New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-12-25

cans, the Republicans would have ruled the
city. But it has rallied to the banner of Napo-
leon, and as long as It maintains iis devotion
and fidelity, there is nothing TO be said or done.
When it be ms TO WAIVER, when suggestions and
whispers OF its apOstacy shall have begun
TO circulate, when II shall have divided against
itself, when any portion OF It shall have been
suboned won over, bought over, or converted,
then a struggle may be rlsked, but not till then
And this is the belief of the vas! majority OF
the Republicans in the city. | saw yesterday sew
eral large manufacturers, all OF whose Journey
men would have descended to the street, had
thew thought that the soldiers would hesitate or
disobey. But the impress on is universal that
they are immovaby attached to the person OF she
President and to the policy ne is pursuing
! also spoke for a moment with one OF the most
active and influential members OF the Mountain
He expressed himself as discouraged and dis
heartened. What is there left for US to do
All our leaders are taken, We are without press
TO advise, and without the power of holding
council and concerning measures. We are CON-
pletely cut to pieces" He then said, what's very
true that had the scheme been defeated and the
President taken, it would have been regarded as
the most abominable attempt at usurpatlon ever
made: but executed as it has been, with such
wonderful skill. and crowned with such complete
success, every body is forced to admire what
their better judgment would teach them to
abhor.
The present state of things will not continue
long The army of Paris are voting to-day upon
the acceptance or rejection of the President for
a term of ten years. The army CHARTERED IN the
various parts of France will vote in the twenty
four hours next succeeding the reception of In
structions to that effect from the Minister of
War The result will be known in Paris IN less
than week. Then, on the l4th of December,
follows the vote of the citizens at large. In
three weeks time France will have spoken It's
will and we shall be able to read the future more
clearly than at present.
say nothing yet of the provocations which
have driven the President to break his oath and
upset the Constitution. 1t will undoubtedly be
proved that the monarchial branch in the Cham
Der were themselves plotting the overthrow of
the Republic and the seizure of the person OF
the President. This subject is of course involv
ed in much obscurlty. Granier de Cassagnac
says to-day in the Constitutional: " Did not the
most honored, the most trusted of the Legitimist
party send, on Monday last, the following mes
cage to the President Of the Republic: Strike
your coup d6tat, get rid of the Socialist minority
and five minutes after we will Join you' lfthls
message be denied we will call by name the Re-
preventative who sent it, and the representative
who carried it." If this be true, it will be easy
to convict fraction of the Chamber of endeav
oring to persuade the President to commit
coup d'ttot IN their behalf they can hardly claim
the right to complain, if the blow, when struck,
proves to be in the Presidents interest and to
their own confusion.
Should Louis Napoleon succeed in his attempt,
the Empire will be the issue in fact, though not
IN name. On the occasion of the election, the
voter is to express his WISH Yes or No. upon
the maintenance of the authority of Louis Ma
poleon Bonaparte for 10 years. In case the ma
iority OF the votes given should be in the mega
tive he declares solemnly that he will retire
from power. in case he should receive the ma
ority of the suffrage, however, the Government
will be conducted upon the following system,
prepared by the President.
lst The Ministers will be entirely dependent
upon the Executive. This deprives the Assem-
bly, of the power of forcing crisis, by passing
vote of condemnation upon the conduct of the
Ministry.
ID The Council Of State, composed of the
most distinguished men in the country" is TO
possess the initiative in proposing the laws and
sustaining them in the discussion before the
Chamber Upon this clause the Empire hinges
The Council of State, no matter how composed,
whether of men chosen by the country, the Leg
islative Assembly, or directly by the President
has alone the right of originating law. The
Assembly has only to pronounce upon 1t by &C
cepting or rejecting II. In no case can II itself
propose law.
3D. The Legislative Assembly Is TO be elected
by universal suffrage. but as ii does not possess
the nigh, OF Parliamentary Initiative, amounts to
nothing at all.
4th There is 10 DC a Second Assembly, COM
posed Of all the distinguished men of the coun-
try: balancing power, guardian OF the funda.
mental compact. and of the public liberty The
precise nature of the duties Of this body does
not appear. 1t may be sort OF Council of Not
ables, or a body designed to create and perpesu-
ate Napoleonic Peerage.
There is to be no Constitution, OF course the
clause Just quoted speaks of a" fundamental
compact" but where /, is to come from, nobody
knows The whole pewer is vested IN the Pres
ident. The Council OF State depends upon him,
and consequently the laws proposed by that body
to the Legislative Assembly will be such rs he
approves and none other. In short, the AN OF
Government proposed by Louis Napoleon Is the
most complete despotism ever conceived by the
brain OF man. II 10 very doubtful whether this
country is prepared to re,rSgrade fifty years to a
system m consonance with the people and the