The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-07-17
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.

. VI 'ue NauonaI Assembly IN
consider the propriety Of revising the CoD.,i,u
tion or France, have at length reported 70 Tho,
end plan which induces the conelus;on H., a.
Monarchists upon it, the BourbOnis,s and o.
ists, coalesced-to carry the project whioh r.
recommend. by their FIRST resolution the Asser
Oily Is made to recommend that, at the end ~ q.
own constitutional existence, a Cops,itnsn, A.
sembly shall be elected. Its second Give. a.,
body unlimited powers Of revision dao;1;.-
among other things, between the Reppblio az
Monarchy. The third provides that in case 81
sdhering to the Republic, they (the Constituent
Assembly, are to determine whether tbsrs al an Ia
one or two Legislative Assemblies. and whether
the President shall be elected by the people a,
by the Assembly or Assemblies and. lastlv
in case of the adoption of monarchy, the Con,
stituent Assembly, according to this recommend.
ton, is to prepare and publish a constitutional
charter and designate the future SOVEREIGN
Those who oppose any revision whatever seem "a
do 80 only in the fear that any such action NAV
prolong the term Of Louis Napoleon. This sen.
timent, and the jealousy existing among tboss
who favor change Of some sort in the cOnstitu
tionsl law, however, bid fair to defeat this pro
ject, or, indeed, any favorable action. Thus
while the Bourbonists couple the restoration Of
monarchy with proposition to abolish the cleo
toral Law Of May, the Fusionists and Conserve.
tive Republicans insist that that statute shall be
maintained. The committee reporting the pro
a. A ~ y
against, the revision; that is, of NM. Montaleu.
cert, .. Ss- - ,&..--,--= , nceo1, IL Z.
Berger, De Toequeville, Odillon Barrot and De
Corcellas, for II and General Cavaignao Colonel
Charms, and MN. De Mornay Baze Chsrs.
maule, and Jules Favre, in the negative. De Bro
gle is the author Of the report He and thoee
Of the committee siding with him were elected
BY 81 votes, while the opponents OF his recon-
mendations on the committee received but 273
votes These numbers indicate the state Of the
Chamber on the question, and do not lead to the
conclusion that the two-thirds vote, which the
Constitution requires to make the proposition
law, can be obtained for any plan that can posi-
bly, be framed. In the mean while, the constitr.
ents Of the country members are plying the
Chamber with petitions for the revision, which
point to Louis Napoleon as the popular candidate
AS he is the only candidate who acknowledges
himself to be before the people, he possesses great
advantages, for he can continue to bend the pat
ronage Of his place to secure his reelection, al
most without let or hindrance, no one else having
stepped forward to contest with him for the sfice
Up to last dates from Paris, but $1,000 persons
had petitioned for the revision though the list is
expected to swell to 100000 ere the time ar
rives FOR determining the fate of the measure Ii
should be remembered that there are 100000
voters in France, and 100000 more who were
cut off from the privilege by the law Of May,
ls49, which so alters the Constitution Of ls4s
us to require, before the ARTISAN shall be allowed
to exercise the franchise, three years residence
10 the district in which he offers to vote.
Parties in the Assembly of France, after going
on I" like mad up to the time when the consider
alton of this momentous question forced itself upon
them, have certainly come to dead halt as it
were, each appearing afraid to take the next step
in legislation, lest it might result in death TO its
hopes This tells that sel6shness is at the bot
tom Of all Of political Importance they do. The
truth is, personal ambition among the chiefs, and
devotion to dynasties or individual men, is well
nigh all standing between France and bona fde
republics stable national prosperity. They
have yet to learn to substitute law for individual
will, and TO reverence rights and institutions, m
stead of aduating persons. 1t Is certain that the
Republic will continue to exist but in name, IN
til its leaders cease TO be divided into dynashc
partisans; and that unless such REASONABLE pre-
tensions are put down, they will sooner or later
succeed In changing the nominal character Of the
Government, as those infected with them desire
The powers OF this Assembly and those OF The
President expire about the same time next yea,
and both might be replaced as peaceably as We
would do the same thing, II it were the object Of.
all to obey the law-ss unfortunate as were the
two great errors Of the Government which,
amounting to crimes against the sovereignty OF
the people, complicate tenfold, the difficulties BY
which France Is beset. Thus the mutilstion OF
the franchise was perilous absurdity. The d.
ton is the Judge in the last resort so, to deprive
one-third Of the judges Of the right to express
their opinion, is to rick obtaining apparent dec
sions 80 msnifestly against the will of the mayor
ity, as to be pregnant with revolution in rePue
lie, even like ours, where popular sentiment
opposed with great unanimity to the idea OF VIC
lent change in the Government 10 is not uu,
likely, unless the law be changed, that the reAi
majority may be one way, and the nominal on
other; strong incentive indeed win P''p,e
80 mercurial, for a resort to physical lor0e' IL
this manner have the Assembly, elected by MAJOR
tiles Of the whole people Of the Respective ui'-
tricts Of the Republic, stripped their cons'''u'
ents of the power, (which power is empAa'ca"y
the ark of the nations safety and placed II J,
the hands OF dishonest statesmen, or brutal 'nu
senseless soldiery. This obnoxious law is oi,'O'
" antasonis,ic to the fundamental princ'PN :,
the Consultation for 1t involves the eIcIus,O"V
one-third Of the people from rights whl'u ."
common to all other Frenchmen Inc M' "
c,suss in the Constitution which shuts out LOui'
Napoleon from reelection, was made TOT 'na' vs.
and involves a direct contradiction to the wei!
republican principle, to guard which II was mum
ually made for it is not more republican 70
clude any oiti.en from the enjoyment Of eq-
rioh.s than to raise one to monsrchiOal or i"P''
rial dignity under democratic pretences
The pretencs under which the disiran0O~ !,
law Of ls4o was enacted wa, that the e'a~
thrown out would vote with great unan'm'v
the gradual substitution Of Socialism .,i,a,ou.
.emp.ibl. II mischievous idiOcy, for 'on''.'u .n
and rational r.publicanisu and would thus ISL y,
danger n. risht, Of property as they exist una''
the common IS we'll rs the civil law, o.s -.
that Louis Napoleon was elected oy 'ne ' Wv ar
8 900 900, shows that this is mere pIs'sS s.,5
hs v.s tho candidate Of " the party Of Orasr
The truth IL, the leaders OF the 0" az,
o,;ou.s of the Chamber find themso'~