The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-04-19
Correspondence Of The New YORK Tribune.


e, Corrsspondence Of the New York Tribune.
PANE March "a lS4y
accept with pleasure your proposition 20 furnish
regularly for The Tribune review Of the move
Of events and ideas in France, and Tor To-Day
take advantage OF the departure OF The Hermann 20
speak of political situation, when ior seve'ui
days past have been growing more and more grave
and critical.
The re- establishment of the guilotine as mode
of punishment for political offences has produced an
exceedingly bad effect among all degrees Of me pop
ulation, and above aI In the ranks OF The National
Guard The irritation OF the Labaring Glasses also
far exceeds everything that or could have been
expected Except the blndest adherents of the
Reaction, no one pretends 10 regard the fatal event
of The Barrier of Fontanebeau in June as MUIR
der committed with premeditatioh and possessing
the characteristics Of an ordinary crime of that sort
The death of Gen. Bfea aud his Aid-de-camp was
nor murder but terrible episode In the civil war
then raging For two days the Mobile Guard and
ths National Guard had massacred their prisoners
without form or semblance of trial or examination,
and even inottensive old men had been slain at
the pleasure Of their captors IL was then only nat
ural that the fury OF the people should be reused
Ike paroxisms and this is the rational explanation
ofihat lamentabe event.
But even had il been necessary to force somewhat
the indications afforded by the facts of the trial. IL
would have been infinitely better, in view Of ,ihe
public interest and welfare, have allowed the char
acter Of merely political event 10 have rested upon
the death OF those two officers The President, TOO,
had come into power with the express promise OF
general amnesty, and eight months after the occur
renee when the excitement Of The contest had
meusurably subsidized the least that could be expect
ed Of him was that he should show himself infexi-
bly, opposed bloody reifibulion, TO execution
Of pubc vengeance BY the guiotine. But he asd
his Ministers have failed equally 10 keep his word,
and 10 direct themselves by considerations Of wise
policy. They have deeply and bitterly disappointed
the people and The consequences Of this great error
are hereafter to appear. Such as they threaten TO
be treInble TO think Of them. he moderation
which followed the victory Of February is now
thing less than impossible. Let another such yicto
ny be gained, and then fearful justice will have he
why. IL will fall first upon the Journalists, the
bankers, the political intrgners the authors and SUP
porters of that Reaction which heaps injury upon
France, and her most patriotic and devoted children,
the Socialists.
In connexion with this execution several things
have contributed 10 the effect produced upon the
public mind. The Christian death Of the two con
demned and The affirmation OF Innocence main
tained by one of them up 10 the very last moment
leave in The Judgment of many frightul doubt as
10 whether there was shadow OF justice 10 their
punishment. II has also been remarked that the
18th OF March, the anniversary OF the grand demon
straton Of the people at the Hotel de Vile, was the
day chosen for their execution and ulso for the issue
Of the electoral manifesto Of the Reactonisis Club
of the Rue de PolHers, well for the resumption
in the Assembly of the discussion upon the law for
the suppression OF the Clubs. All these things taken
together, the Revolutionary spirit has regained its
full energy. and If il restrans itself for the time
being, il is only to strike In manner more terrible
You will elsewhere The details Of the schism
which has taken place in the Assembly. the with
drawal of the Committee the law respecting Clubs,
and The protest of three hundred members of the
Assembly against the violation Of the Constitution,
uttered directly by some, with reserve by 9th
srs, but with energy by all. This protest, taken up
in the Press with the redoubIable vgor which dis
tugnishes Proudhon, has been proclaimed and ret-
ernted by all the public organs Of Socialism, by the
central committee Of elections, and at last by the So
ciety of Friends of the Const tntion,' and by the
National ITSELF II Is evident that the G government
isTetrenting from the position II has assumed on
nd in a. n IN Hi.
ciously, for everything Is ready for combat from
which nothing could issue except the most shocking
evils. The National Guard as well as the Assem-
bly,, Is divided the Socialists journals are unanimous,
the people united and reused 20 anger. God grant
that this anger may not now break forth The So
cinsts are not ready 10 assume the Government and
the country Is still less ready 10 accept them and
YET beside Them, there is nothing possible. There is
no doubt Of bloody catastrophe. The sole wish
which remains 10 be formed in regard il is, that il
may be delayed sufficiently TO be the last.
