The New York herald., 1851-12-25

every citizen ars in the absolute control Of the go
veynment; and as the ordinary course Of justice
suspsndsdEths military authority arrestins, aecg
plesses-the terisr inspired by such q governmey
Is more complete, because its action is more Sktsa
sive and uniform than that which any other foru
;r OF french % assposism mas heretofore relied ThI
OF these measures proceeded, We repeat, far les
from the socialist party or the bands that terr6e
the capital in April, May, andy and June is4s, q
refuses to believe that France could fall witho5
struggle under complete military bondage. Tha
attempt to denoance this resistance as an al
socialist leaders, was ono of the audacious iaven,
tions used to terrfy the people into the Of the
new masters. Even the workmen OF the Faubsurg
ST. Antoine stosd aloof from the contest But TIL
scene of the conflict in the best part Of the Bouls
vsrds-the dress and condition Of many Of the
tms-and the terrific fire directed against privAts
houses in which no red republicans had penetrated
clearly prove that the object of the government wa
rather to crush the middle classes, who we're knowr
to be opposed to it, than to attack the populscs
The existence Of q socialist plot was as gross an
vention as the plot attributed to General Changes
nier against the President. That General had, OF
the contrary, obstinately discredited the danger,
and refused to take precautions against it. Every
one of the members Of the Assembly arrested We
found in his own house and In bed, though the cos
trary was asserted But these starements are mad
first, to justify the violence of the Presiden
against the generals, against whom no tenabl
charge has been or can be preferred; and, second
ly to work upon the fears OF the mid lie classes b
the cry of socialist revolution
We do not disguise from ourselves the fact tn
the French nation, and probably most Of the
items of the continent, are of temper to aequiescl
with more composure that We can muster in thi
triumph of successful violence. The centralize
administration of France, backed by the unite
strength Of the army, constitutes an engine of emo
nous strength and though it is the fashion to de-
claim in this country on the omnipo.ence OF public
opinien and moral power, the state Of the continent
is terrible demonstration that authority, like
victory, ia commonly on the side Of the "biggsst
battalion" Indeed, in France, where each sue,
cessive government is the offspring Of some fresi
81 s to sse
assumptions of 20 wer, and they last until some
greater force expels them in their turn. 1t is AZ
striking proof Of the want Of civic courage mong
| the French population that the part of Louis Ma
poleon's proposition most offensive to the masses
| was that which dispensed with the practice of
secret voting. Without the ballot boz no man
| in France considered himself safe or would have
| gone TO the poll, and on this point alone Louie
| Napoleon gave way. The election will nov
take place under the absolute control Of the Pre-
fects and the army, and the only protest which ca
be made with any effect is to refuse to take part
| such a transaction. But in a country already de
based and corrupted by the common denial of polly
tical principles by the frequent overthrow of libe-
raj Institutions and by servie passion for prefer
ment, considerable number of men will yield their
prostituted allegiance to any new power disposing
Of enormous patronage and ire sstible force. The
necessities Of some and the levity of others have
never failed to recruit the ante chambers Of every
ephemeral ruler, down to the evees OF NJ. Marrast.
| Bat we Believe for the honor Of France, that the
| men who have shoLe with real eminence in her
| constitutional assemblies and cabinets, will hold
| themselves aloof from SO degrading o compromise;
and we n6dently deny that the Legitimiss chiefs
or their followers have rendered their support to
this fresh usurpation. The higher the rank Of such
in station and in intellect the stronger is their
aversion to change which places all personal dis
tincton a. the feet Of the army, and all intellectual
power below brute force. But the interests Of the
| Of the community have prepared them for hum is-
| tion. The French funds sustained the corp fetat
with little perturbation, and even rose as the iber
ties of the republic departed. Yet even on the
exaggerated by the influence of the police; and
at any rate 1t rests on very questionable founda-
| tions. Admitting that the government Of Louis
Napoleon has gained its battle, and crushed oppo-
sition for the present. yet it rides upon single an
chor, and the army is its only trust. Il ID 10 the
| spirit OF such a government, and IN the prodigaL
characser Of it's chief to increase the excess Of
pendture over revenue, by immoderase profusior,
and by the foolish attempt to buy the country with
It's own money The moneyed world loses all that
security TO It's interests which it retains ~ long -
the acts of government under the coutrol OF
national Legislature. The mereIwill Of the Pres
| dent or his Minister Of Finance may now carry th)
most startling changes into effect. ThGt somd
each changes in the taxation Of the country are
actually contemplated by Louis Napoleon, We have
reason 10 believe, though he has not found i. east
TO obtain the consent OF any nancier to countefsg
them; and afgevernment which has just violated the
most solemn political engag gements certainly nspifss
with diminished confidence both In its financial iu
teerity and in the maintenance Of It's engagements
with foreign nations. 1t has just given tae werld
chief Is its only law, and must conclude that no
higher principle will regulate its policy both at
homo and abroad.
A report was current yesterday afternoon, which
We have reason to believe il not unfounded, that
the Prince de Joinvlle and the Duke dAumsle
had left Claremons twenty four hours before, for
the purpose of trying their fortunes in expedition
to France. It was supposed that the Princes had
started With the intention Of repairing, II possible
to Lille
Incidents OF the RevoA Aution.
from the Correspondence Of the Times
The house Ne. 2, which forms the boulevard
corner Of the rue Lepelletisr, Was very near be-
coming the scene Of bloodshed. The lower part is
occupied BY Q tailor. One Of the men employed in
the establishmsnt, which Is Of the fneet the
boulevards 10 said to have 6red shot at the troops
II Is lighted The frat door Of tho house Is used By
a club-in the English, not the French sense Of the
word-or rather reading room, (crae,l Of which
several military men Of lank and merchants are
members. At the moment l speak of, there were1
more than dozen Of the members in the largo from
room. A. BODY Of soldiers entered the house b
force, and hearing something Of Its being clu
thought !. was the seat Of some political society
They sought out the man who had fred ct them,
and who tried to hide himself in the recess of the
cave. They stabbed him In several places; not
mortslly, however, though but for the presence OF
their officers they would have shot him on the spot
They then rushed up stairs TO seize the nembers OF
the club, who tried TO explain whe they were. Bat
for the fortunate crcumstance Of their General (Lar
fontaine) being member Of the club, IL = probable
the soldiers aid have sacrificed them to their fry
Az y was, two members were wounded BY che volle -
fred at the windows from the streets. One is Q n
tired general officer, another q merchant, who wsf
thus very nearly becoming victims Of the allege
act Of servant Of the establishment IL vas q d