FRANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 626, 28 November 1863, Page 8

FRANCE.

Baron de Budberg handed to M. Drouya deLhuys, on Sept. 14, the Kussian reply to the French note. According to a statement in the Nation of the same date, the reply of Russia avoids reverting toadiscussion ot the six points, in consideration ot the harmony of the Cabinets upon that subject. Neither does the rep'y refer to the question of the armistice or the Conference. Prince Gortschakoff coufine9 himself to discussing the expediency of applying the measuivs claimed on behalf of Poland by the three Powers. The tone of the Russian despatch is sail to be very conciliatory. Baron de Budberg has received a long memoir on the internal organisation of the Russian empire, which will be officially communicated to M. Drouyn de Lhuys. The French newspapers are as one in stating that the Ru9siau reply to the French note leaves thing? precisely as they stood with respect to Poland. La France, replying to those whom it terms war fanatics, maintains that it is impossible for France to make war alone, and says that England and Austria do not wish to go beyond diplomatic action. It does not reject a more energetic action, but such must only take place on condition that the flags of England, Austria, and other sympathetic Powers float beside that of France, thus preserving to the Polish question its Furopean character. The Constitutionnel states that France does not stand alone in her opinion regarding the affairs of the western provinces of Russia, or upon the other points raised in the Russian reply. The writer calls to mind that Lord Castlereagh in 1815, and Lord Palmerston in 1831, treated the subject in the same sense as M. Drouyn de Lhuys : - " The Polish question has now evidently entered a new phase, and will require the most careful examination." The Nation believes that nothing has yet been decided upon the subject of the last communications of Prince Gortschakoff." La France says that if the three Powers should decide to make a common com-uunication to Russia, it will be ot a different character from an ordinary note, and in diplomatic language will receive another name. It is, however, impossible positively to dotermine what resolutions circumstances may decide the Cabinets to adopt, and it will be necessary to await the progress of events. The Debats and Opinion Rationale, eager possibly to profit by the publication of the reply to England before the appearance of that to France, published in the Mo^iteur, and which they knew would be nearly identical but less safe to criticise, lost no time in attacking the British Cabinet by anticipation for its assumed want of spirit, reflecting thereby on the French Government, should it leave Muscovite outrecuidance without punishment or retort. " It is difficult," says the Opinion, "to be more gracefully impertinent than Prince Gortschakoff. British pride was formerly proverbial. If the London Cabinet declaaes itself satisfied with the reply of the Russian Chancellor, one must henceforward speak of British humility. It is a Christian virtue which our neighbours will have acquired rather late : but a government is always in time to arrive at this eublime degree of abnegation." The Debats, at greater length, and with its usual cautious slyness, takes up a similar strain. The Siecle and the Patrie say little, but that little sufficiently indicates the great dissatisfaction they feel at what is generally considered the termination, at least for the present, of the diplomatic discussion between Russia and the three powers. La France of Sept. 23, states that the last replies of Prince Gortschakoff have produced the same impression at London as in Paris. The three courts continue in perfect agreement, and It is not impossible j that events may draw France and England into an intimate accord, with the object of meeting the eventualities which may arise from the present situation of France. Russia has broken the treaties of 1815 in their stipulation relative to Poland. This is a grave fact, creating a new situation in Surope. The writer is .convinced that France will not abuse it, and will not lightly yield to the temptations held out by the arrogance of her adversaries. While escaping from the bonds which lately weighed upon her, France has aot overstepped the respect for law and justice, which ire the immutable bases of all treaties. The Gortschakoff despatches continue to be tbe mly topic of discussion. To those- who incline to the jelief that the Governments will reply to them, it is >bje:ted that, considering Russia's declaration of the iselessness of prolonging the discussion, it is difficult ;o suppose that the three Powers will deem it opporunc again to offer remarks on the arguments of the it. Petersburg cabinet. A fresh communication to tussia could hardly be anything but an ultimatum, md it is thought that the time for that has not .rrlved. The 'France' newspaper, hitherto very i-iciflc in this affair, now addresses Russia in a tone f warning, if not of menace, and reminds her that in 854 the Kmperor Nicholas was firmly convinced that Jngland would never ally herself with Fiance in th« Hast, and that Austria would not enter into an amiable understanding with the Western Powers, and icilitate, by placing armies on the frontier and in ac Danubiaa Principalities, the active operations of iie war. Russia is right, says the 'France,' in thinking tiat nobody in Europe systematically desires war. but either would anybody' be afraid of a war in which »ejgreat Powers, uniting their forces and their flags, 1 oiiflding'one in ! the other, and unsuspected/ of. scret ambitions, should march together in the invest of the equilibrium of Europe and in that of 4

