Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-01-11
Louis Napoleon.

~ ne t"it@ VIZ ILoNlS 1Shpp'
lean Bonaparte to the people of France
will be read with interest. 1t is the pro-
grarnme of public faith Of the candidate
for the first Presidency of France, whose
chances of election are admitted on al
hands to be superior to those ofany or al
his competitors combined:
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte to his Eel
low- Citizens.
To recall me from exile you have cho.
sen me representative of the people. On
the eve of eIecting the Chief Magistrte OF
the Republic my name is placed before
you as a symbol of order and security.
This testimony of confidence, so hon
orable, is offered, l am a%ware@much more
to the name than to me, who haze. as vet
done nothing for my country : but the
more the memory of the Emperor protects
me, and nnfuencess,your suffrages, the
more do l feel myself bound to explain
to you my sentiments and sprinciples.
Between you and me there must be no
misunderstanding. 81
am not an ambitious man, whodrea1ns
of empire and of war, now of the applica-
ton of subyersive theories. Educated in
free countries, in the school of misfortune,
shall ever remain faithful to the duties
imposed'on me by your suffrages, am by
the will of the Assembly.
If / were elected President [ would
not shrink from any danger, from any sa-
%criice, to defend society, so audaciousIy
attacked | would devote myself entirely,
and without any reserve, to the consoIida-
ton of Republic, wise by its laws, hon
orable by its intentions, great and strong
by its actions. ae .a
l would make it a point of honor to
leave to my successors, at the end ofthree
years, power consolidated, liberty I'M
touched, and real progress accomplished.
Whatever be the result of the election,
| shall bow before the will of the people;
and my concurrence is obtained in advance
for whatever just and firm Government
shall reestablish order in the public mind,
as we'll as in public affairs shall %effectu-
ally protect religion, private life, property
eternal bases of every social state !;
shall bring about reforms where they are
possible, shall calm animosities, reconcile
parties, and thus permit our troubled
country to calculate on Tomorrow.
To reestabIish is to bring back conf
to provide credit for the temporary
insuffciency of resources, to restore the
finances.
To protect religion and private life, is
to ensure liberty of worship and liberty of
education.
To protect property is to maintain the
inviolability of the produce of all kinds of
labor it is to guarantee the independence
and the security of possession-the indls-
pensible Foundation of civil liberty.
As to practicable reforms: the following
are those which appear to me the most
To allow every economy which, with
out d~isorganIzing the public service, may
permit a diminution of the imposts that
are most ~burthensome to the people. To
encourage enterprise, which by Develop
ing the resources of agriculture, may,
both in France and Algeria, afford labor
%unoccupied hands: to provide for the
Did age of Iaborers by provident %institu-
to introduce into our industrial laws
ameIiorations which may tend, not to
ruin the rich for the benefit of the poor,
but to found the well-being of each on the
prosperity of all.
To restrain within just limits the num-
Der Of employments that depend on the
Government, and which often make a
rec nation a nation of applicants.
To avoid that disastrous tendency
which leads the State to execute of itself
What individuals can do as well, ndbetter
han it. The Capitalization of interests
md of enterprise belongs to the nature of
lespotism-the nature off republic repels
monopoly. s,s II