The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-01-17
The French Republic.

republican experiment. Its Constitution has beer
adopted President elected and its administra
ton formed. For veal or woe, it must now 60 on
ward. We confess that we have, from the begin
ming, looked upon the revolution rather with the
wish than the expectation that the efforts of the
philanthropic and patriotic of France would sue
coed in establishing some permanent system which
would meet the wants of the age repress the abu.
ses and corruptions which still inger as remnants
of feudal rule or have grown into precocious ma
turity under that renowned king of tricks and
expedents, Louis Philippe; and commence the
great work of social reform, until they finally
brought forth into living, practical facts the great
truths Swallowed forth in the batle-cry of the revo
lution-Liberty, Equality, Fraternity Thehi
OF the past year has not strengthened our hopes in the
ultimate result. We cannot well see what France
has gained by her struggles, SO far. The liberty fol
which she fought may, perhaps, be found in univer
sal suffrage-its germ may be there-but the liberty
to think, to speak, to do, has not been much ex-
tended by the Constitution; it is not likely to be
greatly enlarged by the law. The same class legis-
lation which had grown up under the constitu-
tional monarch, or been handed down from the ell
der Bourbons continues under the new republic
no one branch of human industry has been freed
from the trammels which partial legislation had
imposed upon it; commerce has not been emanci-
pated from the blighting bondage of foolish tariffs
and the power of the master and the subsection of
the workman remain unchanged-the latter hav-
ing, we believe, acquired something like a theo-
retical acknowledgement of has right to labor! The
progress in equality, if any has been made, has es
capped our anxious scrutiny. The Fraternity is now
where it always has been in the hopes of the good,
the dreams of the poetica and the fears of the self
fsh--but it has no where on the surface of France
any form oftangible existence which can either cheer
its friends or alarm its enemies. France, after a
revolution for Equality and Fraternity, has quietly,
to all appearance, settled down into the good old
plan of every one for himself, and his sulphureous
majesty for the hindmost.
1t is melancholy termination to so fair an OPEN
ing but it is, nevertheless, natural termination.
Lamsrtine and Blanc and Rollin, were not the men
for the time-they wanted to do what angels could
not accomplish with the present race of men.
They desired that all should be upright, industrious,
frugal, just, benevolent, and wise; and they ex-
pected to make men so through forms of govern
ment and laws! 1t was high, holy, magnificent
design, but unfortunately it was not adapted to the
time, nor the men of the time. The age is utiita-
rian-the political economists have brought selfish
ness to a science-and the utlitarian predominates
over all even those who see its ruinous effects in
the permanent degradation Of the larger portion of
the species, and who confess that society is diseased
and is sinking decay, have not the knowledge, the
will or the power, to suggest the remedy. The want,
the great want is the of securing fair distri
button of the bounes of nature and the proceeds of
industry to ALL This is the equality and fraternity
desired and desirable. But how is it to be done !!
That is the question which the revolution attempted
to solve, and in the solution of which its leaders
failed because they did calculate the strength
of the selfish, utitarian spirit predominant in the
world, and attempted to oppose that spirit, which
was stronger than themselves and their revolution,
national guards, standing army. ouvriers and all.
They began the wrong way. To produce the
equality and fraternity desired, the reformer will
have to prove to each that his individual inter-
est will be promoted by system which will ensure
the social equality of all when this is done the
work will be effected and not before, unless some
radical change takes place in human nature, which,
however desirable to theorists is not likely to
occur.
The revolution which was begun by driving
Louis Philippe from France, and was continued
by making Cavaignac dictator, has assumed its
ultimate form by the election of Louis Bonaparte
to the Presidency, and the appointment of Odillon
Barrot as the head of the Ministry. 1t has made
its circle in less than year, and has with change
of men and some slight change of forms arrived at
the point from which it started. The same princi-
pies, the same laws, the same scramble for power,
the same magnifcence of pretence and insignifi-
canoe of action, may be discerned. The inaugu-
ration speech of Louis Bonaparte would have made
an excellent royal speech for Louis Philippe; and
the Barrot Ministry, without more virtue, honesty
or beralty will have less sagacity and statesman
ship than that of Guzot. Verify, this is not the
spectacle the world was invited to gaze and won
der at.