The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-07-31

would be to stop a high-pressure engine
by closing every passage and valve for the
emission of steam. The object may be at
tanned for moment, but, by all the laws
Of physics, an explosion must follow.
All! what might we not have hoped for
France had sincere, earnest, intelligent,
assiduous, and vigilant Republican, whom
neither the sophistries of the monarchists,
nor the threats and outcries of the destruct-
ives could bias, been placed at the head Of
affairs as her first President! AS it is, un-
less the administration retrace their steps
unless they adopt the liberal and repent
ant policy advocated by Dufaure, Minister
of the Interior, by De Beaumont, and other
members of the "Cercle Constitutional, !"
we may expect another CONFUSION in
France, more desperate and sanguinary
than any that have preceded it.
We have mentioned the name of Du-
faure. Although the most liberal mem
Der of the government, even he would seem
to be at fault on this subject of the liberty
OF the press. By way Of balancing ac-
counts between the extreme parties, he
has recently been instrumental in causing
prosecutions to be commenced against two
or three legitimist journals in the pro-
vinces. Their offence was, that they styled
themselves, in every number, legitimists.
This show of even-handed justice on the
minister's part will not 60 far to remedy
the enormous blunder of which the gov
eminent have been guilty, in authorizing
the destruction Of presses and the suspen.
sion Of newspapers. As a sign of the
times, we may remark that the rumor by
the Europa is, that Dufaure will retire
from the Cabinet
To us of the United States, who know
no limit to the liberty of the press save the
rights of the individual, the attempt to
dam up its utterance in enlightened France
seems the height Of Quixotism, and mo-
rally impossible for any length of time.
We cannot but believe that the crevasse
will come, sooner or later; and perhaps
the longer it is deferred the more over
whelming it will be. Universal suffrage
and a fettered press--the freedom to vote
and the prohibition to speak-annual cleo
tons and censorship over the public dis
cussion of men and measures purely
democratic system, and an imperfect COM
munication with the people what mon
strous incongruities! What infatuated po-
Icy!
But, while we deplore the palpable in
sincerity of the majority of the men in
power, in their republican professions, we
cannot but regard with equal reprobation
the conduct of those reckless and presum-
ing political charlatans, who, not content
with a republic and universal suffrage,
have, by insisting upon the trial of their
crude prescriptions upon the constitution
of society, alarmed the great mass of the
intelligent friends of the revolution, and
proved the most efficient auxiliaries of the
monarchical and reactionary factions. We
have every reason to believe, that but for
the impracticable, or at least premature,
attempt to mix up social with political
revolution, France would, long ere this,
have accepted the republic in good faith,
by such majority as would have annihi-
lated the hopes of legitimacy, and perma-
nendy established the principles of true de-
mocracy.
In vain did the sincere Republicans of
France point to the example of the United
States. In the estimation of the clamorers
for the democratic and Social Republic"
we were far behind the age; and Frank
lin and Jefferson were mere children in
democracy compared with Proudhon and
Considerant. There did not lack trans
cendental amateurs in politics and social
economics, in our own country, who con-
Cured in this flattering estimate of our de-
linquency. Well, and what has come of
it-this quitting hold of substance to
grasp at shadow-this attempt to push
the political to a social revolution-what
has come of it to Francel Civil war,
bloodshed, Rome invaded, and the press