What chiefly makes me believe and hope that
may be able 10 keep back the people is that the
CO perfectly comprehend TWO things. The first Is
that the position which the army will take in the
crisis Is not sufficiently certain the second that the
Bonaparte family IL not yet enough deprived OF lite
popularity and destroyed by experience, the only
weapon which we possess against the illusions and
prejudices still remaining from that grand deception,
the imperial glories.
The prestige Of this family Is destroyed; but the
Bonnpartists tiks refuge behind last tntrench-
ment. They endeavor 10 Ike advantage of facts
WuOhB uepiUTdbe gravity tnEy cannot DENY, anu 10
render them the excuse and occasion Of an imperial
soup deaf II, they say Louis Napoleon has broken
all his promises, II his government does no good but
only produces evil the reason lie that he Is not free
that the Constitution parayzes his capacity and his
good viii. But all such efforts must be useless !
they are doomed TO fall Of their object. The entire
tendency of things 10 against them, and only lew
weeks requisite 10 completely disabuse the army,
the peasants and the fanbourgs of Paris, Of the de-
fusion remaining among them In relation 10 the name
OF Napoleon.
Whatever respect has been felt for Louis Napoleon
personally IL rapidly disappearing, and that from q
fatal cause. In all countries and in France perhaps
more than elsewhere the loss Of character In respect
of money matters 10 death TO any man exercising the
public authority. II 10 now averred that Louis Ma
poleon was elected 10 the Presidency with bills Of
Exchange bearing his name protested In the hands
OF the lowest class OF usures and that he has saved
his commercial honor only ny selling himself to the
lords Of the great feudasn OF money and stock JOBS
bing He has received loan Of a million and half
Of francs on the engagement that he would give to
the rulers and wire-pulers of the Exchange the qua
ranties which they require these guarantee consist
in the surrender OF the elections and his influence
over them into the hands Of Leon Faucker and some
other supporters Of Theirs and the bankers. This
foct has been revealed by the journals but ii had
other evidence of iis truth should moi state il in
80 positive manner have assurances Of il from
apereon of the most reliable character who lives
calmly remote from The contests Of the day, not in
volved In any Of the party questions, and in the best
position TO be accurately informed on such matter
The notorious disorder in the characters and affairs
cfthe other Napoleons, one Of whom passes for the
squanderer of the fortune Of Mile. Rachel the ira
Gedan comes in TO render critical the situation
OF the Prince President who Is destined TO fall lower
even Than Louis Philippe. He holds now only by
fragile branch TO the trunk Of the imperial dynasty
Meanwhe the army Is indignant at being reserved
tor the combhts Of the like subatern branch
OF the police, when the emancipation OF Italy and
dermany are calling us abroad. The most ardent
and energetic part o. the army, the sub-ofcers and
soldiers, belong to the peopi. and sooner or inter
must adopt lite convictions This process Is now
going. on with astonishing rapidity; he army il
becoming Sociaiid. This fact is the most important
the most favorable 10 our cause which has occurred
since February, or rather since began our propa
gand, which dates back twenty years. The GOV
eminent 10 troubled at A. ant with lust reason -
They have attempted TO disguise the truth by DENY
ing that banquet usl offered TO the Representatives
Of the Mountain, 10 really got up and TO be attended
by soldiers. But nothing 10 more exac, than the
statement published IN respect 10 this affair ty the
journal lie Psupie. It's only day or Two since
Ledru Roin received an Invitation from large
number Of officers, who declare that they were
parties the publication Of the fact and