The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1848-05-18
THE ALMIGHTY PEN.

The moving cause of the late Revolution in
France, commends itself to the poet no less
than the politician. Indeed, it is interesting,
after examining the present French Revolu-
ton, to look back and ascertain who were the
men, and what was the agency which put
the two former Revolutions in motion.
There can be no doubt that the late work
of Lamariinc on the " Girondists," prepared
the public mind to resist the attempt Of Louis
Philippe to suppress the popular banquets.
No one can read that work without feeling
that its whole intention (skilfully concealed
so rs to escape prosecution from the govern
ment.) was TO captain do,cn the past and then
present King Of the French to the mere stand
ard of other men, and to raise men in the
mass to the standard Of princes and mobiles
When this sensible view Of the matter, based
on right, and borne out with great ability Of
illustration in the example Of the tines and
fate of Louis XVI, and Of the Revolution Of
1893, was presented to the mind of the French
pcOple when. too, the ears Of the GrOn-
Iists and the Jacobins were so plainly point
ed out; and when it was shown, as it is in the
work of Lamartinc, that had a more temper
ate and less bloody course been pursued in
1898, and so on down to the time Of the Con-
suls, France would have had a republic halt a
century ago Nothing was wanting but an
excuse for rupture to produce the present
! Revolution and the measures which have
since been taken, and the events which have
| happened, clearly show that they who direct
affairs are determined to avoid the errors fol-
lowing the Revolution Of 1893. Thus the
, King and royal family are allowed to escape
and, on the other hand, the mobility, profiting
by the bloody lesson taught their ancestors i'll
the previous Revolution, voluntarily fall in
with the movement and consent to a republic
Thus it seems that by the genius and BY the
power of the pen Of one man, is the political
regeneration of the mighty nation Of France
effected.
On turning back to the history of the three
days Of 1880, it will be seen that on that oc-
casion also was the ball put in motion by the
pen of another child of genius. The perse
cution Of the poet Beranger, and the songs
written by that gifted man from his prison
were the immediate moving causes Of tha
event, which in the result expelled Charles \
from the throne of France. SO alsoi in regard
to the Revolution Of 1898. Mirabeau, hi
writings and his speeches, put the ball in mo
{ ton on that occasion and 1T was douDtieS
owing to the inopportune death OF that 9l't.e..
man at most Unfortunate anu d H!o"' " w
cal moment, that the movement lost Its dlrec
tor, and that bad men were enabled to ob
. trude themselves into positions which enabled
them to do all the evil which followed, ant
which defeated the designs Of the originator
l. Thus it is seen that the pen of Mlrabea'
caused the Revolution Of 1793-that OF BE
ranger the Revolution of 1880, and now tn
, pen of Lamartine the present Revolution o
. 164S.
: Time was when the world was governed b.
G the Sword-time was when it was governed
r by the Cowl; but the time is that it is gov
C crncd by the Almighty Pen !-Rough an
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