The Emperor's Speech At The Opening Of The French Legislature, Feb. 4 1861

Messieürs les Sen-ateurs, Messieurs les Deputes - The spocch at the opening of eaoh aession sums up, in a few worcta, the past events and' the projects of the future. Up tü tliis day that communication, rostrioted in its nature, has uot put my government in relations -intimate onough with the great bodies of the State, and these bodios wero thus deprived of the J means of strougtheiiing tho governraeut by thoir public adhosion, or asaisting it by their advice. I have decided that every year a goneral expositioo of the gituation of the Empire shall be placed before you, and the most important dispatehcs of diplomaey shall bc laid on your tables. You will also be ablc. in an address, to' manifest your sentiments on the facts which are boiug aceomplished, no longer as formerly, by a simple paraphxase of the speech from the throne, but by a freo and sincere expressiou ofyour opijiou. Exhaust, gentlemen, during the vote on the address, all pointi of discussion, according to the proporción of their iinportance, that you raay havo the powur afterwards to devote yoursel"cs entirely to the affairs of the country ; for, if these points demand a profound aud conscientious examiuation, the other interests, in their turn, impatiuntly expect prompt dg cisiona. Ou the eve of more detailed explanations, I will limit myself to recalling to mind, summarily, that whioh has been done at home and abroad : At homo, all tho nieasurcs that have becu taken teud to iucrease the agricultural, commercial, and industrial produotion. The darness of all things ia the inevitable consequence of the increasing prosperity, but at least ought we to seek to render articles of first necessity the least dear. It is with that view that wo havo diminished the duüos on raw materials, have signed a treaty of commerce witb England, have projected, or coutraoted, other treatiea with ueighboring countries, and facilitated evorywhero tho means of communieation and of transport. To realizo these economieal reforms, we have renounced 90,000,000 ofannualreceipts, yet the budget will be presauted to you ia equilibrum, without its haviag been necessary to havo recourse to the croation of uew taxes, nor to the publio credit, as I announced to you last year. The changes iutroduced into the administratiiin of Algcria have vested the superior direotion of affairs in the popuiation themsolves. The illustrious services of the Marshal placed at the head of the Colony are guáranteos of order and prosperity. Abroad, I have ecdeavored to prove, in my relations with Foreign Pcvvers, that Franco sincerely desires peace, aud that, without renouncinjr a legitímate influence, sho does not pretend to iuterfere iu any place where her ïuterests are not concerns ed ; and finally, that, if sho sympathizewith all that is great and uoble, sho does not hesitato to condemn everything whioh violates international right and justiee. Evonts difticult to bo foresoen have combined in Italy to complícate a state of things alreudy embarrassed. My government, agreeing with its allies, has considered that tho best meiins of obviating t!ie greatest dangers was to havo reouurau to tha principie of uon intcrveutioii, whioh leavus each couutry waaier of its destiny, localizes quostions, aud prevuuts tlieai from degenerating iuto Europoan couflicts. I certaiuly am not iguoi'aut that this S3rstem ossesses tho inconvenience of appcaring to authorize many grievous oxcesses. Exti-eme views would prefcr anothei' course: some that Franca suoukl particípate in, aud rsakü eoiumou causa in, every rcvolutiou ; othors, that France should place herself at the head of-general reaetion. I will aot allow myself to be diverted from my path by Ijhesö opposite indueoments it is suñieiont for the greatness of the country that its righta bü niaiiitiúücd iu the quarters iu which they aro incontestable ; to dcfend its honor whenever it uiay bo attacked, and to afford her support whore it is rupplicated by a just oauae. It is tima that we havo maiutaiiied our rights iu caubing tlie recogúitiou of tha cessiou of S.ivoy and Nico. These provinces are irrevocably unitcd to Franoe. It is thus that, to !u-en--i; our honor in tho extrem.; East, our iiag, uuited witli that of Great Britain. llo;iLs victoriously over tho w.ills of Pekiug, and that tho cross, emblem of Christiau oivilization. agaiu surmounts in the capital of China the templos of our roligiou, which have becu closed for more than a eentury. It is tims th:it, iu tl:u naiiie of humauity, our troop.s have gone to Syria, iu virtue of a EufOjjcan Cp;ivention, iu order to piotcct tbc C.'liristiau agaiust a blind fauaticism At Kouie I have cousidercd it nuixssary to iqcre.ase ! the garrison uhen the sesurity uf tin; Hofy Father appeared to be threateacd, I havo sent my floet to (j.iet.i at the mjment when it seemcd that it must be the last refuge of the King of Ñjvplea - After having ailowcd it to reiü.-iin shcre four nionths, I withjrow it. llowover woi-thy otVympathy might be a royal misfotptuoe BÓ noble dfe&ded) tho presenoe of our war-vessela obliged us to dcjiait everv 'lay from the fffstei) of neutrality whic'h I 'hail [H-oelarrnod, aud gave riso U) ;'ituiioous iiitorpiccitioiis; butyouküow that, in polu-y, une iiardly believes in the jío.süiiüty oí a puro Uinrteo&lted h;;Sucli is a rapid exposittoii uf tna geaerul situatioif. Lot ;my a. prehensión, therefbré, be disaipated umi let oci&i o ttbiwhcd W'liy slu.uid not eoiuuior ial add indiutrwl idïaitt ossuièe a new I devetopboni .- My 6nn na lutiou is not to enter uto aay ocínflict ia Wfei ■ cause of France should not be based on right and jifstiou. What, fhen, have wc to fear ? Can a united and compact nition, tiumberiog forty milüons of souls, fuar to bo drawn hito gtruggles, tbo aim of which sho coulJ not approve, or be provoked by any monace wliatever ? Tlie tirst virtuc of a poople s to have confidence in it.self, and not allow itsolf to be diaturbod by iuiaginary fvlarnis. Iict ua, then, calmly renard tliü furo iu tlie i'ull coiiseiousness of our strcnglh, a3 well as in our honorable iutentions ; let us engage, without oxaggerated pre-oecupa tions, in the developmotit of the germs of the prosperity that Providence places ia our hands.