M. St. Hilaire has issued another diplomatic circular upon the
Tunis question, the object of which, apparently, is to mis- represent everything that has occurred. The French Foreign Minister, declares that France entered Tunis only to punish the Kroumirs, and liberate the Bey from a party who desired to vex and humiliate France, and so threaten the safety of Algeria. She therefore " repressed " the Tunisian tribes, and formed a "durable alliance with the I3ey." Franco "wishes neither annexation nor conquest," but only "to assist Tunis, by her enlightened co-operation, in more and more assimilating the advantages of civilisation." The "only principle inspiring French policy is the maintenance of peace." "As nobody in the world can doubt that France would imme- diately take up arms, if care for her henour or her interests re- quired it, so she has no embarrassment iu declaring that she intends to settle amicably all the international questions in which reason can be heard, instead of force." Clearly M. St. Hilaire is penetrated, like Lord Beaconsfield, with the idea that with "words you govern men." M. St. Hilaire would, we suppose, call the defeat and capture of an ironclad an amicable settlement of Naval difference; and if he saw a lion eat a sheep, would affirm that the lion had made a "durable alliance with the mutton." France is welcome to Tunis, if she will leave Italy alone ; but there is something sickening about all this pretence, put for- ward for the pleasure of putting it forward. A Republic should be above lying, at least.
