The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-05-25
The French Republic American and English
Opinions.

The French Republic American and English
Opinions.
The movements of the new Republic in France
are beginning to occupy the attention of journal
lists, writers, and public speakers, both sides of
the Atlantic. In Europe, the press and public men
most active in discussing the probable of the
French people IN establishing republic, may be
found In England. The press throughout the Cont
nent has already great increase to its free
dom; but it merely makes record of movements in
France, of matters of deep interest, giving the
naked, but mighty, facts of the day. In England,
the newspaper press, the public journals and pub
lie speakers OF all kinds, are more open and more
decided in their opinions. There, as we have
frequently observed, every degree of misrepresen-
tation is INDUCED in, and every plausible pretext is
put forth, unfavorabe to the French republic, or
the probable success of establishing such form of
government in the centre of Europe. This is ma
tural to the English, under arisocratic rule.
Unfortunately, however, there is certain por-
ton of the press in this republican land, which
initiates the opinions and servilely follows the
ideas, both in their columns and in their correspon-
dence, which prevail in England in reference to the
French revolution The American journals of this
stamp already begin TO give it out that the princi
pies of socialism which have have been recently
defeated in the French elections will soon take a
more decided and bloody character, and will sink
gradually into terrorism, and thus overthrow the
new republic, in the way in which the Jacobins, in
the last century, overthrow the republic of that
day In these opinions, the Courier and Enqmi-
rr, the Ne,c York Express, and the Commercial
advertiser, all occupy common ground. Now, TO
such opinions take decided exception, and
believe, from our knowledge of the French cha
racter of the present day, and from all the data and
facts before US, that danger sto be apprehended
Of any such catastrophe assailing the attempt to
establish republic in the centre of society in
Europe.
The old revolution of 1892, was a sudden out
burst of ideas in Paris, and among persons of in
teect, before the great mass of the French nation
was prepared for such government, for the
freedom offered by republic Nothing could have
destroyed or removed the feudal system of society
which then prevailed throughout France, but the
terrible measures forced upon the ultra democrats,
or Jacobns, of that day. The great mass of the
population, numbering in that era twenty-five mil
lions, was but just emancipated from long and
habitual servitude-was Ignorant and incompe-
tent and unprepared for the enjoyment of political
liberty, being utterly unacquainted with selfgovem-
ment of any kind or description. There were no
railroads at that day, elegraphs and no journals
except very few at Paris. The number of people
in the old republic who could read or write or
understand political principles of any kind was
small indeed In comparison with the proportion
TO be found in the present day. In addition to these
domestic difficulties, which rendered free govern
ment on republican principles almost impossible of
establishment at that day, there were all the run
AWAY mobiles of the old regime, in every country
and at every court in Europe, instlgatng the mo-
narchs and aristocracy everywhere TO unite toge-
Their against France, in order to ntmdate, pro-
woke, and disturb the French people
This is picture of the condition of things in
1892 and '93. How very different is this from the
state OF things at the present time Since that Pc
Rod OF time France has increased to population
OF thrty-five millions of people. About one-half of
this immense population is able TO read and write,
and Is acquainted with municipal affairs, in which
they have taken part for fifty years past. The in
fuence Of the nobility and clergy, which they pos
sessed at the time of the old republic has been
gone years and years During the last thirty years,
under both branches of the Bourbons-the elder and
the younger-a certain proportion of the French
people, though small it is true, have been accus-
toned to exercise the electoral franchise for the
Chamber of Deputies, while much greater proper
ton has been brought up in the habit of exercising
municipal duties and functions in the municipal
ties, the communes, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, and
departments. There probably over eight
millions Of acting business men, above
twenty-one years Of age, in France; and ac-
cording TO the recent returns of the elections nearly
seven millions of these voted In their exercise
Of this important right it has now been proved by
the returns, and the names and character of the
men elected, that these voters are men capable of
a sound judgment and a wise selection The great
mass of these voters, five-ffths We might saw. are
agriculturlsts, steady, solid, small farmers. similar
TO the habitans in Canada, but more intelligent
and very much resembling the class of northern
farmers in the United States; though probably the
farmers this side the Atlantic may be a little
more intelligent in general affairs and knowledge
There are, TO be sure, in Paris some thousands of
thieves, murderers, pckpockets and vagabonds OF
all kinds, who form the social party, and have
banded together with factious demagogues, as we
have seen them do sometimes in this country; but
we do not think possible that anv faction in the
National Assembly of France will be able to ope-
rate in the way in which the old Jacobin faction
acted in the old National Assembly of the last cen.
tury.
France, OF the present day, is very different
from France of the last century There are
probably, twenty-five or thirty newspapers pub
ilshed IN Paris, with daily circulation of 300 600
sheets, besides the provincial press, numbering
nearly two hundred journals, with 100000 circu.
aton Throughout the departments, and in