The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1851-12-27
New YoRK, Dec. 81, 1851.

NE" lohh be'. -, 1901
The French Ners.-kossJah'S Departure, &c.
The Kossuth excitement has given place, for The mo.
men al least that created by the news from France
which though by no means xpecled is startling and
important in the extreme The President of the French
republic has dissolved the Assembly, and temporarily
taken the reins OF government into his own hands.
movement of this kind is undoubtedly calculated TO give
rise to the impression that he whose mind conceived
and whose hand executed ii had in view The realization
OF bis ambitious aspirations rather than the we'll
being OF his country; but examination OF the peculiar
train of circumstances which led to this decisive step
the part OF Louis Napoleon, and impartial review Of
the which he has thus far exercised tie power
which he has assumed, will tend in great measure 10
modify if does yet entirely remove, the untavor
able opinion which may have been formed IN regard 10
his ultimate designs II 10 be universally admit
ted by the French and English press that the downfall of
the government established by the constitution bad been
decided upon by the Assembly the deposition Of the Ex
ecu,ve which had been placed in his seat by the uni
ver.al suffrage of the whole nation would have been
decreed and carried into effect the I'd December by
body elected TO office by much the lesser moety Of the
people had not their political existence been terminated
on the evening OF the LIST |, will be seen, then, that
the only alternative left TO the President was TO submit TO
have the power which vested in him by the whole
people az sacred deposi,e wresed from him by the
representatives OF PAT, or 10 do what he has done
Leaving all personal considerations, whether Of safety
or ambition OF the question: he found himself under
the necessity of sezng and retaining the supreme power
or OF surrendering to public body strongly pcured
with monarchca preferences, and one OF which a
ioy could be obtained for other purpose except TO
act against the republic What was he to do in such a
case resort military force, where il be avoided,
is always to be deprecated but could il have been avoid
ed upon this OCCASION Twenty four hours OF debeation
or delay would have bali OF Paris in aims against
the other bacades raised in every street and blood flow.
ing in torrents-and for what No one knows-no man
answer for it is impossible TO conjecture what
would have been taken had they been
full BY popular Assemblyof whom it was only known
that two paris for monarchy, part for anarchy
and majority opposed To the republic as then constituted
We canno, conceive OF a !nghtfu state OF things
than would have supervened if the President had waited
quietly until the Assembly had gathered their forces and
marched upon him before he resisted il he had bowed
to their decree, and surrendered his power nto their
hands Paris-France would have been divided into
half dozen factions, each influenced with the most
deadly hostility against the other internecine war OF
unequaled barbariiy. and which could have
ceased until some OF these factions had swallowed up
annihiated all the rest would have ensued and reign
Of terrible than that OF the first revolution
would have commenced, TO end one could tell when,
had Louis Napoleon been less prompt and decided than he
was on The let Of December
Such are the views which we are constrained to take
OF the late occurrences in France SO far do not see
how the President, could have done other wise than be
has DONE and have done his duty As TO the future we
are BY no means confident But we hope for The heat
and our ground for hope is the restoration of universal
suffrage We still have faith in him. because when he
found il impossible TO preserve the republic intact in ts
original FORM he presevednay, more he acquired II,
and re,orcd to the peopethe vital principle upon which
all true republics foundedthe right OF Suffrage 10
svsry citizen. II will undoubtedly be objected ,ha, tho
propositions be submits 10 the decision OF the bao, are
calculated to afford opportunity for the realization Of
his own ambitious views; and admit that they are
liable to this objection But, on the other hand, il must
be recoected that under the circumstances, he in
sort bound to give the people the benefit OF his
perence and cay upon what terms he thought that he
any whom they might select could ssfuly carry
on the government. He has done So He invites the
whole people freely TO express their to- their dis
sent from his proposition and pledges himself TO abide
the result II there lie no trick in this the polls are
thrown opon and maie accessible 10 aand if no undue
means OF ccumscribng the perfect freedom OF The voter
are resor'ed to By those who temporarily WELD the
powerwe cannot see who has right to complain il the
people OF France should choose Louis Napoleon Pesi-