right and humanity against Russia, isolated and enfeebled. England and Austria have a still greater interest than France to curtail the empire of the Czars. Public opinion begins to get excited in those two countries by the almost defiant tone of the Russian despatches. It in to re desired that Russia may not show herself too confident in presence of these eventualities. An unusual senation was created in Paris on Sept. 22nd by the publication in the Moniteur of the important Stste paper addressed by the national government of Poland to Prince Czartoriski. This manifesto is, in fact, the official and complete vindication by the Polish national government of their cause and their resolves. It is on answer to every point of Prince GortsehakofFs despatches and an announo meut of the policy of unflinching resistance which Poland means to pursue. But it must be remembered that it is not technially the circular of a government. It is the manifesto of men who are not even recoenised as belligerent?. Therefore it could not but create surprise when the official organ of the emperor published such a document. The letter occupies eight columns of the Moniteur, absorbing indeed nearly all the space alloted to news in the edition of the 22ad. The Bourse was sensibly affected at once, and the Pavis papers eagerly discussed the meaning of the fact. No one doubts that it has a meaning ; and the friends ot Poland are filled with the hope that it is deliberately designed as the first reply of the French Government to the contemptuous and arrogant despatches of Prince Gortschakoff. The French press argue that the insertion of the Polish memorandum forms an event and that it will produce a lively impression throughout Europe. The Temps thinks the insertion tantamount to moral recognition, the importance of which would be nullified were it not the precursor of the recognition of the Poles as belligerent?. The Moniteur Bays:— "The steamer Florida is not a privateer, as was believed. She forms part of the military marine of the Confederate States, and her officers are furnished with regular commissions. The Florida has all the character of an ordinary vessel of war." La France states that the result of the note in the Moniteur respecting the Florida is to give greater prominence to the belligerent quality acquired by the Confederate Government, and to allow the Florida'to profit by all the rights and all the advantages enjoyed by neutrals in French ports. La France continues : — " The quality of a vessel of war gives certain particular rights. Such vessels cannot be seized. If persona having suffered loss claim indemnity, such claim can only be made by one Government to the other." The English journals are mistaken, says the Pays, in looking upon the note lately published in the Moniteur respecting the Florida as a great step towards the recognition of the Confederate States. The note in question was the result of a declaration made two years ago recognising the Confederate States in the quality of a belligerent. No act since then has announced an intention on the patt of France to go further. If the Emperor's Government believed itself bound to recognise nise the Confederate States as a constituted Power, and to establish official relations with their govern, ment, it would do so openly, and not by indirect means. The Duke of Cambridge has arrived in Parti. Count de Persigny has been created a Duke by the Emperor. The Pays of the Bth of September, in an article signed by the secretary of the paper, while criticising the exaggeration of other papers relative to the Frankfort Congress and the constitutional scheme attributed to Russia, says the incident of the Frankfort Congress hare neither interrupted nor changed the agreement of France, Austria, and England upon the Polish question. They have, however, caused an exchange of views which has brought to light a point of contact and an agreement ot opinion between France, Prussia, and Russia creating greater facility for a friendly and satisfactory solution of the Polish question, without arousing au7 fresh embarrassment in the general situation. The guarantees for the maintenance of peace are rather strengthened than weakened. A pamphlet which has appeared at Paris under the title of •• France Mexico, and the Confederate States," puts forth the interest which France has to recognise the Confederate States, and the impossibility of a re-establishment of the American Union. The pamphlet maintains that the American war will only be useful to France if the separation between North and South be definitely pronounced, " for," it continue, " the Confederate States will beour allies, and will guarantee us from attacks by the North. Mexico being thus guaranteed against attack from tbe North will fulfil our hopes, and our manufacturers wilL obtain the cotton which is absolutely necessary for them." The Memorial Diplomatique announces the acceptance of the Mexican throne by the Archduke Maximilian, and adds :— Since the opening of the negotiations the archduke has only stipulated two conditions, viz : — A spontaneous and unanimous appeal ' from tbe Mexican people, and the moral and material co-operation of the Western Powers in the establishment of a respected and stable government. The Pays says: — The conditiocs brought by Nubar Pacha, relative to the Suez Canal, are said to be almost unacceptable. We believe ourselves able to state that M. Drouyn de Lhuys demands the strict execution of the programme agreed upon between ' the late Viceroy ot Egypt and the Suez Canal Company. A report from Paris that the Emperor has ordered - the reinforcement of the naval squadron on the coast of North America is calculated to give risa. to some speculation. This trill not be diminished by the additional statement that the diplomatic agents of France absent on leave are ordered to return to their posts. The Pa trie asserts that the reason for Mr Mason leaving London is the difficulty raised by Earl Russell upon the subject of the ships building in English ports for the Confederates.