THE FRENCH IN THE PACIFIC. LOUIS NAPOLEON'S INTENTIONS TESTED BY HIS CONDUCT.

Colonist, Volume III, Issue 295, 17 August 1860, Page 3

THE FRENCH IN THE PACIFIC. LOUIS NAPOLEON'S INTENTIONS TESTED BY HIS CONDUCT.

But it is not in Europe or in European affairs alone that we encounter the gratuitous opposition of rivalry or cunning, or whatever the reader may please to think it, of the Emperor of the French. England meets it, let her turn where she will—in Africa, Asia, or Australasia. The Sandwich and Friendly Islands are indeed old affairs, legacies to the Emperor from the Orleans branch of the house of Bourbon, and, to do him justice, not much regarded by him. But New Caledonia, off the eastern coast of New Holland, in about 19 degrees of south latitude, if not a project of his own, has been nourished by him, though it can only be destined in case of war as a cruising station against British commerce in the Australasian seas, and a point d'appui for attacks upon our numerous colonies in those regions. It would also be useful as a rendezvous for the French fleet which the Palmerstonian policy has encouraged to assemble in the not far off seas of India and China. ...

If France had any conceivable interest in any of these regions, the case would be different. She has as much right to occupy points for protecting her commerce, and to found colonies, if so minded, as any one else. It would be merely competition. America has reason to struggle with England—if struggle there be—to maintain her influence at the " Hawaiian Court." The Sandwich Islands are in the track of their great and annually growing conference from California to the East. These islands moreover, are necessary as places of refreshment and refit for their South Sea whalers. In like manner England has an interest there (as everywhere) for her colonies and comme.vceare important in those seas, and she divides with America, though not perhaps in equal proportions, the sperm whale fishery. But what fisheries, or colonies, or commerce, to speak of, has France beyond Cape Horn? . ~ . .

The sole use, in fact, of New Caledonia is for a naval station, but the French ships that visit those regions would find far ampler accommodation at the half-dozen British colonies, or rather countries, lying between Western Australia and New Zealand, —that is in time of peace. But we must repeat it, no peaceful object or peaceful interest dictated the occupation of New Caledonia. Its only use is for a cruising station, and for that it is extremely well situated. It would sweep, at the outset of a war, the Australian seas of their goods and gold-freighted merchantmen, and harass the coasTs of New South Wales, Victoria, and as well as insult their capitals and even damage them unless they should be properly fortified. We say at the outset of a war; for those colonies alone might finally be able to master New Caledonia, so far removed from its resources. Still an immense amount of mischief could be done by pre-arrangement and a rapid transmission of the declaration of war. It

is true that this mischief might have no great influence on the final result, but that is simply a French characteristic. Ihe above remarks apply' with even greater fore* to Zoulla. This place is more utterly useless for any real interest than New Caledonia. It would even be useless to. England with her weekly mails to India though they pass as it were the very door. The long and dreary coast region on which the place is situated, extending a distance of some 1500 miles from Suez toCapeGuardafui, is one of the desert and sterile olaces in the world. The whole would be utterly uninhabitable but for a few oases, round which a so-called town springs up. For peaceful purposes, or for any purpose but as a station to assail the interests ofthL" country, the port of Zoulla is not only useless, but a mere drain for men and money. A sufficient force at Zoulla, however, could cut in tw.o our overland communication with India and furnish cruisers for the Indian Sea. It is also a sort of pendent to New Caledonia. If the reader looks at a map of the world he will see that these two places are at each end of a line which passes along' our Eastern Australian coast, runs by the Indian Archipelago, crosses the bottom of the Bay of Bengal, and skirts the western coasts of India. It is quite true that these places are too distant from each other, and too remote from .hotite succour, -to have any permanent effect in case of war, unless the French naval force was as ours in the Eastern seas. But. two such war stations might do great mischief for a time. With a workable Suez Canal (should such a thing be possible) in the possession of France they might receive aid more safely and more promptly from home than by the Cape. The Isthmus of Suez, Zoulla, and New Caledonia would be links, though wide apart, between France and the antipodes, cutting our communication, and acting upon our flanks throughout.— Frazer.