obtained no sympathy and no nil. I grieve over this, and I have laboured hard to avert its consequences. But lane the moment has arrived when the Kings are unanimous against the People—when the " Resistance" is united, and when the " Movement" is not uninal—when all is organized against the People, and when nothing is organized for the People. I repeat to you, "Ii IS TOO LATE!" You will not believe me. Yee tell me that I may and probably do know best about France, but that you know best about England. Be it so. I will wait a few weeks, or a few months Iunger, if you desire it. I will see what a GENERAL ELECTION Will WINIOCe. 1 Will See tollEt a new Rouse of Commons will effect. Only, I do not so wait to con- vince myself, but I so wait that I may please you. I know the conductors and the readers of the Spectator are men who love liberty and most ardently desire her triumphs. But as sure as that there is a God in heaven it is true that when you suppoit as Reformers such men as Lord PALMERSTON, and re- juice in in the prospect of the reelection of Whigs, and timid, nervous, alarnoed, and aristocratical Commoners, you are preparing for yourselves that very Counter- Revolution of which you have so great a horror, and to prevent which yon would make any sacrifice. Let Whigs support Whigs, let Tories support Tories, but let Reformers support Reformers. The Whigs anti the Tories of France have conducted us to our Counter-Revolution' Which is marehing with such giant strides, that liktOUGHA yeiterday heard PA St:171f IL, the President of the French Star-Chamber, refuse to AllitA SD Calmer. the light of even naming the butchered, the assassinated, the nturderoi aterahal NET ; and Oil+ same Star- Chamber, without heating the defence of Cestats on behdf of- the National newapaper, condemned the nohle-ntintled perant of that in- comparable journal to TWO T RS' Ff51505,110111 to TEM THOUSAND Chests ri r. for • simple libel on the Chamber of Peers. When ARMAND CARREL looked round on the hoary criminals-whom F. addressed in the shape of judges—when he remembered, as he- contemplated them, that a great number of them had pronounced the ILLEGAL MURDER of NET—that a great number had voted for Vrtteze, supported all sorts of per- szeutions against the press, passed all 'torts of laws to put it down—too:mob it ; whilst others had chauuted " Amen!" to all the decrees of the Empire as Senators--never daring to open their mouths except to sing Rome laudatory chorus in honour of all that NAPOLEON ever meditated or effected against na- tional institutions and representative asaerablies—when ARMAND CA ItItEL remembered that these men, now collected together in 1834 as judges had hidden themselves up four years ago in cellars and in garrets, or hail tied; precipitately to foreign climnuts, afraid and ashamed of showing their faces Oa Fiance in broad day—and even burning their robes and ornaments as- Peers, arid changing their names, lest they should be found out and scooted by the people as the assassins of Mai Slial Nay; when AKM A ND CA eucen. saw and recolleetol all this, he could not help exclainling—" Some months have only elapsed since the events of July; and things and men and politics are taking their wonted course, just as they did before the Revolution of 1830 ; awl this in such a manner and to such an extent, that at a time not far removed, another catastrophe, MUCH MORE BLOODY than those which have preceded it, is sere to take place, for it is inevitable,"

This is the fact. Mark his words well in 'England ! " Another catastrophe, much more bloody than those which have preceded it, is, at a period not far removed, 'holly tricvtrear.z."

" We have wen (confirmed Canon.) the Mood flow in torrents ; and we ask cart-selves, 4. it can be that all this blood has been spilt in vain—and if it hart all bee• lost for the cause of civilization, and of our common country ? This is the doubt, 'Gentlemen, Peers, which we feel in appearing at this bar. Is all that has harpened been an illusion ? Has there really been a Revolution of s'folv it all ? Is it then not true, that the public places, the palaces of kings, the.place lin which you held your sittings, belonged for eight days entire to a magnartimous people, far sup 'nor in intelligence, in morality, in courage, to the multitudes in olden times who assembled on the memorable 5th and 6th October, the 201 June, the 10th August, and even the days of Sep- tember ? Are we fools, or are we impostors, when we recall to our Teeollection the fact, that this magnanimous People were repaid for all nheir pains and anxieties, sacrifines and sweat, by proclaiming this 'People 4 SOVEREIGN'—saying to this People—promiing to this People— that there should be no longer a Royalty but such a one as it should approve ; that there should be no longer a Legislative Representation but in its name ; and that even Legal Justice itself should be administered in the name of that People, holding its power from the People, who should invest even the Judges with authority ? Surely, Peers and Gentlemen, we must have been dreaming of marvellous things which have never existed ; for we find ourselves, the People, brought before YOU !—dragged from the oldinary tribunals—refused the justice which we demand at the hands of the country--taken away by force from our national judges and jury—and compelled to appear here in virtue of laws which we never dreamt of existing after the Revolution of Juiy--obliged to ask you as a favour the right of explaining ourselves—not of defending ourselves, for one de- fends oneself solely before a regular and legal tribunal. Before the Court of Peers, as before all exceptional and illegal tribunals, it is quite enough to ex- plain oneself—to defend oneself is impossible—but to explain is enough to save appearances!"

