"Your Majesty will not forget, that while King Charles reigned over France, I was the most faithful of his subjects; and that it was only at the moment when I saw the power of the Royal authority totally annihilated, that I believed it my duty to defer to the national wishes, in accepting the Crown to which I was called.

"It is upon you, Sir, above all, that France has fixed her eyes. It is her delight to see in Russia her most natural and most powerful ally ; and my guarantee that her confidence will not be deceived, are the noble character, and distinguished qualities of your Majesty.

(Signed)

"I am, &c.

"LOUIS-PHILIPPE."

The Duke of Orleans informs the Emperor of Russia that "he would willingly have prevented the catastrophe." Why did he not, then? Why did he not hasten to Charles X., and apprise him of the conspiracy of which he was at least the object, if not the chief?

The Duke of Orleans informs the Emperor of Russia that the government of Charles X. had, for a long time, pursued a conduct unsuited to the expectation and wishes of the nation. We suppose that this particularly alludes to the Royal

proclamation which was denounced by the liberal party, but which called forth the congratulations of his Royal Highness. If he were so prescient, why did the Duke not interfere? The appointment of Polignac excited odium and suspicion. Why did not the Duke remonstrate with Polignac, and impress upon him the necessity of prudence and moderation? he had sufficient opportunities. There never was a Minister with whom the Duke of Orleans was oftener closeted with, in the same time, than with Polignac. About this time, the King of Spain had published an Ordonnance, striking at the essence of the Salic Law, and contingently affecting the interests of the house of Orleans. The Duke solicited Polignac to protest earnestly against the Ordonnance in the name of Charles X. He even proposed that France should ally herself with the Spanish Apostolicals, or party of Don Carlos; and so far from then exhibiting his disgust or suspicion of the Polignac system, the Duke proposed that they should eject the Spanish Minister Ballasteros by some bold coup d'état, and establish a Ministry in Spain analogous to that in France.

The Duke of Orleans informs the Emperor of Russia that, notwithstanding all this, “the attachment to the laws, and the love of order, have made

such progress in France, that the resistance to this Ministry would not certainly have extended beyond a parliamentary medium, if, in his insanity, the Minister himself had not given the fatal signal, by the odious violation of the Charter." Of what order is France so enamoured, and to what laws is it so attached? The order based upon hereditary government is not the one to which it is so devoted, for it has rejected it. As for the laws all that at present exist in France are questioned. The civilisation of France is provisional: and what is all this babble about the violation of the Charter? Charles is banished for violating the Charter; and, ever since he has lost his crown, the successful party has been solely engaged in following his example. The Charter has been violated every day with impunity. And what does this prove? Only that the Charter was a forced institution, unsuited to the genius of the country; and that neither King nor people could proceed without disembarrassing themselves of it. The French should recal Charles X., out of gratitude for having set them so excellent an example.

The Duke of Orleans informs the Emperor of Russia that no excess followed this terrible struggle; not any. The King and the Royal Family

were banished; the Ministers, tried without law, were attainted in their persons, imprisoned for life; the Chamber of Peers purged; the emblems of religion and royalty every where pulled down, and the new King directed by his people not to bear any longer the shield of his ancestors. Let us not forget the supplementary riots of the heroes. All this was, no doubt, in the eyes of him who got a throne by it, very moderate; but to my mind it seems somewhat excessive. I need hardly add that, although carefully hushed up, there has been no inconsiderable proportion of plunder and murders.

The Duke of Orleans informs the Emperor of Russia that, notwithstanding the lofty forbearance of the nation, it was difficult to prevent some shock in the social state; and talks of the experiment of political theories, which might precipitate France and Europe into terrible calamities.

The vague phrase in Italics alludes to a Republic. We are, therefore, to understand that the Duke of Orleans is such a devoted Royalist, that the very idea of a Republic made him instantly betray his King. I believe that a large majority of those who helped him to the diadem now very much doubt whether such a result would have been so fatal to the general interests of France as

his Royal Highness imagines. A Republic would have certainly led to the exclusion of the house of Orleans; but might it not have occasioned the restoration of the old house of Bourbon?

"Under these circumstances," continues the Duke of Orleans, "the eyes of all France were turned upon me." Now the fact is, that the revolt having broken out before its time (for it had been prepared by the Orleanist faction for some days later, and the signal of sedition was to have been the refusal of the taxes), the Orleanists were totally unprepared; and the people, without leaders, at first followed their own inclinations. In the course of time, the Orleanists rallied their scattered senses; but at last, and I speak from personal observation,— it was with fear and trembling that the Duke was proposed as LieutenantGeneral, the very proposers giving the people to understand that they must look upon the Duke only as a sort of Republican President, in concert with the deity of the mob, La Fayette. To the last, M. Mauguin, the most influential member of the Hôtel de Ville, never gave his consent to the nomination of the Duke as Lieutenant-General. To the very last, a bold and able man might have more easily preserved the crown for Charles than have given it to Louis-Philippe. The persons