The southern press., 1851-08-27


posed traitors. Immense injustice aud outrage
followed, but they were inseparable from the
times. A philosopher may forgive it all, espe-
cially when it il compared with the legons Of
martyrs cut off by despots, except one thing.
The objectionable sin Of the French revolution
was the hypocrisy of the legal forms by which
so many suffered These victims had no pro-
lection at all from the revolutionary tribunals.
They were predestinated TO the scafiold, and the
mock trial was but mean subterfuge of bad
men, and intended to screen their guilt instead
of manifesting that of the prisoner.
But after all, that revolution was the act of
barbarians just emancipated from the load of
slavery, which had dcpraved their minds while it
bent their necks II is therefore to large ex-
tent the fault of their relentless masters.
We do not apologize for these horrors; but
we wish all to consider the circumstances in
mitigation, and to be guarded against the bias
and dishonesty OF the historians who have mar
rated them, aud who repeat the tale in all its ex-
aggeration. AT least the democracy may COM
pare their conduct with that Of kings, and they
can claim that phrenzy and the necessity of self
preservation take away much OF the color OF the
crime.
different people They have since lS48, by re-
IL,
philosophy, advanced to the lead of modern so-
ciety They have driven off king and the
courtiers, and made their own constitution and
laws. They have toied and suffered, and they
have been triumphant, although often and wan
tonly betrayed They seem even at this mo-
ment to be in the hands of those who hate
democracy and seek its destruction But who
soeyer bears in mind the perils encountered by
the government and people of the United States
in the older Adams administration, and from the
Hamilton school also, will have no fears OF the
result, nor have any confidence in Britt n predic-
tions about 1t.
The first thing done by the Provis onal gov
ernment, was the overthrow of the pain of death
for political offences The first thing monarch
would have done in the same circumstances,
would have been to have enacted it, and set up
the scaffold. There could not be a more bril-
liant testimonial to the humane character of the
French people, than this act Of their govern
ment.
Upon looking through the whole structure OF
society, and the daily life of the French people,
you will find the same marked characteristic.
The intercourse of the people Is full OF charity
and good will. There are, comparatively, no
beggars, and very few criminals in France, rob-
ably of the latter less than one-fourth in COM
parison with England. 1t Is hardly an exag.
geration to say that more thefts are committed
DER diem on one street in London, than in all
Paris. With respect to the sick and destitute,
France is a model Of humanity. There is no
language which can do justice to the vast extent
and completeness of the hospitals and asyums.
The world does not pretend to dispute the palm
for skill and science and industry, with French
physicians, who in private and public do so much
for Gods sake in healing the poor. They are
always accessible; their regular hours on GER
tain days for ordinary calls at home; their daily
attendance at the hospitals; thei- universal kind
ness to pa tients of every degree, and their I'm.
mense exertions in teaching, and lecturlng and
writing, have made the medical profession In
France an index to the national character. There
| is an amount of gratuitous advice and instruc.
| ton given by the profession in France, which is
equal to that of oil the world beside. The
clergy of France, especially its venerable GU
rates in charge OF the country DISTRICTS are en-
deared beyond expression by their piety, charity
and good works to the afflicted, who abound in
good works aud good conduct to them and their
fellows in return.
! We are not left to infer from these provisions
for the sick and suffering classes alone the hu-
manity of the French people. They are a SYM
pathising people in the sense of Terence, and
| their conduct shows it. Nothing that affects
the happiness of their friends and neighbors il
Indifferent to them. When crimes are commit.
ted the public sentiment is deeply interested
For three weeks after the murder of the
| Duchess de Prasln by her husband, there was a
dense crowd assembled every day in the Fan.
| b0urg ST. Honore, opposite the house, which
nothing could disperse. When an accident
happens in the street, there is the liveliest ex.
preston of sympathy for the sufferer. A dozen
! persons will assist him at once. The police
will be advised instantly, physicians called il
necessary, the patient carried to the apothe-
cary's and the coachman, or other aggressor ar
! res ted The whole street will be full of anx-
! icus faces, and the discussion of the affair be.
] comes Immediately animated and universal IL
takes long tire for the excitement TO subside.
! But the French are a remarkable cheerful
people. They enjoy life at all ages, and under
all circumstances, and II cannot happen that
such people should be other than humane. II
| is the highest humanity, by politeness and
good humor to put everybody else In good
spirits.
We proceed now to give two recent cases OF
capital punishment in France which establishes
to any impartial mind the proposition of this pa
per. They fully support, and will greatly assist
the general reasoning and assertions which have
preceded. They will much more deeply arrest
the attention Of the reader. They cannot be
answered
The first case is the behavior Of the people nj
the execution Of Montcharmont near Dion, iu
the month Of June. The public here has taken
an interest in this case in consequence of its
having been the occasion Of an article in the
Evenement, daily evening Paris paper by
Charles Hugo, the young son of Victor Hugo,
in which be denounced capital punishment, and
for which he was prosecuted and condemned to
Jail, and to the payment of damages. His father
made for him at the trial an eloquent defence,
which developed the argument against the death
penalty. The speech has been extensively read
and circulated in the United States, but it is not
probable that the argument is thought con-
elusive. Most persons in reading the whole
case are concerned with the discussion Of NJ.
Hugo, and with the anomaly Of the process.
The latter is scertainly an EN- phatic impeachment
Of the government, even If the former should
be considered unsound. II is an unwonted
thing for an editor to be punished by fine and
imnriaonmant for taking such an occasion ms