Yes, this is the fact : and it fills us with amazement and with stupor. The French Peerage, which was scouted as anti-national, aristocratical, and despotic, in 18:30, now sift on the throne of its former misdoings, and Summons illegally, unconstitutionally, and against the letter as well as against the spirit of the Charter, the Press and the People to the bar of its Star-Chamber!

But the People—the leaders of' the People—French Reformers—are not ex- empt from blante. N. CARREL has admitted the fact- When they were in power, they did not put down their enemies ; they dhl not carry out and into full effect their own principle.; they left to the future Chamber of Deputies the task of making a Press Law, and making aJury Law, and making an Electoral Law, and making Municipal and Departmental Laws : and what was the conse- quence? Why, the People have been tricked, deceived, and insulted. Hear on this subject the avowal of A RNIAND CARREL—" We must reproach ourselves, Men of Joly as we are, that we left such power—that we left such arms and instruments in the hands of the newly-formed Government. We now learn to our cost, that liberty does not defend herself by peaceable habits and by public opinion, however pronounced and decided it may be ; hut by force, clear- ness, and the perfect harmony of all guarantees for the future, which must be ob- tained before laying down the weapons which have been taken up to insure a full success. The Revolution of July has been much praised for its extreme moderation, and it is not us who will blame it, but posterity will reproach that Revolution for its incredible confidence in the newly-founded Government. Scarcely has it saved itself from the bayonets of the Swiss troops, when it falls, as to-day, by the blows of its pretended friends."

M. CARREL then admitted, that a portion of the blame incurred by those who placed so much confidence in the Government founded in July 18:30, be- longed to himself and his friends. "We had plebeian and philosophical hatreds, hut we had no well-arranged and digestal political opinions. We knew how to reconquer the liberty we had lost, hut we did not know how to take care not to lose it again. Thus, of all the conquests we made in July, but one emblem remains to us—the drapcan tricolore ; but one word—" National Sovereignty ; and one immortal example, in order to teach us never to despair of a great and a holy cause."

But I cannot go on with these citations. I should fill your paper—and you have no room ; arid I have yet something else to say.

The National of 1834 was summoned before this modern Star-Chamber to account for an article which it contained a few days since, reproaching the Chamber of Peers for its past conduct, and urging it, troll) a ,ense of shame and of decency, to declare itself INCOMPETENT IO try for rr IG II TREASON the THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY REPUBLICANS sent by the Jude Milieu and Doctrinaires to its bar. This article of the National was strong, nervous, and severe. It reminded the Peers of France of their former conduct and of their former judg- ments; 'and counselled them to recollect that history would be severe—that Marshal NET, who was condemned and executed by them and their orders, was now immortalized, while his judges were denounced as murderers. For this article the Notional was cited at the bar of the Star-Chamber: the Peers tried their own case—declared all who spoke against them were scoun- drels—procured an eulogium in favour of their own characters—and condemned the geraut of the National to TWO TEARS' imprisonment, and the paper to TEN THOUSAND FRANCS FINE.

The defence of the National was interrupted. PASQUIER, the black Re- corder of the French Old Bailey, could not bear the name of Marshal NET. CARREL pronounced it often. "Defender," saint this wretched old man, " you are speaking before the Chamber of Peers. There are in this a.sembly judges of Marshal NET. To say, as you have just done, that the judges who condemned 'him stand more in need of having their characters reinstated in public opinion than the Marshal, their victim, is an expression which may be considered as an offence against this Chamber. Take care, or the law which is applied now to M. Roots: may be applied to you."

But what said CARREL? " If amongst the members of this House who voted the death of Marshal NET, and who still sit here, there is one who finds himself wounded by inv words, let him make a proposition against me; let him denounce rue—let him call me to the bar of this House. I will appear before it. I shall be proud to be the first man of the generation of 1830, who shall come here to protest, in the name of indignant France, against this ABOMINABLE ASSASSINATION'"

When CARREL had thus spoken, the public shouted with ecstasy ; and the Peers who had voted the death of NET hung down their heads. "I prohibit you from speaking any more," said the President ; and CARREL at down. But amongst the Peers whom he addressed there was one French • man—one honest IIIRII—one who gave way to his emotions of generosity and of justice. General EICELMANS rose and cried—" YES, I AGREE IN THE OPINION OF M. CARREL. YES, THE CONDEMNATION OF 3lARSHAL NEY WAS A JUDICIAL ASSASSINATION."

The rest of the trial was comparatively unimportant : l.3S Pi ers voted the condemnation of the National, and only 15 its acquittal ; 121 Peers voted for 10,000 francs fine, the rest for smaller sums; 95 for two years' prison, and being tithe-1