The New York herald., 1851-12-25

are sdreiIy CLOSED over or boldly in Pa
justifabls everything essential to its success was
likewise justifable The opposition leaders and
their followers are, il is added not the worse fer
few hours conansment; and as for the bloodshsd,
have been forced into q partial, premature, and
abortive outbreak, than that they should have
been allowed to bids their time till the Legislature
had in reducing the executive to its own
of fidelity to constitution-and that constitution
tainted by its inherent absurdltes-is not we fear,
regarded as an unpardonable crime by French poll
ticians; and the Presidents profession Of unalter
able attachment to laws and established institu-
tions upon which some Of our oonte affect
to lay great stress, could have inspired little add
tionsl sense of security in men who remember that
the model uncle expressed himself in similar terms,
lust two days before he dispersed and dissolved the
Legislative Coxnoil of Five Hundred. Whom the
republicans, writes Mignet, showed alarm at the
designs of Bonaparte, in when they saw Caesar or
q. Cromwell, they we're answered by the General
himself who charact srized the parts perfor in
history by those personages as bad and worn out
(r0ies uses), unworthy of q man OF sense, II they
were not unworthy Of an honest man"-that cit
would be sacrilege to think OF assailng representa-
tive government in the age Of enlightenment and
Whatever may be thought of the language aod
state Of feeling which are at present prevalent in
French people, and they must be admitted to afford
but very slender guarantee for the stability OF
the new system, which has been compared to re-
versed pyramid propped by bayonets. IL is true
Assembly we read in the Constitutional, would
have thruPt still farther into what is provisional,
whilst the President draws us from it by giving
France the opportunity and the means Of foending
adhesion Of to day. which will be turned into en-
thusasm tomorrow and the formidable events
which have just been accomplished, prove that
Louis Napoleon Bonaparte carries with him the
~coA. &c Co.. kn fuA fARaa
which are the very columns Of all society-ths vote
and the sabre" But woe to the society which is
compelled to repose any direct or immediate re-
lance on the latter, and which cannot rest satisfied
with the policeman's staff as an emblem. Grant
ing, however, that the President can depend upon
the sabre, is he equally certain of the votel very
cursory glance at the events Of the last week will
show that his success hitherto has been, in great
suffrage, as it existed prior to the disfranchising
law Of the 3lst May. 1t yet remains to be proved
that the army would back him against what may
be called the real people; and it was matter Of
ricades would not be manned by formidable num-
bers Of the honest and well lintentioned, if often
misguided, working class Tho growing dscon-
tent was checked by we'll timed concession Of the
ballot, in proclamation stating that absolute in
dependence, complete liberty OF voting, is what he
desires to see established What, however, it
would seem he dses not wish to see established, is
absolute indepen dence ofthinkng writing, print.
where regarded as q tacit admission that public
opinion might probably declare against him, we're
il left free to form itself under its ordinary nstruc
tors and to find vent through its regular channels
Surely this is narrow and short sighted policy,
eminentIy calculated to bring about the very result
The question about to be submittedto the French
people, and to which they are required to answer
categ gorically yes no-is whether they will accept
Louis Napoleon as their chief ruler for ten years,
and invest him with full powers to construc. free
constitution for them upon q given basis. They
have no alternative but to assent. to declare vir
.ually for something very like anarchy. II is ru-
mored th at the egitimists, Oreanists, and the re-
publieans will refrain from voting at all; and the
numerical majority of the nation would probably
run every risk rather than con6de the destines of
their country to man whom they saw reason to
dstrust. In one Of his yesterdays proslamations,
he again promises to leave the decision entirely and
unreservedy in their hands, and, in the hope that
he may still prove sincere, adhere to the opinion
which We expressed on Saturday last, namely,
" that France has least to fear from the recogni-
ton CT his authority, and from that appeal to the
votes and wishes OF the people to which he stands
pledged" Yet what rejecting person can or viii
believe that he is earnestly bent on restoring
French liberty, so long as he tramples down i.s
strongest bulwark, and its only infallbe condrna-
tion or inseparable accompaniment-a free press
(From the London Times, Dec q)
"Order reiers IN Paris" The full meaning Of
these familiar but porentous words is not only to
be sought in the cessation Of fighting on the barr-
cades, IN the triumph Of an enormous military force
over unorg anized resistance in which tho
Of The Faubourgs did not take an active united
part, or in the utter prostraton Of al constitutional
opposition. They mean tho absolute subsection Of
every act and every word Of the entire population
to the will of the government, represented BY the
summary jurisdiction of perm anent courts martial.
The last proclamation Of the President is doubtless
intended TO calm the passions which have been
reused, but an appeal to the people under such cir
cumstances is mere imposition, when there is no
power TO control or to oppose 1t. The blow just
struck has fallen, not so much upon the populace,
whom 1t Is the interest and intention Of Louis Napo
leon to conciste, upon the middle classes, whose
power has indeed departed from them. The
National Guard, which has essentially represented
the armed bovgeoisie Of Paris since its formation
in 1870, and which contributed to the revolution
Of February, ls4S, by its abandonment Of Q
government that ushsppuy relied on its fuc-
tua.ing support, now finds itself superseded by .
very different power. The mere possession Of
the arms and equipments Of National Guards
is readily construed into al offence; its elected
officers are displaced to mako room for the
m ost devoted agents Of the new government; and
II Is easy to foresee that the body win ere long be
dissolved In order TO dsarm this class Of the cti-
zens altogether. But the material force and mill
tary organization Of this burgher militia are ele-
ments Of less confederation in the State than the in
fuence Of that intelligent portion Of the community
By which public opinion is formed and propagated.
All that thinks and speaks, writes and discusses,
has passed under the yoke The Partisan press ex-
PRED in the night Of the I'd of December by the
hands Of mutes. Not journal appeared on the
morrow except to Disseminate the Proclamations Of
the government, or the more audacious "facts'
published by order Of the Prefect Of Police. Our
respected contemporary, the Journal des Dtbus,
formed the solitary exception In the Independent.
PRESS but it obtained this miserable concession only
on condition Of connnDg itself to &C snty selection
Of irrelevant anecdotes or criminal trials. The
correspondents Of the London journals In Paris
continued TO perform their srduous duties with their
accustomed diligence and courage, fer some OF their
Gre, when the ear was stunned BY the discharges
OF musketry and cannon. BUTT was made clear TO
them that their practically under the
control Of the police; notning which the govern
could be prevented and tn they we're wholly depen-
dent the governm or information frsm the pro-
vinces and for the transmission photographic messa
ges. Two Of our conten porariee, the Ministerial
Clotc and the conservative Morning Chronicle which