Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1849-07-07
THE FOREIGN NEWS,

The late accounts are of a gloomy charac-
ter in some points, but encouraging in others.
France is far from being quiet. The strug-
gle between republicanism and monarchy, or
rather between honest men and knaves, still
continues, and must end in the complete tr-
umph Of one and the complete defeat of the
other. Compromise is impossible. France
was thoroughly corrupted by the adminis,ra-
ton of the Bourbon and Orleans dynasties
after the overthrow of Napoleon. Its govern
ing classes are as,horoughly profigate as they
were in 1889, and will probably need a puri-
flying process Of similar character The re-
publicans or monarchis,s must fall, and for
ever. If the monarchists prevail, and the
rest of Europe becomes Cossack, we shall a.
bandon all hope of European regeneration.
The night of the middle ages will return, and
continue for centuries But they will not pre-
vail The seeds of liberty are too widely
and deeply sown in European soil for ex,er-
mnation and though the struggle will be
bloody, the republicans will triumph And
when they do, they must provide new guards
for their future security" They must punish
their tyrants and betrayers, not only for
warning, but for safety. We oppose the
punishment of death, and would not follow
the example Of the reactionists in restoring
the guilotine. But we do say that the peo-
pie of Europe will no, be safe from wars
bloody wars against human rights, till every
one of the present race of kings or pretenders
10 thrones is either executed for murder or
exile, compelled to earn his bread by the
sweat of his face. And if these few dozens
OF tyrants, who have caused rivers of blood to
flow for the acquisition or maintenance of un.
Just power, were all executed together, would
anything more than justice be done The
surrender TO the hangman Of each royal life
would save thousands, tens Of thousands of
innocent people, from premature and bloody
grave.
According to these accounts, the French
assembly had resolved, by a solemn vote, to
crush the liberties of the Romans, and the
commander of the French army at Rome,
receiving orders according to this vote, had
attacked that people with fire and sword.
The iron leaves of European history are red
with every imaginable crime; and no deed
would astonish us, when ordered by European
monarchists. But of all the crimes which
stain those bloody annals, nothing equals in
alrocity this war Of France against the Ro-
mans. The plumber and extinction of Poland
was bad enough. But it was the work of
hereditary despots, and the war was waged
against tyrannical feudal aristocracy, and
imposed no new burdens on their slaves.
The Austrian assault upon the ancient rights
of Hungary was wicked. But it was the
work of despotic government. attempting
to consolidate and equalize its heterogeneous
empire. But the war of France upon Rome
has not a shadow of excuse. 1t is war of
unmitigated wickedness. It is a crusade
against the rights Of an unoffending nation,
merely because they have chosen to emanci-
pate themselves from the paraly zing despo-
,ism Of corrupt political priesthood; and il
10 wagsd by government founded on that
very republicanism which the Romans have
chosen, and yet reeking with the blood Of a