M. Salvandy resumed his seat in the French Chamber of
Deputies on Thursday.
The tiresome debate on the address was diversified by a character- istic speech from M. Thiers, a self-eulogy. He declared, as he ascended the tribune, that the moment had arrived for him to justify the past, and to preserve France from faults for the future— He would abstain from all recrimination, but he would state that his pre- dictions last session had been completely realized. He had predicted that the policy of isolation would be abandoned; and it had been. He had foretold that the European concert would be rantered without concession; and this had taken place, for the treaty relative to the Straits could not be regarded as a conces- sion. He had predicted that there would be a disarmament, in order not to inspire uneasiness to the Powers; and the disarmament had already com- menced. • It had been pretended that cooperation had been formed in Germany to attain the object that was proposed. It was true that he was convinced Austria and Prussia had urged France to abandon her isolation to bring about a disarmament, in order to be freed from all apprehensions of war; but it was precisely on those fears that reliance should have been placed to obtain some concession. The Ministry had flattered itself that it bad preserved France from war ; but he should like to know who would have dared to take the initi- ative to wage war against France.
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