The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-02-20
THE EUROPEAN WORLD.

THE EUROPEAN WORLD.
France and Germany the centres of political inter-
esi-Louis Napoleon has the whip hand of the
Chamber-The President owes his present strength
to his popular Professionalism he comes to enter
tain them-The grand purpose OF the Dresden Con-
gress-The smaller States to be stripped of power
Their plans of Observation-Disclosures in
subtitle probable complexion of the new Prussan
Assembly-Its meassyrs ."o5 their resRIis The
slender hope of the Government-The war policy of
the peoples-Brute force not to be relied ON among
the civilized world In this era-The Governments Of
Europe are yet barbarian, and cannot endure I'm
this era-The world not made for the present
of KingsIlleg timacy pervades the royal stock
of the day.
New YoRK, February IS, 1851
To The Editor of the National Era:
We are still without news of stirring events
from the other side of the Atlantic, yet the last
advices are by no means without interest All
liberal eyes in England turn towards France and
Germany, where the game of the Peoples against
the Kings is being played, apparently with very
different success.
As far as can be perceived, Louis Napoleon,
having donned the colors Of King Demos, has
frightened the reactory majority Of the Assembly
into pdssiue resistance to his views of public af-
fairs, for it the majority seems content to aban-
don its very recent position of active hostility to
his Government, for that of growing querulous-
ness. Thus, il finds fault with everything he
does, but dares not adopt means to defeat any one
of the measures he has lately enunciated as hav-
ing been resolved on for the good of the power to
- IL - Aaan Z 4
that of the people of France, as set forth in the
Constitution. IL is no longer to be doubted that
he holds only to the maintenance of the rights OF
his office under the Constitution. and that the in
| fuenoe Of the public opinion which now lends
him its countenance, has psralyzed the opposition
to him in the Chamber This opposition, though
really in a majority of three to one dsres not at.
tempt more than petty annoyances against him
while he stands on the platform of popular rights
and proclaims that he has no object in view be.
yond the simple discharge Of the functions of the
Presidency strictly according to the spirit and
letter of the law.
One has but to reflect on the fact that more
than half the Chamber are avowed Bourbon
ists Orleansts, or Imperialists, to realize that,
already, public opinion the wishes of those
who labor from sun to sun rules France as
completely as it governs the United States Of
America. As surely as its influence upon our
public men hiss been the chief source of the pros
perty and progress of this people, so surely will
it in time work like results not only for the peo-
pie of France, but for those of all Europe. May
| not safely congratulate your readers that the
principles of Thomas Jefferson have at length so-
quired firm foothold in the Old World Who
can doubt this fact longer, after seeing the
ZIONIST majority Of the French Chamber struck
powerlesss and dumb as it were, by Louis Napo-
Icons change of postion--by his abandonment Of
thought of all else save the duty of administering
his trust strictly according to the law and to the
end for which that law was made for the best
interests of the whole people.
But for the condition of Germany, Russia
would be actively interfering to break down the
influence of Louis Napoleon, who owes bis posi-
ton to Russian gold scattered throughout France
in the Presidential canvass, in the hope and be-
lief that if elected he would succeed in his orgi
nal purpose of using the Presidency merely as a
stepping stone to A n Imperial throne. The whole
of the first year Of the administration Of Louis
Napoleon proves that he took office with that
view. That he has entirely changed that policy,
satisfactorily shows that he regards it to be ut
terly impossible to reestablish the authority Of the
empire over people with minds as free as are
those OF France in 1851 It'll fortunate for France
that the popular mind in Germany is almost as lib
eralized as her own, else rivers Of blood would
have flown in the streets of Paris, ere the French
Republic could have arrived at its present condi-
ton of stability While the central Governments
of the Continent exist over volcanoes of Repub-
licanism threatening to burst forth everywhere,
unless the every energy Of their every Bureau be
wholly devoted to the work Of their repression,
neither time nor means are at their disposal for
the repression Of liberalism in quarter 30 dis
tant as France. On this account only has France
escaped the bad effects Of Russian and Austrian
intrigues 10 effect the purposes Of the majority OF
her present Chamber and in that escape fancy
| see not only the assurance Of the Republic in
France, but, in time, throughout Germany
The sessions of the Dresden Congress are Of
course conducted in secret for it's purposes and
plots could not be proclaimed to the peoples,
against whom II intrigues, without at once produ-
cling the revolutions it has assembled to prevent
for all time. Disgusting its aims under gen.
eral and obscure announcements, this conference
seeks, in word, to repress popular liberty. To
that end II purposes, first to reconstruct the Fed
eral organ, with far more powerful executive
force than 1t possessed under the arrangement Of
1914 1915. II aims to place this organ who'll
~ under the control Of Austria and Prussia cal
cuiating that sense Of q common danger from
the democrat element will compel these two Gov.
ernments to abandon their late purpose Of aggran,
dissment each ut the expense Of the other, to as
sure both In the possession Of the power of which
they were possessed when the revolutions of is4s
commenced. The conference Is also debating the
questions Of the relative weight Of each German
Power, great and small, In the Central Diet, and
Of the maximum Of popular rights To be accorded
to the Inhabitants Of each State; which msans--
how much Of popular rights they venture to rob
from the peoples without risking the occurrence of
revolutions In which their liberties may be aehisy-