The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-03-27
The New French Revolution.

france has been fully confirmed by accounts siIlc
received. The dynasty of Orleans has followed
that of the elder Bourbons. The son of Phllll
Egalete-the King of the Barricades-has talleI
before the same revolutionary spirit that raised hin
10 the throne No one could have intrigued more
basely and successfully than he did to overthrow
Charles the Tenth-no one could have labored more
earnestly give permanence to the dynasty 1o'lila
ed on the ruined fortunes Of his relatives ana pre-
decessors, and in this world it has rarely happened
that long life of iniquity has been so justly ant
properly punished at the very moment that the
criminal was rejoicing in the full success OF his
schemes. The King who won the crown Without
honor to himsef-who has used his power only tt
aggrandise his family at the expense OF his coun
ny-who has violated every profession which Sc
cured him popular favor-broken every pledge
made to a confding peOpie-and attempted by
every threat of force and every connvance of fraud
to destroy the liberal spirit and institutions of his
native lands, in spite of the Notifications which
made Paris prison. and of the armies which men
aced its citizens with destruction driven into exile
by the almost unanimous will of the people, with
out either the respect sympathy of a single ma
ton upon earth
The justice of the punishment will be aeknow-
lodged by the world-he mode of its if1fiiction
would look almost like a direct interference oil
Providence No monarch in Europe seemed more
firmly seated than Louis Philippe. His extraordin-
airy success had for him the appellation of the
g Napoleon of Peace All nations had confidence
in the stability of his government; and the patriots
of France itself had almost despaired of accomplish
ing any reformation during his life. Not only the
condition of France but the peace of Europe was
supposed to depend upon his existence. The peo-
pie detested and obeyed-kings and Emperors
feared and courted him. AT once, without warn
ing and almost without resistance, he is dethroned
| The people met to complain of the arbitrary acts
of ministry, and to ask for change of admin
istration-and to their utter establishment they find
that they have achieved revolution. So frail
was the foundation of this mighty fabric of appar-
ent power, that it was annihilated by the first
breath of popular fury The fortresses which shield
ed, and the armies which were to defend it, af-
orded no protection the elements of its apparent
strength Were the sources of its real weakness
and this revolution has demonstrated the truth of
the lesson taught to Kings by that of 1880, that
no Government unsupported by public opinion can
be upheld by an army drawn from the mass of the
people" The proper appreciation of this truth is
alone worth all the misery and bloodshed which
a revolution may cost-for on it depends the pro-
gress of civilization and the gradual and peaceful
improvement of the human race-the amelioration
of all conditions of society.
The revolution is a thing accomplished What
will be its result! This is the enquiry eagerly
made by all the world. Will the powers of Europe
acquiesce in the changes that may be made, or
will they attempt to interfere and regulate the in
ternal affairs of France1 Will they consider it
polite to leave the revolution to its and at
tend particularly to the condition of their subjects
at home or will they, by striving to direct Or re-
strain it, provoke another outbreak Of that repub
lican energy which followed similar attempt in
1892 and which converted Europe into one vast
battle field What will be the policy of Prussia,
of Austria, of England But more important than
all, what course may the Gar of Russia the pres
ent and future arber of the destnies of the Eastern
Continent, think it conducive to his interest or
ambition to take These questions of external
politics will press themselves Immediately upon
the attention of the French people. How they |
will be solved, it is nearly impossible, in ts age of
transition, even to make plausible guess but
upon the solution of one or all of them the future
history of the world will depend
What will be the result of the revolution in |
France itself? Can a republic be formed with |
prospect of permanent existence! Have the lead |
ing men of France, during the last seventeen years.
in which they have enjoyed the advantage of con-
sttutional forms of government, acquired that |
knowledge of practical craftsmanship and those |
habits of laborious application, which qualify a |
people for self-govemment, and the want of which |
was one of the prominent causes of the errors and
lamentable failure of the first attempt of that
country at republican institutions Can the per-
sonal ambition of the leading men be so governed
as to subserve only the public good Will party
strife be satisfied with the attainment of its ends by
constitutional means or will it seek the gratica.
ton of its passions by the apparently facile method
OF revolutionary tumult! Can the will of all
France be fairly represented in the legislative or
executive departments of the government, or must
these in the tuture-as they Were in the past-be
controlled by the dominant factions of Paris!
1t will be seen, on the slightest consideration.
that the labor of establishing and perpetuating
publican institutions in France is not holiday pas
time The Interference from without is not the
only thing to be dreaded in fact, such interference
by uniting the whole people in defence of the state
and by bringing all the wisdom and energy of its
citizens into activity for its welfare may contribute
greatly to bring about the beet of creating equ-
table and permanent republican system. The great
evil to be apprehended is from within. The sys-
TEN begun by Richelieu and consumated by Louis
Fourteenth of destroying everything like indepen-
dent action in the provinces, and making the mon
archy all in all, has concentrated all power and in
fluence IN and about the seat of government to
that point all things tend, from it all things are ex
pected This lsposltion-Whch grew up under
the old monarchy, which was not weakened bV the
first revolution, and to which the governments OF
Napoleon and Louis Philippe have given additional
and recent torce-is by no means favorableto per-
manent republican government. The city of Mexico
held the same relation 10 the former Spanish domn-
ions on the North American continent that Paris
holds to France, and the effect has been that the
influence of the city first overthrow the constittl-
tional plan of federal republic which the Mexi-
cans adopted, and forced upon the country the cen
trail form, and finally overthrow misunderstanding
sIz r. T..