The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-16

first has but one idea-the necessity Of taking the
popular vote on the form Of goyernment-and
this idea it hammers into thousand different
articles, each more tiresome than its predecessor
IL is the dullest paper in town, quite enough at
any time to make Frenchman shrug his shout
ders, and say, with yawn-" just rs usual, moth
ingv or on rainy day, TO suggest suicide TO
splenetic Englishman For the last ten days 1t
has been publishing its eternal editorial relieved
only by letters and addresses from the provinces
on the game subject. M. Larocbejaquelin is OF
course, the great man Of the Gazette. This paper
could once harp on more than one string, and
tradition says that it played pretty we'll. IL is
subsisting now on its former credit The Union
is more interesting, but is not remarkable, except
for the strong infusion Of Catholicism in its Lee
gitimism. 1t represents the de FalIoux section Of
the party Of divine right. The strong paper of
the party is, doubtless, EOpuuion PpJiype, edited
by the witty author, Alfred Nettement and repre-
sentng the young, enthusiastic and liberal portion
of the Legitimsts. This Journal processes the
highest respect for popular right, and would not
bring back the heir Of the house of Bourbon, ex-
cept to mount demoeyatic throne. What that is,
il can perhaps explain.
Thus have run hastily through the organs in
the press Of the FIVE great parties which now dis
pute the helm Of state in France, combining my
self, with two exceptions, to the dailies. Among
the weeklies semi-monthlies, and montblies, there
are few which are Royaist in politics, but nearly
all are moderate Republican or Socialist. The
President is not favored by them The reader
must not suppose, from the above classification,
that each paper is exclusively devoted to its own
party, or that each party openly proclams its OBJ
ject. The press is intrinsically pouter and
grumbler rating all parties its own for their
errors for when partisan editor presses the nib
Of his pen on paper to defend the leaders, at the
magic touch all the weak parts Of their cause
spring up before his eyes to annoy him. He il
like the magician who wishes the presence Of a
friendly genius, and whose first touch of the tai
isman calls up around him nothing but grinning
imps The papers act, then, as checks on the
party leaders, for the editor will complain when
his task is made unpleasant by inconsistencies
and imprudences, which he is bound to defend
have already said that party unfriendly to
the Republic proclaims openly its object. This
is an important fact among those which 90 to
make up our opinion Of the progress of Republic
can opinions in France With one or two excep.
tions, the papers are all professedly in favor of
maintaining The Republican form. Even the ex-
captions propose only the very democratic and
harmless plan Of taking the popular vote on any
change to be made. Some advocate revision of
the Constitution, but none restoration. Take
il all in ALL the Paris press is the most ably con-
Quoted and most influential in the world. Ii was
Nicholas of Russia who said" Ii | were not
Emperor, would be Paris editor" This is the
press 70 much feared aad hated by Louis Napo-
ieop and the nervous or selfish politicians who
hate the light OF free inquiry, and wish TO extin-
gush the press which, whether in their hands or
not is always blazing torch, illuminating all the
dark corners Of the political world Vain at
tempt and were it not vain, fatally dangerousf
Gag man, and he manifests his wishes only by
his arms muzzle the press, the mouth of society,
and you call on your unsnspecting head all the
horrors of q revolution w.