Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-23
NATIONAL lNTELLIGENCER.
rRou OUR EUROPEAN REsPoNDENT.
LONDON, NOVEMBER %, ls4s.

arv in relation 10 the position and prospects OF the
nations on the Continent of Europe, could be col.
lated and compared, the result would be mass oil
contradiction-not more striking or more conua-
dictory, however than is the present existing puo-
lie feeling and opinion upon the same subject
Certainly nothing has been done during the last
nine months which has had any tendency to allay,
much less subdue the tornado Of contention and
strife which began its career over Europe last e.
mary. No result whatever has been arrived al II
we except the completion of the debates on the new
Constitution of the Republic of France, and lis cold
adoption by the People of Paris-we VIII not say
The people of France, for we have not YET received
any information whatever of the reception which
il has met with in the provinces In this instance,
paris must be taken as France and, taken such,
we must hold that France has adopted her repuo'
lean institutions in avery apathetIc manner. lhere
il much more enthusiasm exhibited at the formal
nroclamatjon of an hereditary British sovereign.
This fact, coupled with the difference IN the CHAR
acter Of the two people, and the peculiar excite
ment which we might naturally suppose would be
caused by that important event. leads US 70 con-
clude that FRANCE is republican only IN name, and
that Nj. THEIRS and his friends OF the monarchlcal
school will have very little trouble in bringing back
the imperial or kngly rule. Should LOUIS NAPo-
LEON be elected President, the work will be more
than half done the remaining steps will be neither
numerous nor startling, nor difficult. Holding, as
we do and have always done, that France Is not
soil wherein republicanism can take deep and
healthy root we think that It will be best Tor her to
cease cutivating it soon as possible, and turn
her attention to something more congenial to the
character of her people, and their habits feelings,
and tendencies. Thus we arrive al the conclusion
that France is vet far from state of rest and quiet
ness: but we are OF opinion that, whatever may be
her ultimate state, she will reach it without any
great public commotion, or any repetition OF the
atrocities of her first revolution.
But if we look at GERMANY and ITALY, and
SPAIN and PORTUGAL, we shall find the two former
with more of the elements of dscord and strife
dispersed through their entire length and breadth
than existed al any former period OF this eventul
year and as for the two latter, there seems TO be
deeper fog of apathy and torpid inaction settled
upon them than could have been expected in any
portion of Europe at this period Of progress and
enlightenment. These are the facts of the case !;
the conclusions drawn from them are as various as
they well can be, and contradictory as the feel
ings wishes, and political tendencies Of the parties
who form them. 1t is hard TO get good general
view Of the real state Of the present. it is impossi
BILE to predicate any thing as TO the future. One
thing only appears TO be certain and that IS, we are
very far from the end have the chief actors in
the busy scene any very definite object in view or,
if they have they are quite uncertain as 10 what
are the best means of obtaining it. system Of
expediency, living on from day TO day, adop-
ton of whatever appears best calculated 10 meet
any approaching emergency, seems TO be the policy
OF leading political men on the continent, rather
than any well-matured course of action, any steady,
straightforward and consistent progress towards a
desired attainment. This policy has been adopted
mot, however, by all with equally praiseworthy
motives) By LAMARTINE, CAvAIGNAc, the King of
PRussIA, the Archduke JOHN, and even by the En-
&c l,--r dan thp
Of his political advisers.
Can we expect any settled result so long as this
is the political policy Of leaders and rulers And
how, it may fairly be asked whilst political opin-
ion is so immatured as it is with the masses of
mankind, are Emperors and Kings and Presidents
10 decide what is best TO be done! If the People
Of continental Europe asked individually what
they want, and what form Of Government they
wish their respective countries TO adopt, nne-tenhs
of them would not be able to give any rational re-
ply. Thus il is that nine-enths Of the People at
large having no knowledge will of their own,
become the tools by which designing and danger
Gus demagogues gain power and influence; and
from this arises the necessity that is felt by of
principle, who hold places Of trust to apparently
abandon that principle, and play off these dema-
gogues one against the other, so as 10 neutralize
their power and keep the great interests of society
intact and secure. We do not see any end to this
system az PRESENT. Ut any very PROMISE
Of Europes tranquility. The mischief has arisen,
not from reform being now unnecessary and revo-
luton uncalled for but from the former having been
undertaken before the People had determined what
reformation they needed; and the latter commenc.
ed before they had counted the cost and prepared
themselves to meet all its consequences. We know
we shall not be understood as endeavoring to pal.
late the atrocities which have been perpetrated at
Vienna, Berlin, Prague, Frankfort and elsewhere,
by whichever party has had the upper hand: now
by an nfuriated populace, and now by revengeful
monarch or half civilized general at the head OF
barbatic army. We are aiming TO account for
them and lament that the vista of the future does
not open brightly before us, and show, at no grea
distance, welcome termination to this sickenins
state of things.
We in this island home have also our contem
plated reforms and revolutions, but they are of tina
description which need not, and will not we trust
involve any breach Of our peace, any invasion Of
our quiet. Our people, or at least great majority
Of them thanks to our free institutions and the pow
er Of the press , know ,chat they want, and know
the proper way OF obtaining il, and rulers also
feel that what the people want they will sooner OF
later obtain, and that, it is not safe policy TO deny
or thwart their reasonable wishes. If they canno
prudenty grant all they will grant part if they
cannot introduce reform, economy, and retrench