The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1839-04-13

| | cannot better close this unprecedented, al.
ready, 1t may be, beyon the patience of the rea-
der-than by expressing the corroborating senti-
ments OF French writer of repute: The Secret
folice OF Napoleon, organized atthe Luxemburg,
was intended TO act as a check upon the public,
police. There existed, at first, that of Duroc and
Money; later, that of Davoust and Junot. Ma
dame Buonapare termed this vile system of
espionage; yet all observations of its inutility
were dIsregarded. Buonaparte had the weakness
TO suspect Fouche, and looked upon this preca,l-
ton as necessary. 1t is difficult to form an idea
OF the ioes, the absurdities, the romances of the
bulletinists, both noble and pebeian Tbe no.
lice, as political instrument, was danqerou.
thing; it forged, or, to speak more correctly.
entertained, fed, and fostered greater number
of false conspracies than it ever detected and
counteracted those which were real. The poll
tical police-an offspring of our revolutionary
troubes-has survived them. The police of the
safety, health, well being, and order of society,
has come to be considered as only secondary; it
has, of consequence, been neglected. We live
in times when attention is directed more to spy
out whether citizen goes to mass and confess
sion, than to protect him from band of robbers.
Such state of things is unfortunate for the coun-
try; and to much better purposes might be applied
that money which is spent in guarding the object
of pretended suspicion, in domestic inquisition;
in corruptng the friends, the relations, the SER
wants of the man marked out for Instruction.
This leprosy of modern society, growing out of
our revolutionary troubles has continued, like the
times which gave it birth, suspicious, restless,
deceitiul, inquisitorial, vexatious, tyrannical-
greedy of plots, which it discovers because it has
created them. Who has not heard, even in the
drawing-room, such whispers as these addressed
to warm speaker: take care!-be moderate!
Such an one is said to be of the police!' Since
the establishment of minister of police in France,
his power has ever depended upon two prime
movers-gold and informers. What can be said
of that execrabe race of spies, known under the
term Bats, whose duty and inclination are, al
ways to undermine that virtue which they have
never known, and to drag it into crime, which is
their eement-tou urge the unfortunate being who
has fallen into their tolls, from vague feeling of
discomfort, into crimes-being his actual accom-
plces, before becoming his accusers!-estabsh-
eng the melancholy truth, that the human heart is
the arsenal of all perfdy and of all evils! 1t is
certain, and the proofs abound, that the acts of
the police have but too frequently encouraged the
crime, to have the merit of denouncing, and the
satisfaction Of furnishing These agents are re-
strained by no rule; to provoke their victims,
they may do all and say all. Their medal and
a piece of ribbon, protects them. And these SEN
timents, reader, proceed from one who is him
self an ex-Prefect of the Police! D.
Suchet became, later Marshal Of France.
t The Capita is chapel adorned with an
altar, crucihx, burning lamp etc. in which crimi-
nal condemned to DEATH is placed twenty -four hours be-
fore his execution. clergyman remains with him to
prepare him to die. He is carried from the Capila to
the scafod.