The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-07-26
Tee. FRrNoH RnPuRLIo.

acquainted with the French people and their polit
cal wants, is better qualified to Judge fairly Of the
state of French affairs. than any European whose
views are distorted by moDarehical prediction
and prejudice. We give this letter, although it is
rather long, because we deem it no more thanright
that in an affair of so much importance, both sides
should have an impartial hearing.
The French Republic-A Jugg1e.
New York, July 18th, 1S4S - Editor of the
E0e'lag POst.-If the dreadful scenes lately wit
messed IN Paris constituted the climax of the revo-
Iu}4hary drama opened in February last hOrrfyng
as tney are some melancholy consolation may be
derived from the fact; but, alas they belong only
to the first act, Its victory" saws the London
Times, " which can bring no peace none that will
not be disturbed by the Ogbreak of intense and IT.
reconciedbIe fear, and boSaly bet,ueen he tDo great
classes Of society, the 0Ourgeoisie and he people
that is the upper and lower classes This is truly
q frghtful condition of things, and the thrilling
question presents itself-Wherelore is this so9 Why
should feelings so unnatural divide state Why
should fear, the side of the arstocracy and hos
tLitts on the side of the democracy, render peace
impossible, and carnage like that we have shud-
dered over again inevitable To express 1t in one
word-the cause is injustice. Can the laws of
country be lust when, in population oil thIry-fiye
millions there eight millions of beggars-where
one in every three dies in hOsptal-where two
millions only get the common necessaries of life
where ten out of eleven inhabitants never taste SUI
gar or animal food
and production, and she could support far than
her present population These are but few of the
results of the laws which touch the life Of the lower
classes in France, and it would fill a volume to re-
cite those which curtail their liberty. In France
man is not allowed to visit his neghbor in the next
village without getting permission and a certificate
from the police office At any moment an innocent
person may be seized without cause assigned, and
thrown into prison for months years. and then be
dismissed without cause even excuse. Who
dares deny these facts And yet the abolition of
passports or law of habeas corpus has never been
mentioned. To escape from such crlelties the first
revolution of 1889 was proclaimed They We're re-
stored by foreign bayonets, and Charles X. set up
10 maintain them. They were, happily overthroWn
again in 1880; but Louis Philippe, though he
solemnly promised otherwise, treacherously pre-
served them. Last February once more the effort
renewed The tyrant fled consciencesstruck,
and the people were left masters Of themselves an
the laws. They rejOiced, because they thought
justice had come at last and we rejoiced with
them. What has occurred since THIS Is all I'M
pOrtant to krioW
! remember but a year ago that NJ. Thiers said to
me, in the presence of the Prince de In Mosltowa,
(son of Marshal Ney,) "tIiat when Minister / lent
myself too readily to increase the power Ofhe gov
eminent, reHtOrCer te p0uUOtr was his expressionI
but when order was established, my successors,
instead of modifying these powers, only abused
Them. This was the fate of the revolution Of 1890
Let us now carefully investigate the course of
events since. understand them perfectly, because
| know the actors therein their motives, opinions
and interests Whether shall succeed in EXPLAIN
ing them clearly, am not SO sure The subject is
difficult, and so ingeniously obscured by the crafty
and slfu pens of monarchical writers in France
and England, that may well despair Of my hum
bic powers to array the truth in all its divinity be-
fore the confused vision of my readers. But let
me try, and as God is my Judge, shall write con
scentiously
In ordinary times, l would allow myself to be
checked by considerations of delicacy, but throw
to the winds all such restraints, and shall speak of
former acquainiances with the impartalty of his
tory The abrupt success of the Revolution in
February, flung Lamartine, Arago, Louis Blanc,
and Cr6mieux into the arena of actionswhere they
found themselves confronting half-lamsl1ed and
outraged people. They had no plan, no system, no
conviction. Bewidered and perplexed, they were
governed by the instinct of the moment, and they
mplored the people TO be patient, confident, aud
peaceful. So often deceived, they hesitated, but
the elOquence of Lamartne triumphed. Now
true men, and wise men, what was their manifest
duty? To reform, or retire They did neither.
Lamartine is poet; Arago an astronomer; Louis
Blanc theorst and in this emergency they all
fell under the control of subtle and practised poll
tician, Armand MaTast happened once TO ask
him if he entirely prepared for the crisis
should it come suddenly" have not forgotten
his boastful look, expressive than words, when
he replied in the Affirmative He has proved il, and
his purpose showed itself at once. Determined to
make no fundamental change, to sweep away no
crying abuse, to put down no crushing monopoly
not, even, TO alter the forms of administration, he
struggled to keep up intact the Bourbon system of
tyranny, three times overthrown but he
chrisened it " The Republic" and threw in the
iesuitiCal words of Liberty, Equality and Era
ternity." His plan of action was ingenious, adj
mirable TO quiet the people, I'll he ready for
them, he employed the eloquence of Lamartme
That such genius should be profaned. He
caught Louis Blanc in the meshes of his own theO-
ries by forcing him to carry them out in the T" Ma
tional WorkshOps''-a Just punishment for such
quackery Ledru Rollin was the only man really i'll
earnest, and against his necessarily dicatorla at
tempts to repubicanize France, Armand Marrast
raised a storm of camor in the monarchcal press,
and urged poor Lamartine to restrain him. Had he
stopped here this would have been bad enough;
but with the audacty oil q pretended republican,
he plunged into excuses in legislation that LOUIS
Philippe would have shrunl from. Need allude,
among others, 10 his measure of converting all tbs
banks of France into one vast fiscal machine, the
handle Of which was in the hands OF the Govern
ment. Napoleon, whose organization OF France
was unavoidable military, never yentured on n
piece of Capitalization like this. Butthe great diff
liculty of Marrast was money, and to obtain II at
all hazards lie proposed that infamous act OF spoia
tion Of seizng on the railroads, and appropriatng
IN tbe State this vast amount OF private property,
returning for compensation the deprecated scrip Of
a treasury almost bankrupt. free hooters scheme
like this ia the mouth of public man in this
try would raise hurricane that would wait him
over the Pacific Marrast is no communist but
here is atrocity that communism with all lis inn
pastures would scruple awhile before applying.
This was the state Of things when the National AS
sembly met. word or two Of this body. An
astounding fact, which must have electrified NJ.
GuiZOt and his besoted MASTER was revealed in its
election. The only effect Of universal suffrage IN
France mas The return Of an artstocrGtic Chamber.
Property maintained its influence, but how was it
employed. Instead Of setting to work TO repair the
fOllies and deceits of the Provisional Government
the Assembly began by adopting them all. They
pursued the game Marrast had planned, and the
cause Of reform, the cause Of the people, was again
betrayed. To begule their dupesthey commanded
those mammoth exhibitions of tom-lO0ery called
FGtes Of the Republic" To avoid discussing the
giant grievances of the State, they hooted down
every proposition of radical improvement, but in
stead ordered another bran-new constitution. One
day they spend debating the vital question whether
they shall wear scarfs, and of what color and
width; and whether they shall be tied round The