The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1849-04-27
principles of liberty throughout the whole European

world.
In these circumstance and at such an epoch,
the state and prospects of the French republic ma
turally attract the keenest attention, alike Of
friends and foes. The next news from Europe-or
the next to the nex-wil, in this point of view be
deeply interesting. 1t will probably bring us the
intelligence of the dissolution of the French AS
sembly. The election of the members of the new
Assembly will be most important event 1t will
bring into the field the various parties into which
France is now divided, with all their differences of
opinion and contrariety of interests. A glance at
the history of parties in France for the last thirty
years, will enable us to perceive more clearly the
reasons of that keen excitement which exists
among the rival political interests there at this
ment. In 1915, the Bourbon dynasty was restored,
and after the lapse of fifteen years. it forciby
demolished aed expelled. Then the Orleansts
succeeded But that faction also failed in satisfy
ing the people 1t too was destroyed, and was
obliged to flee contumeliously from the indignant
rebuke of the people of Paris, after seventeen years
of power For time after the revolution of 1913,
the ultra republicans, or socialists, attempted to
maintain possession of the reins of government
but their career was brief one. They were ex-
PEELED from power by Cavaignac and the moderate
continuing in power for few months, they were
also elected by the people; and then followed the
election of Louis Napoleon, which was the result
of the accidental combination of various contend
ing elements. Napoleon was elected by the union
of the Bourbonists Oreanists, socialists, and Ma
poeonists proper.
We have, then, at this moment, five great factions
and ideas in France represented by the Bourbonists
republicans, or socialists, and the Napoleonists.
What will be the result of the election? Can any sim
gle one OF these parties succeed? Not at all. The
result will be that the four parties opposed to Louis
Napoleon will unite, and he and his administration
will find themselves in a most woful minority In
the new Assembly No one of the factions can
succeed in forcing its ideas upon the great mass of
voters In fact the present state of political parties
in France bears good deal of analogy to that of
the contendng parties in the United States in the
two last presidential elections. The elect on of Mr..
Polk, which astonished the country, was effected
because the abolitionists distracted votes enough
from the wing party to change the result. Singu-
ary enough, General Taylor was elected in con-
sequence of similar accidental circumstance,
operating in directly opposite way among the de-
mocrats, by the influence of the free-soil move
ment Yet this curious antagonism of parties ope-
rates with sautary effect in this country; and there
is no danger to be apprehended to the young repub
lie of France from the presence there of similar
political antagonism. A republican government IS
one that necessarily lives " from hand to mouth"
1t is in consequence Of this very freedom Of opinion,
and these singular, accidental and temporary poll
teal alliances, that republican government is found
to be most in accordance with the wants. wishes
| and progressive intelligence of the people.
The next European news of interest, then, will
relate to the dissolution of the French Assembly.
No doubt the new election will result in the man.
ner we have now predicted. Neither of the five
great factions can have majority. All will be
more or less represented in the new Assembly; the
socialists, probably, least of ALL for they have been
sinking in the scale We think that the moderate
republicans will gain strength Even with ma
jority against him, however, Louis Napoleon may
sustain himself successfully. If he conform to the
spirit of the age, and manage matters with discre
ton and practical good sense-of which he seems
to possess more than he formerly got credit for
he will be able to maintain his administration.
Above all things, he should endeavor to give high
tone to the position of France, and assume firm
and lofty ground IN European politics The pre-
sent is critical time and within the next four
years much is TO be gained or lost to the cause Of
popular liberty.
The New REGENCY OF THE WING PARTY
Senator Seward is very busy now, and has been
for some time past, establishing a new regency,
out of undoubted raw materials, to govern the
wing party III this State for all time to come The
first movement, with the assistance of Thurlow
Weed was to make himself Senator during the
l. Il
completely cowed and controlled Mr.. Fillmore and
his friends during the last summer and fall, by
threatening to defeat his election, and that of Gen.
Taylor also, unless they relinqushed their opposi-
ton TO his election Senator Mr.. Filmore-a
man of some talent but no moral courage-of
good deal of might of character, but also of equal
heaviness of intellect-in short, slow and i'm
practicable poiticlan-has completely fallen before
the superior activity, busting energy, skifu ma
nGuvring and undertaking unscrupuiousness of
Seward and his Mr.. Mephistophees Weed
To establish their ascendancy in the wing party
in this State, and throughout the North, Seward
and Weed now driving new point, and that
is, TO control all the appointments in the hands of
the general government, from Collector of the port
of New York down to tide waiter. We have
been collecting, from various quarters full his
tory of the recent movements OF Mr.. Seward, in
relation to this new movement, which will be in
eresting, amusing, philosophical, and ecstatic to
every reader, of all parties. We think that Mr..
Seward will succeed in his projects, and have
everything his own way-establishing his regency,
and putting Mephstopheles Weed at the head oft
becoming second Van Buren, in New York for
years to come He is active, enterprising, Ia
Tented, INSCRIPTIONS, unprinciped, polite, smiling,
pous moral, free soil' little fellow, this Seward
The TRIAL OF suusrEK, ALIAS HAND, FOR STEAL
ING THK GOVERNMENT JEWELS AT WASHINGTON, is |
going on for the second time. The whereabouts of |
Jim Webb that wonderful genius and associate of
Hand, has also been ascertained 1t seems, that
this worthy has been arrested on an affidavit made
by Mr.. George Wilkes sort Of amateur thief
catcher from this city, who has been Boosting for
many months of the perfect knowledge which he
had of all the mysterious agency of these chaps in |