Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-08-06
TERMS: So so i'm advance.
WHOLE NO.
THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

there stated are so often referred to that they
should be familiar to every one =
:" The main object of the French Revolu-
tion," proceeded Archer, "was to obtain a
Constitution. The slavery and misery of the
people had lasted for ages. The American
Revolution, (Which France aided } the writings
OF several French authors, and famine, all
combined to arouse them TO resistance. A
weak government, and an exhausted exche-
quer, favored the attempt. They rose in re-
belilon: they took the Bastle BY storm: all
their efforts were successful, and they obtained
a constitution segulaTly agreed TO, and settled
by the King. Apamber of the princes of the
blood, mobiles, and great landed proprretors.
who Were ruined by this popular movement.
emIgrated, the greater number of them coming
to England most unfortunately thus honored
by their choice These princes and mobiles
shortly began TO intrigue with friends in France,
and eventually with the King, with a view TO
their return, and to bring abou, the old state
OF things. The plot was discovered The
people arose IN alarm and Indignation, seized
the hing; he was found guilty, and decapita-
ted. The Kings son (the Dauphin) was im-
prlsoned, and died there; but the Kings bro
theirs escaped. England, having received most
OF the refugees, appears to have thought her
self bound to espouse their cause at any
rate she espoused the cause of legitimacy and
divine night against the cause of constitutional
| liberty and the people. | say England did
this; but let us place the full weight upon the
right shoulders. 1t was not the act of the
English people, but of the English Tory gov
eminent, the Prime Minister being Pitt The
war-cry was raised in the cause of kincship
and despotjsm; and Austria, Prussia, and
Russia joined England, and their combined ar
mics marched to the French frontiers to place
the legitimate successor of the decapitated
King upon the throne of France, restoring the
former order of things, in opposition to the
Constitution. The French people became flu
rious at this interference and hostility; they
repulsed their assailants, became ferocously
| suspicious of all around them, and madly en-
acted the horrors of the Revolution'
But where was Napoleon at this time ?"
| Napoleon now came into the action as an
artillery officer. The allied armies increased,
and continued their attacks upon the French
frontier. The French continued to defend
themselves; Napoleon rapidly rose to the first
command, and was continually victorious. He
drove the armies from the frontier, and pur-
sued some of them into Their own countries
He conquered Italy, Prussia and Austria. He
Fsubjugated kings and emperors, and then made
treaties of peace with them'
9! But will this account for all his invasons
and love of war ~
"No Some of his invasions were with a
view to enforce his Continental System, in or
der to destroy the commerce of his great foe
England he could not get at us in any 9th.
er way so effectually, had his system succeed
ed But there was no excuse for his invasion
of Egypt and St. Domingo. AS the excite
ment OF these wars continued, the national
mind of England naturally became nhamed
against the French, and Napoleon had become
fond of his horrd trade of war, which impel-
led him to his last DISASTROUS attempt to enforce
his Continental System upon Russia. He lost
his enormous army; reverses and ruin threat
ened him on all sides; and, accordingly, the
emperors and kings whom he had subdued, all
violated their treaties, and allied themselves
with England against him.
"Was this the Holy Alliance"
eyes; you may well ask the question
This pious combination, supported Throughout
by the prodigal wealth of England, E(created
by the matchless industry and skill of our tax
burdened people,) and led on by the steady
valor of our soldiers, accomplished the final
overthrow of Napoleon. and placed legiti-
mate Divine Right nonentity upon the French
throne, in defiance of the people. The grand
error of Napoleon, and chief cause of his re-
verses, his ruin, and fall, was his desertion Of
the principles of liberty, and popular repre-.
sentation upon which he had risen. Not con-
tent with having made himself the greatest
emperor of the earth, he was yet anxious &c
ally himself with those who were born with
crowns in their cradles, and to make his own
sovereignty hereditary. He fell, because, be.
ing the man of the people. who were devoted
TO him, he allied himself with the kings who
feared and hated him.
"And did England, besides fighting for all
these things, pay for them also %
"She fought for them all, and paid for the
greater part. First, she fought against the es-
Enlistment of Constitution in France, (the
true principle of the French Revolution) and
the statistical estimate of the money we ex-
pended IN that war from 1893 to the peace OF
Amiens in 1902, amounts to upwards of foul
hundred and sixty millions. If we add to this
the money borrowed to maintain the prodigal-
ity, and the interest upon this in, thirty years
it will more than double the sum first men.
toned. Next, our war to support the princi
pie of Divine Right and French Legitimacy
against Napoleon, cost enormous sums, much
above one thousand millions. Again we hat
to borrow money-and again comes the inter
est upon the debit am afraid to say how
much. The gross amount, however, of tn,
expense to England, far exceeds two thousand
Millions
" But what have we gained by it We, a
Englshmen, are willing to pay, as well as Il
fight, for any good to our country, or the world
w hat has been gained -
Nothing The Three Days in France
defeated all the intended results, both in prn
cple and practice. They restored the French
Constitution, which had been sought by tn
French Revolution ;sthey destroyed then, AM
forever, the principle of Divine Right and LIE
gitimacy and they enabled the French PEG
pie TO choose their own king. Cur monstrou
national debt is our only result
''And the rest of the Holy Alliance =
&c The only result to Russia, Austria an
{ Prussia, was the restoration to their legitimat
!, despots of their ancient despotism unchecked
together with the power TO re-enslave Spain
Italy. and Poland, and TO reinstate heap o
I petty German princes. The Three Days
IN Paris destroyed the principle OF all thes
wars with France. What comment on ply
1 steal force. The heroes of the Three Days
e had the moral force of the nation on thel
side they were the spiritual sons OF the me
who took the Bastile, and first obtained a Con
+ stItution."
Mq1ims-True love Of cur fellow creature
should hardly attach us to the world, for
! will be found that the greater number of thos