The New York herald., 1851-12-31

Critical Condi taon OF France and Europe
What VIII Louis Napoleon next dos
What will be Louis Nspolson's next eoSp fetat
This 10 an inquiry Of the NEST vital import and
terrible magnitude, at the present moment, affect.
ing ss ID does the very existence Of constitutional
liberty throughout the Europssn continent. The
game is up; the reckless hunter has entered upon
the chase which must either close abortively and
dsgTacefully 10 him, or result in the complete sue
cess Of his designs-the establishment Of military
government on the ruins Of republicanisn in
France. Louis Napoleon has proved himself at
once willy, ambitious and unscrupulous. Deeply
and wsrily has he laid his plans Boldly and fear
lessly has he carried them into operation; and the
result can hardly fail to be the consunmation Of
his ambitious projects-the re- e-erection Of the i'm
perial throne Of his uncle over the demolition Of
the French republic. His most willy and success
full stroke Of policy in advance, was the reinvest.
ture of the people with the right Of universal suf
frage; thus ministering to their selflove and ad-
vancing his own popularity, at the same time that
he was disarmng his enemies Of their most efficient
weapon.
The immediate consequence Of his coup dttat, it
requires no prophetic ken to foresee. The French
people, harassed by the evils attendant on the CO.
pricousness of the ror popnl, and the instability
Of their political affairs, will support the measures
of Louis Napoleon, and olothe him with the full
dictatorial powers which he demands. He will
undoubtedly get the vote. But this will only be
the beginning of the end. Order being thus once
more re eestablished in France, it will be incum-
bent on Louis Napoleon to provide for the employ
ment Of his vast army, to prevent them turning at
tentien to the political condition of their country.
He must minister to ths national military ardor
and love of glory; and We should have but very
imperfect conception of his character did we i'm
agine that he viii be very scrupulous as to the
modxs in quo.
Now that the Russian autocrat and his Austrian
satellite have reduced to the peace Of desolation all
the countries which are under their sway-now
that Hungary is trodden down to the very DUST and
every vestge ofiberty has been erased from italy
now that Eastern Europe offers no field for the ex-
tension Of despotism-the triumvrate Of that prin.
ciple-Nicholas, Francis Joseph, and Louis Napo-
leon-will doubtless direct their combined ener-
gies against Great Britain, which has been called
by Mr.. Walker, in one of his late speeches, the
" "breakwater of liberty" on the European CONT.
nent. Louis Napoleon, who has such penchaM
to initiate his uncle in his career stimulates to him
also in his implacable hatred towards the English
aristocracy, and particularly the free press Of Eng.
land, AID would willingly carry into execution the
old project formed by him, Of an invasion of that
country. His expeditions to Strasburg and Bou-
logne prove that he is capable of the widest a.
tempts; but we must not regard SUCH an one as SO
chimerieal or impract.able as it may at FIRST sight
appear. Louis Napoleon, urged on and supported
by his two dsspotic colleagues, (who have their own
motives to subserve,) would readily find or create
q casus beRi, and could, with the powerful steam
marine Of France, effect, from the old CAM Of Bou
logne, landing Of hundred thousand troops on
the English coast, and by setting up the now.un-
meaning claptraps Of universal suffrage, and the ex
tinction of arstocracy, he would attract the
Of England, who would desert the standard Of the
British arstocracy, and not stand idly by as spec
tatoIs; for Notwithstanding that England is the
only constitutional country in Europe-the only one
where the freedom of the press is respected-yet
it is uRdensble that the millions are discontented
and ripe for revolution, and would eagerly join
in any movement for the overthrow of the aristo.
GRATIS system under which the people have so long
suffered fattenng the fruits Of their labors, and
denying them the exercise Of the prero gstives of
freemen. The Catholics Of Englaad and Iroland
might also be calculated to lend their aid to the
man who extinguished the fires of liberty in Rome,
and reinstated the Holy Father on the PontifcaI
throne.
With such powers at his disposal, direct and
the result presaged may be looked upon
as more than probability, and may not be very
far in the dim future. We are in the commence
ment Of a terrible future.