New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-08-21
THINGS N PARIS
French National Assembly-M. Proudhon's
Theory.
Special Correspondence Of The Tribune.
~. A-.-.s. Z f.4-

The event OF the week Is the reply OF NJ. frv1u
hon 70 the report Of NJ Theirs Il was 70 have taken
place on Saturday but postponed 20 Monday. Tie
public curiosity was never mach excited the fame
Of the author Of the report the renoWn OF 81 PROUD
hon whose name Is coupled IN al mems minds win MS
famous apothesm la pr0Tifs cat it roi private
property "a robbery were enough TO collect al Paris IN
the trRunes Of the Assembly To these attractions Az
additional edge was given by saying Of Proudhon 8
uttered while Theirs was reading his report An '
ssid he 70 his friend. who sat around him. how the
li,tle rnsn has aung himself into my mortar ms
Vas -epes,ed everywhere and increased the general eN
uectation OF piquAni scene when the provoked Mon
tasaara should apply his unsparng Peste. On sunday
and Monday morning blets Of admission 70 the Assem-
bly were in gres, demand the Representatives were
beered for them BY scores Of people eager 10 hear the
re2lv Of Prouihon. When the doors we're spened on
Monday crowd presented themselves for admission
soon the tr5unes illed and multitude remained
without disappointed.
Within the Assembly al wore air Of expectation
The Representatives well the mere auditors were
ike children for the irst time at the thester prepared
for great things but not al clear TO the nature OF
whss they were going TO see and hear The session
opened with call upon the Government 20 explain IL
se with regard to is foreign policy NJ Maugun, sitter
a speech OF some length the general politics OF Eu'
rope concluded by accusing the Government OF dupA'
city IN the affairs Of Naples Gen. Csvaignac forced
him 70 explain himself and 70 name the persons and
facts 10 which he referred He did so. The Minister
of Foreign Affairs denied the whole charge At the same
time in reference to the special relations OF France
with Russia Germany and Italy he said that i was I'M
possible to give any explanation but that the honor OF
the country was well taken Of and ended the
ars, lesson after which the session suspended for
i've or ten minutes 70 prepare for the great affair OF the
day.
10 man could be received with marks Of greater in
terest than NJ. Proudhon az he mounted the tribune
bearing thick manuscript in his hand. Every eye was
/ liked upon him, and not whisper could be heard m
the hall There nothing in the personal appearance
Of the orator 70 command this unusual silence lie Is
a man rather under middng stature his square person
and quick nervous movements are totally destitute OF
grace his face has nothing commanding or attractive
Its plain serious, thoughtful and shrewd, with no
tnge OF imagination Of that idealiy which gives digni
~ and beauty TO the plain features Ct Lamsriine tie
/ opened bis manuscript and commenced reading MS
voice harsh and monotonou. penetrated every part OF
| the chamber without effort He used no gestures ana
displayed no excitement His sentences followed each
other in the even tone with which one would read
mathematical essay He uttered the most startling and
sweeping propositions with the GOODNESS proper to re.
mark on the weather, and amid the Interrupt
tons and excitement OF the Asembly-an excitement
whose intensity have not seen equaled by that Of much
nosr scenes without once changing his manner or no.
tcng the EXPLANATIONS and the horror Of his colleagues
except by some phrase more bold and startling still
Listening TO this Unsuitable Radical reminded OF
Robespierre Here was the logic, the same re
Of their cOncUsOn the
same persistence against unanimous opposition Was
this indeed the Robespierre of a new terror Were
these denuncations OF the ruling class prophetic Wa
this the leader of coming war against all institutions
based on private property God forbid But 1t wa
impossible 10 hear him and not feel premontory
trembling. Az one after another he delivered his para
doxes putting even the truth into the extremes, and
mos, repusiye form, there seemed TO be some ndenn
lie force concealed behind the man and making him IL
organ 1t was the force OF popular misery the force
furnishing despair In that immovable tone OF phoso
ply tina, passonless analysis he was speaking not on
10 the Chamber but for the thousands OF Frenchmer
who have not where to lay their heads What he sai'
calmly they say in passion he in his study
they reason amid their suferings and the suffer
inss of their wives and children The conclusion is h'
same in both cases namely levies the rich for h'
benefit of the poor If the Assembly will do it, well an'
good If not-and Of course it will not-insurrectoI
and barbados.
But NJ Proudhon is not Robesperre he is not 81
great man though he is better one He is logicar
with the French passion for theatrical effect Robes
pierre was man OF profound sincerity. Proudhon is
man of unequaled skill in diaeccs. Robespierre was
a man Of IDEAS Proudhon 10 man OF mental coneep
tons. Robespierre spoke to convince Proudhon Il
stsrte But the man OF AZ il Of his times as the maj
ofe3 was of his Robespene made violence the instru
ent of liberty Is the destiny of Fraternity to pas
through the same companionship and through smia
stains cannot believe il there will be great ant
irving difficulties but the passions which ragged ther
! can hardly be hndled now beside, history does not
repeat i,sef But if such crisis should come Proud
hon will be written down in lie chronicles as Partci
| pant BE has made himself such already
Throughout his speech he assumed 70 speak In behal
Of Socialism and perhaps the Erpysss Boston Alas anc
tina, school Of journals will say that he spoke in beha
Of "Fourierismr Let me remind any person so in
clned that there are here two divisions Of Socialist
entirely opposed 10 each other These the yioen
and the pacific Socialists NJ Proudhon belongs TO tn
former the Fourierists" form the prominent portion
of the latter The one seek drive society into the
mode Of thinking they have for allies the misery Of th
peoule and the criminal Indifference of the moneyec
classes the other trust TO the force oftruih and believe
that reason IL better weapon than the sword TIT
Fourierissg have not thorough antagonist thai
NJ Prouihon and the special grounds on which he de
nounoes them are their pacific tendencies and their con
stan, defence OF the right Of Prig ate property
The orator whose private life is free from those p
euarRiss which attach TO many distinguished French
en) said that bis doctrines had been accused Of hos
tity 10 the institution OF the family This he denie
in the most positive manner No person could have
profounder respect for the family than he and If III
accusation we're renewed ne should regard il per
sonal insult as defamation. Bu, he should not defen
himself By attacking his adversary for the death Of
man was not what be desired neither should he brin
him before the tribunals for they were incompetent
decide such question. he would simply say to him
You accuse me well bring 70 the tribune your secre
life make your confession and ! vii make mine an
let the public Judge between you and me which Is IN
caumniator' This hit at Theirs received wit
laughter BY the Assembly NJ Theirs himself did no
seem TO perceive the point Of the joke.
NJ Proudhon mslnisined that mis- proposition was tn
logical consequence Of the Revoluron-it was the RI
voluiou iiself In ITO Of onehird levied o
property and in that way the debt Of the Republic WI
paid since that time there had been no tax upon IN