The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-10-17
Foreign Correspondence OF the Republic.
PARIs, September %, 1851.


amounting to dizziness, yet it has been easy to
observe general ground swell over the coun-
try The two powers of Despotism and De
mocracy are evidently still at work, deep in
the bosom of society. OF late the drift seems
TO be in favor of the government, for reasons
which are obvious.
1t ia the great misfortune if not the vice, Of re-.
pubhcanism in Europe at the present moment, that
il seems to threaten the security of property, and
this ID to threaten every thing that hold dear
If property is attacked, a man fights for it, and
his life is sacrificed. If property is taken, life,
home, wives, daughters, are the prey of violence.
Security TO property 10 the fundamental principle
of society. 1t is established as such in vast ma
jorty of minds, among all civilized nations. Now,
true republicanism recognises this principle;
builds upon it; establishes it, One of the very OBJ
jects of our republcanism is to entrench this prn
ciple behind the invincible bulwark of universal
suffrage, and thus engaging every member Of So
ciety to maintain it, he himself having contributed
TO its foundation and being interested in its de
fence
But, unhappily, the Democrats or Republicans
of Europe have so managed their cause that, as we
have said, they seem to be hostile to the security
Of property. Socialism, carried out is thought to
involve Proudhon's theory that Property is rob
6Ty." Red Republicanism is supposed to have the
hue Of Jacobinism, and to import nearly the same
thing. Many of the Democratic |, aders are men
Of bad private life and some, having been in office
have soied their hands by corruption Others still
have been involved in acts Of anarchcal violence;
and, finally here and there revolutionary plots are
constantly exploding; and, though these are on a
small scale, they bear generally the same type,
and seem to indicate the same idea-that of reor-
ganizing society by a general earthquake, which
shall remove the present order of things and leave
the working classes-the proietarians-in exclusive
possession OF power. The following copy Of one OF
the bulletins issued by the Central Committee OF
London, and seized in the hands of the germane
plotters, lately uneartbed in Paris, by the govern
ment will give a clear idea of the views which are
now disseminated over Europe by Ledru Rolin,
Louis Blanc, and others who assume the guidance
Of liberal movements in Europe:
"THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF LoNDoN TO THE
SECTIONS This present month of august. The
moment is not far distant when the burgess class
will be forced to abdicate their power in favor of
the proetarian class. The important point in the
next revolution ID to place the power in the hands
OF the prolearians. In consequence, the Congress
has decided to transmit to all the sections the fol
lowing instructions TO be observed at the next
luton
"WHAT TINE PEOPLE WILL HAVE DONE AT THE
MoMENT OF THE REvoLUTioN.-l. At the moment
shall be deposed;
80. The people will Immediately elect revolu-
tionary committees, which shall take the power
into their own hands. The central committee shall
have It's seat In the first important town that falls
into the power OF the revolution. All the revolu-
tionary committees are Immediately TO send dele
gates TO the central committee;
"3. All taxes are to- be done away with, the
means OF supplying the expenses of the State be-
ing found III the confiscation of the property of
prlnces or traitors to the people; the seizure of
banking establishments and State funds; q forced
loan from all capitalists; and new paper money;
a. All the State debts are to be done away with
without indemnity and the old paper money is not
any longer to be IN calculations;
"5. The State undertakes all mortgages, and
none can be paid off;
sc. All the enemies of the revolution shall be dis
armed, and every man Of the people, from seven
teen years OF age to sixty, shall form the army.
The young men who are not married are to fight
beyond the frontier, and the rest at home. The
people are to be constantly armed.
az. All the ordinary tribunals are to be dis
solved, and are to be replaced by tribunals appoint
ed by the revolutionary committees the law officers
OF the republic are to be named by the central
committee.
SO The existence of all the defenders of the re-
voluion, as well as that of their families, are guar
anteed. Every one must work, but the State is to
give to each such occupation and wages as shall be
fixed by the committee of workmen.
"9. The State is to take possession Of all rail
ways, steamboats,, and all other means of public
communication. II shall be the same for all the
factories and workshops not in full activity, and
which the State will have need of to occupy all the
workmen. The agricultural aborers are to be en-
ployed on the ands of the State.
$40. In the palaces of princes, and the country
mansions Of the rich schools and institutes are to
be established. The children are to be brought up
and educated gratuitously."
Now need not say that, while this is going on
the great body of republicans in France utterly
! iafe
atrocious measures. Taking the National as
guide, they for the security of ife liberty, and
property; for the support of the constitutions for
government after model. But they have to
bear the sin and shame of a herd of wolves in
sheeps' clothing; some selfish and some hnatical
and all in bad odor with the mass of mankind " no
appear in the van of the march of liberty and
claim to be its priests, prophets and apostles. How
easy is il for an enemy to republicanism to turn
such state OF things to good account in war
against it; and this is precisely what the present
government is doing and has done.
Louis Napoleon and his ministers, seeing the
deep desire of the French nation for tranquility
and the revival Of the industrial interests, and
counting on the fundamental attachment of civil
lied society to the security of property have dex-
terously wrought upon pubic opinion to esta-
blish the conviction that they are the only anchor
of hope to the lovers of order; while the republi
cans OF all shades are represented the cham
pions of revolution, license and anarchy. To this
end every act and every device is brought to bear
The sporadic plots and conspiracies ofobscure men
are trumpeted forth as ominous underminings OF
the whole fabric of society. The mysterious and
impracticabe doctrines of socialism are exagger-
ated and distorted into giant horrors stalking over
the earth. And finally, the aristocratic conviction
that the mass Of mankind are bad, and only fit to
be kept down by the strong hand of tyranny, is in
voked throughout France, and made to throw its
support into the scale of the government. OF all
strange symptoms here, the most remarkable is The
contemptin which the higher classes of French hold
the lower classes of their countrymen; and this
too, when, il fairly Judged the latter their su
periors for truth, honor, and the stern virtues oil
industry, iugality, and temperance.
What the issue is to be, again say. cannot
tell. But it may be safely asserted that the drift
of things in France, at the present moment is ad
vcrse to the immediate success of republcanism
The allied powers oflegitimacy, in its many head
ed forms, at present are full of courage in Europe
and seem TO be marching on to victory In this
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