It is the most striking proof that the government of France is in the hands of the great monied aristocracy, the haute-bourgeoisie . The actual ministers are not Messrs. Guizot and Duch tel, but Messrs. Rothschild, Fould, and the rest of the large Paris bankers, whose tremendous fortunes make them the most eminent representatives of the rest of their class. They govern the ministry, and the ministry take care that in the elections none but men devoted to the present system, and to those who profit by this system, are carried. And now, this precious Chamber having met, they take proper care of themselves. But the majority never take the slightest notice of these facts.
Every illegality is covered by a sanctioning vote.
The money lords rejoice in their strength, and guessing it will not last very long, they make the best of the present moment. You may easily imagine that out of this narrow circle of capitalists there exists a general opposition against the present government, and those whose interests it serves. The centre of this opposition is Paris, where the money lords have so little influence upon constituencies, that of the fourteen deputies of the department of the Seine only two are ministerialists and twelve belong to the opposition. The present system is attacked by all these different sections, and, of course, by each in a different manner. But there has been started, a short time ago, a new mode of attack which deserves to be mentioned.