FRANCE. 





North i,. \i-it. th. exhibition. Many 



amnnu' tli, -in tin- Emperors of 



. ami Austria, th- Kin^ <>f Prussia, the 



Sultan, tin- Viceroy ofK-ypt, ami a l.n.th.-r of 



T!,,- TSfc i of Japan. Durin- the stay of the 



KIII|K : i:i in Paris an attempt to shoot 



him was made by an exiled Pole, hut it t'aih-il. 

 iOD Of the Chambers was o; 



,,n Ni>\ ember l*th. Tin- chief 



foreign and homo politics were thus 



The German Question. Notwithstanding the decla- 



rniiK-iit, which has never varied in 



titmlo, the belief has been spread tliut 



a the internal svstem ot Germany 



use of conflict. This state of uncer- 



: i"t endure longer. It is necessary to ac- 



:he changes that have taken place upon 



lo of the Rhine ; to proclaim that, so long 



moiir 1 our dignity shall not be threatened. 



interfere in the transformations effected 



\\i^h of the populations. The disquiet that 



has been displayed is difficult of explanation at a period 



in wind! France has offered to the world the most im- 



' spectacle of conciliation and of peace. 



*<il ExSntion.fbe Universal Exhibi- 



uearly all the Sovereigns of Europe have 



1 where the representatives of the labor- 



i all countries have met, has drawn closer 



- ot' fraternity between the nations. It has dis- 



- will leave a deep impression 



upon our ax'c, for if, after having majestically risen, 

 .liibitioii has only shone with momentary bril- 

 troyed forever a past of prejudices 

 . The shackles of labor and of intelli- 

 .rriers between the different peoples aa 

 . lillVrent classes, international hatreds 

 these are what the Exhibition has cast behind. These 

 incontestable pledges of concord do not allow us to 

 h improving the military institutions of 

 is tho imperative duty of every govern- 

 ment to follow progress, independently of circum- 

 stances, in all the elements which constitute the 

 strength of a country ; and it is for us a necessity to 

 bring to perfection our military organization as well 

 as our weapons and our navy. The project of law 

 presented to the Legislative Body divided equally 

 between all citizens the charges ot recruiting. That 

 system has appeared too absolute, and arrangements 

 have been come to for mitigating its application. 

 Measures have been adopted to diminish this burden. 

 Since then I have thought it advisable to submit this 

 important question to turthcr consideration. In fact, 

 this dillicult problem cannot be too carefully investi- 

 LMti'.l. a< it touches upon such great and often con- 

 tradict^ry interests. My Government will propose 

 now arrangements to you. which are only simple 

 ; -anons of the law ot 1832, but wliich achieve 

 the object I have always had in view the reduction 

 of the effective strength of the army during peace, 

 and its increase during time of war. You will ex- 

 amine them, as also the organization of tho National 

 Ciiianl Mobile, under the impression of that patriotic 

 that the stronger we shall be the more certain 

 will be the assurance of peace that peace which it is 

 the wish of us all to preserve, and which seemed for 

 a moment in din 



The J-'oinnn Question. Revolutionary agitations, 

 prepared in broad daylight, threatened tho Pontifical 

 ;e convention of the 15th of September not 

 havii: euted, I have been compelled once 



again to sen,! our troops to Rome, and to protect the 

 ie Holy See by repulsing tho invaders. 

 < Mir c< m-luct could not partake of any tiling hostile to 

 .1*1 independence of Italy ; and that nation, 

 t'nr a moment surprised, has not been long in under- 

 standing the dangers wliich these revolutionary mani- 

 <>ns caused to the monarchical principle and to 

 VOL. vn. 21 



European order. Calm U now almost entirely re- 

 established in tin- Btafc - of tl i'"po, and we may 



caleulatr tin- pPi\i- ops will M 



reealletl home. For US the eonveiitiofi ol'tlu: 1.1th Of 



\ista BO long on it is not n-j.laced by a 



rial act. The relations of Italy to the 



Holy See interest the whole of Knn.pi . nnd vre have 



proposed to the powers to settle those relation* at a 



conference, a i,,l thus to pn-vent new complications. 



T/teL'ateri Attention! irned 



to the Ka>tern <|ue>tion, from which, ne.vi rtheless, 

 the conciliators spirit of tho powers rcne 

 irritatin',' character. If some differences of opinion 

 have existed between them as to the means of I. ring- 

 ing about the pacification of Crete, I am happy t 

 nounco that they are all agreed upon two principal 

 points viz., tho maintenance of the integrity of the 

 Ottoman Empire ? and the improvement of the con- 

 dition of the Christians. . 



Foreign politics permit us, therefore, to devote all 

 our efforts to domestic improvements. Since your 

 last session universal suffrage has been called upon 

 to elect a third of the members of the Conseils G6- 

 ncraux. These elections, held with oalm and inde- 

 pendence, have everywhere demonstrated the good 

 feeling of the people. The journey I have made with 

 the Empress in the east and north of Franco has af- 

 forded the opportunity for manifestations of sym- 

 pathy which nave profoundly touched me. I have 

 been able to ascertain once more that nothing has 

 occurred to shake the confidence that the people have 

 placed in me, and tho attachment they entertain tow- 

 ard my dynasty. For my part, I labor incessantly 

 to anticipate their wishes. 



The year 1867 is of special importance in the 

 history of France as regards its foreign policy. 

 In the Mexican question, thp government with 

 undisguised reluctance carried out the agree- 

 ment with the United States, according to 

 which the French troops were withdrawn 

 from Mexico. Their return was soon fol- 

 lowed by the capture and execution of Maxi- 

 milian, which the government confessed was a 

 great blow to the influence and y>rc#tige of 

 France in international questions. Tho Lux- 

 emburg question threatened for a time serious 

 complications with Prussia, which were fortu- 

 nately averted by the London conference, at 

 which both France ami Prussia made some con- 

 cessions. Efforts were made by France in the 

 later months of the year to establish close re- 

 lations with the South-German States, and to 

 prevent their being drawn into a closer union 

 with Prussia; but the French overtures were 

 rejected by all the South-German governments. 

 An interview between the Emperors of France 

 ami Austria attracted great attention, and was 

 for some time believed to have resulted in the 

 conclusion of an offensive and defensive alli- 

 ance of the two countries ; but a circular from 

 M. de Moustier to the diplomatic agents of 

 Franco, dated August 20th, denied that the in- 

 terview had a'iy political significance, and i_ r :ive 

 tho assurance that " the journey of their Ma- 

 jesties was solely dictated by tho idea of boar- 

 iiii: an affectionate testimony of sympathy t^ 

 the imperial family of Austria, so cruelly af- 

 flicted by a recent misfortune." The relations 

 with Austria remained, however, more intimate 

 than with any other foreign government. The 

 disturbances in the Papal States led to 

 intervention on the part of France, and to a 



