The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-15
FRANCE.

erty and its privileges. The election has passed
with remarkable calm and solemnity. In vain did
certain persons and journals endeavor to excite fear
of agtations. Every where the people exercised
peaceably this attribute of their sovereignty! II
would seem that the masses now understand that
they have no further need of violence to defend
their rights, or to manifest their will that the
weapon more powerful than insurrection is unver-
sal suffrage; that each has in his vote weapon
more powerful than sword, with which to adapt
laws and government to his wants.
The late elections have brought bitter disappoint
ment to the existing Government they have ex-
pressed in thunder-tones the dissatisfaction which
the Ministry have excited throughout the land.
How different from the vote Of the 10th December
NAPOLEON then was elevated to the Presidency by
more voices than his uncle received for Consul
He came into power the popular idol, and with but
a modcum of common sense and knowledge of
human nature, could have succeeded in keeping
himself still the fnvorite of the people But his
every step has been unfortunate. He chose Min
istry which did not represent the true Republican
party Of France. He put himself, through that
Ministry, in antagonism with the Constituent As
sembly and with France allowed hasty and i'll
Judged measures to be passed, which have COM
promised him with the people, who, upon the first
opportunity given them, expressed their dissats-
faction.
The new Assembly now in session, and a new
Ministry is doubtless formed, which shall better
| ~
wants of the people.
Let us observe little more closely the causes
which have excited France against its present Gov
ernment
Instead of being what good government ought,
the exact echo of the general needs-the mirror in
which is reflected the entire country--it has been
as has already been observed the great mistake of
the Ministry to have kept themselves in continual
state ofantagonism and defiance towards the mass
es. After the election of December TO- and in
spite of the favorable votes by which the Assembly
received the first acts of the President of the Repub
lie, the minority endeavored to make appear hos
tile to the new government.
1t endeavored to make it suspicious in the eyes
-
parts of the country. Call to mind later the violent
debates which were raised between the military
power of Paris-a power unconstitutional and ex-
orbitant-and the President of the Assembly
The unfortunate attempt of 9th January-the dis
dain with which the President of the Republic and
the General Changarner treated the decree of the
National Representatives. lastly, to crown all,
these defances thrown at the first power of the
State; that unfortunate circular the Department
of M. Leon Faucher, and under which he has
fllen without voice daring raise itself to defend
him.
In every thing have blindness and want of address
been shown. 1t would seem that the Ministry
had had for object to discomfort all parties, all class
es of society! The army appeared devoted to the
Government; till now it has implicitly followed the
eminent aienates this powerful force by success
sion of arbitrary measures, which pushes the army
into the ranks of the extreme opposition. Officers,
whose opinions suspected ostracised; all political
readings, all access TO electoral meetings, forbidden
to the soldiers, who have nevertheless the right of
Nouiis anu VI uiScusoioH. iHoSc lct wiz udICu
to offer themselves as candidates, Boichot Rather,
and Lieutenant Demay, imprisoned and punished
with unjustihable rigor; right of suffrage forbidden
to the garde mobile, through an equivocation UNI
worthy of government. The garde republicaine
dissolved and two thousand men, without resource,
turned out into the streets.
| 1t is by such measures that the army has been
made dissatisfied. And what has been gained by
this imprudent policy The army, which in June
decimated itself against the Socialist insurrection,
votes now throughout for the most ardent of the
| Socialists.
Add to this the unhappy war waged against the
Roman Republic, which the French soldiers exc
cute with regret and in protesting, and it will be al
lowed on all sides that more than enough has been
done to ALLEVIATE from the Government those troops
heretofore so devoted to it.
Thus do we now see in France discomfort in the
army, antagonsm with the National Assembly,
which five months of government by Louis Napo-
leon has arrived.
The news by the steamer now nearly due will be
interesting as telling how the assemble Constituents
drew its last breath, and what blows in its
dying agonies it may have dealt ut the Ministry
that it would bring down to the grave with it. The
Ministry had. thrown unjustihable defances at the
Assembly, which, its mission fulfilled, had pre-
pared to go quietly out to make way for the Le-
gislative Assembly 1t had succeeded in exciting
all the bad and violent passions; and from the
tenor of the last news we may expect some crown
ing act to mark its termination. The Geographic
despatch to the Pretefs of the Departments, by NJ
Leon Faucher, in which, spreading falsehood on
lightning wings to all portions Of France, he repre-
scented those members of the Assembly who had
voted against the Ministry leaders of rebellion,
being ready to rush to the barbados, raised the
indignation Of the Assembly to the highest pitch, and
from this time dates their most energetic movements
against the Ministry. Faucher driven out by
the most terrible vote given against minister.