The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-07-31
EUROPEAN ARglIss.

oP'"'"s ~ Be- drawn from A..
tenor Of the latest sdvces from the oths, ga 'ns
the Atlantic, the majority Of the French c.,
Der have made up their minds % r. .au''
to the unmistakeable will of the Fr.r.r ~,
In the matter Of the revision Of Tho c,o...,,N'
Contrary to general expectation, NJ de Tocons
vile was chosen to report the measure q -.
END, over his two competitors the Duc A D..
giie and odillOn BarrOt, representing n ~.
contest the two monarchist factions De r.
vile received eight votes in the ooDr0;,,..
for the Duke and five for Barro, n. r..
vile represents the Moderate Republican -
est, there being no Reds on the commi,,s. IT
was not chosen exclusively by the votes ~ NJ.
hers sympaihizing with himself So his &C.,
may be written down to foreshadow The 80,
determination on the part of ALI Oooa o;,;..D
who prefer monarchy rather than republio,r,.ro
for France, to make no effort to change The c.
eminent violently, or by fragrant intrigue helm,
satisfied that, at least for the present the ssn,i
ment or the nation is fixed for republioanisr, ;.
yond recall. This result of the ballo,ir. g. =
reporter of the project is additional proof Of Ls
truth OF the axiom that revolutions never %
oackwards' Three months ago, more than ons
OF those voting for De Tocqueyille Would will.
ingy have plotted the violent overthrow Of the
Republic, under the impression that a different
form OF Government Vas really more popular, rs
well as better for France. But the canvass with
reference to the change Of the Constitution has
satisfied them that bloodshed and other great in.
jaries to all the interests of society would be the
only sure results Of any such efforts They ae.
quiesce, therefore, in the Mill of The people, claim.
ing the truly republican right to express at the
same time their preference for the mOnarchicsl
form Of government. The English and French
Liberal papers declare that the revision will have
for its aim the perpetuation of the Republic BY
the correction only of the Oversights and errors
in the Constitution, as originally formed The
resolution reported leaving it to the majority to
say whether monarchy shall or shall not be ress-
tablished> is considered but verbal concession to
the resctionists, because there remains not a
shadow of q doubt that the decision will be sd-
verse to their hopes.
The question really at issue is not whether the
existing form of Government shall be modified
but whether the present Chief Magistrate shall
be declared capable of reelection at the expiration
of his term of office. Thus 1t Is personal rather
than constitutional issue. The conclusion
forced on Us by the tenor of the petitions signed
by a million Of names, the speeches and votes in
the Chamber, and the tone Of the French press,
is that the only revision which will be sanctioned
will be such as to obviate any opposition to the
reelection of Louis Napoleon on legal techn
cality. He is just now very active in electioneer-
ing, sill his subordinstes taking part in the can
vass in his favor, with as much earnestness as the
same thing is done throughout the United States
by similar functionaries every four years. Nor
ally, extraordinary interference of Ofice-hOlders
republcanism, though, practically, with us its
effects have usually been directly adverse to the
wishes which prompt it. In Europe, where re-
publicanism may be said to be untried, 1t is held
up to be as great an outrage on popular rights as
similar conduct on the part Of stipendisrieS of
monarchy. This is not 3d. The latter, it will
be remembered, are not responsible, as are the
former, to the country at large; there being no
such certain way of reaching or Furnishing them
as under popular Government, If doing wrong.
Irnda- n -.s.~ssAy they nasy not claim the right
as citizens, whether in or out Of Office, to take
part in choosing their own rulers, one and ALL
We cannot close these few comments upon the
condition Of affairs in France, without present
ing, as the best evidence Of the return of common
sense to the monarchist leaders, short synopsis
Of recent speech of M. de Broglie. He said
that he had no hand in making the present Con-
stitution, and had refused to participate in its
Government, by declining office when rendered to
him on more than one occasion, Of late That as
long as the Republic might last, he would do his
duty IS good citizen under it, He charged the
existing evils to the Constitution itself rather
than the President, who was its creation. Re-
minding the Assembly of his uniform political
hostility to Louis Napoleon, he nevertheless &C
Quilted that functionary of any revolutionary in
tentions His Louis NapOeon's) indispositiOn
to fall into utter insignifcance he thought not
only natural, but perfectly excusable. He said
the people evidently desired to keep the main
change, and he warned bis own friends against
useless efforts to oppose their will illegally. He
dreaded more than aught else an election result
which should force the Chamber either to acqui-
esce in notorious violation Of the Constitution,
or to oppose the will Of the people, as that was
about to be made clear at the ballot-boxes In
fine, his speech was declaration Of his unalter-
able preference for monarchy, while he stands
ready to defend the integrity Of the Republic 50
long a. the nation desires it. NJ. de Tocqueville
is too we'll known to all our readers to require
thst We should sketch him here We may how
ever remark that he belongs to the school Of Ca
vagnac, and Is regarded as the ablest and sound
est Moderate Republican statesman In the Cham
Der. We may write it down certain that the Con-
stitution will be revised so as to make Louis Ns-
poleon resligible; that he will be reelected by
an overwhelming msjority--say Q three-fOurths
vote that he will make an improving Chief Ma
gistrate from this day out defending the integri'
ty of the Republic with all his strength and fac
ulties; and will retire at the end OF his second
term, as gracefully as though he were an Ameri-
can President. He aims to prevent history from
saying that he did not properly and oonscisn-
tiousy discharge his duties, and to that end seeks
Just what and only Whist our Presidents and pub
lie men regard ss the only favorable judgment
Of the People On their official conduct.
There can be NO doubt that be has improved
sstonishingly Of late in the estimation Of all men
of all parties 10 France, save the Reds IhA'
is, the Monaichists have been forced to respso'
him, on finding him to possess sufficient nerve
and character TO withstand triumphsntly their
every effort and art to bend his office to their
purposes. The constitutional or moderate ne
pubIicans are at length sstisked thoroughly tha'
his short experience In the Presidency has gwen
him profound appreciation Of the fact that ne