The great probability seems still to be, as it has, I think, all
along been, that, in the conflict of opposing parties, Louis Napoleon
would remain master of the field, and it would very much weaken our
position at Paris, and be detrimental to British interests if Louis
Napoleon, when he had achieved a triumph, should have reason to think
that during the struggle the British representative took part (I
mean by a manifestation of opinion) with his opponents. Now we are
entitled to judge of that matter only by your despatches; and I am
sure you will forgive me for making some observations on those which
we have received this week. Your long despatch of Monday appeared
to be a funeral oration over the President, with a passage thrown
in as to his intentions to strike a _coup d’état_ on a favourable
opportunity, as if it were meant to justify the doom which was about to
be pronounced upon him by the Burgrave majority. Your despatches since
the event of Tuesday have been all hostile to Louis Napoleon, with
very little information as to events. One of them consisted chiefly
of a dissertation about Kossuth, which would have made a good article
in the _Times_ a fortnight ago; and another dwells chiefly upon a
looking-glass broken in a club-house, and a piece of plaster brought
down from the ceiling by musket shots during the street fights.