The New York herald., 1851-12-25


Napoleon may possibly have given to his couny; but
he has sepssdiasA her ospscty for in,t.
mont Of the State which utterly nspproprste to its
constitution Its tastes and Its habits Of thoughtand
dugsnce for eli those frsks Of folly OF violence which
make up the statesmAnshipo Of continental despotsms
There Is but one man alive who can force this chain
OF circumstances to grsyitste In different and less de-
persbe direction. Louis Napoleon master OF the ntu
alton this moment, Is TO gress exten master Of the
sincere in his submission Of his claims the award Of
the country. Even If the French people be strictly
limited to the somewhat marrow option wnieh he nes Of
tered to them, they will possess IN the Couno q etate
and the two Chambers every formal requirement for
resime Of liberty 1t is however among the most ele
mentary of political propositions that free institutions,
TO exert any vitality It all operate curb the
supreme ruler and chances that it's restraints will
be tolerated and respected are oi course ~,
himself The clingng vice Of the new polty With which
France is to be endowed will be the memsry Of s origin
in the history Of this revolution By the appeal
which been made to the soldiers for their express
sanction. We spprshsnd that the experiment which
Louis Napoleon promises TO carry through Is In much
greater danger o being by causes In the
very nature than Of being
ssges in his have araotsd stsntion and
have tempted many to Interpret them ~ the mere over
ture to Dictatorship One OF these dedns the Council
Of State supporting its decisions before the Legs
tive Assembly and the expression has bssn taken
hint of the intention to rsestsblsh that
0lb1OuOr
Tbunste But we are rather disposed 10 attribute the
epicious phrase to unlucky miRcry Of the First
Consus programme, than TO an aready developed con-
spiracy again st freedom OF thought and speech We
incline 10 the belief that Louis Napoleon Is sincere
csrding the standard Of ordinary human nature in
the mt both of his motives and Of his designs
But even though the hues Of that future which gilt
before him should be tnged in the moment u sue
cess with much more selfshne.s than patriotism we
imagine that the imprisonment Of
and the destruction Of bsrrcades have changed
refined strokes Of policy he will recognise the
country into partnershp Aftr the recent events he
have the credit Of at Least ss much acuteness as
personsl courage and none but very middng intellect
could be blinded by deceptive snaoges between hs Stu
alton and his unce's. He has, indeed given near
view Of the 18th Brupaire but il is such g glimpse
Of a telescope instead Of the small one. All the
proportions are extravsgantly reduced. The re-
public which he has destroyed is the rckety
creation Of NJ Marsst and net that form Of decayed
but gloomy and terrible grandeur, which still exhibited
the the dark time when she had bound kings in
chains and nobles IN links o. iron Inc inst,umsn o.
instead Of the victors Of Rivoh and Jenappes The
leader is Louis Napoleon Bonapsre sradding in the
foot prints Cf Napoleon the Great But il the person
eyes Of the opening incomparaoly meaner on
the second performance than the first the diff cutes
overcome before the piece be played out to the
close themselves and mmeasuraby greater
when compared with the facilities for surmountins them
The exhaustion of the public mind which was the true
secret Of the first Nspoleons victory such stess
ness as produced those VINO have passed through
reign Of and not such follows the haiflsugh
able scandals Of the last two years Yet, COM
plete ss was the wearnees Of France, nothing but
career fabulous glory prevented 1t from changing into
active hatred and determined hostility to the usurper
MsreDgo, Austerltz, jena, and Wagram were mighty
victories abroad but they likewise many eoups
deiat home. II was the roar OF the cannon hun
dred fields which stied the atmosphere of France No
such Of pGcifcation at Louis Napoleons dis
posal Timid epirits warning Us that he will march
his impatien. legops 10 the Rhine, embark
them in fiotilas for England bat We have security
considerably more reliable tnan Ehrenbretstein CT
the Msrtello Towers, in the socialists who will rise
over every inch OF ground he vacstes There is but
one other expedient, TO which we hope he will
be guided by his keenness OF alignment If not by his
titude Of moral perception. ne viii really surround
himself with representative insttntions-n he will really
give the people interest in the business OF govern
ment which is not TO be taken away az pleasure BY the
head the do not why he should not found
system least durab bic those which have preceded
It, 1t would be shamsful deny that he perpssds
crime but much OF the onsiby presses on those
who swept away nearly consolidated government to
putt card-bos constitution In ito place-snd very
much more upon those who, sklkDg behind the fragile
barrier tempted goadea and meoaoed him, Til be sd
vanced and shivered IL in pieces.
From the Daily News December 81
/. is to the honor of Paris, and OF the French, as
highspirited nation, tha. the scheme OK super
&c ding a republican constitution by al imperial
despoiism was Dot subnittedto 10 AZ and with Iut
a struggle. Although the ;mpuden, nnd senseless
usurpaiion was supported by 100000 bayonets and
although the forces and feelings Of tho different
CLASSES from whom resistance might be expected
were paralysed by TIE previous importantly Of the
Presi tents opponents, and by Louis Napoleon's
hypocritcsl moderation, still there were not want
ing men, even amongst the people, who sas at
once th despotism about to be flung over them,
and who, at all odds and hazards, were prepared TO
peril their lives rather than submit 70 It. Never,
certainly, did treason on the part OF government
mere fully legtimize resistance. But sniortunatel
there little concert in this resistance; and those
partizans who rushed into the streets, pling up bar
ricades, and Drawing the fire of an overwhelming
army, were bu: the rash and impo.ent few, not the
representatives Of any large class. The citizens
did not muster under the banners Of the National
Guard, Dor did the masses Of the Faubourgs de-
scend into the arena of the boulevards under their
blood-red flag. The President and biz generals
have thus had, in the first instance, but to deal
with the light troops ST insurection. The 0a!n
army and the more formidable generals ofresistance
to his tyranny be will yet have to meet and TO con-
tend with In a strife that, however long II may en-
dure and with whatever vcissitudes and atrocities
IL may be marked, can for Louis Napoleon have
but the one termination. He has already wsded
through blood TO the first steps Of his throne-his
chief supporters then can be nc other than the po
liceman and the executioner.
Success In the ret instance, however, seoms now
unqaestonsbly to have been the result of his coup
f(tdf. II does not appear that the standard Of re-
sistsnce civil or military, has been boiEted any
where, and the conduct Of the General commanding
the Sigber rabSs q s tbe ann TSis General sent
word TO Paris tha. be could rot retain command
under the and illegal auth ority that procaims
itself independent Of Parliamen. and the oonstitu-
ton, but that be would prevent insurTectiop and
av old civil war.
Amopgs. The numerous classes and parties who
all behold Louis Napoleon's assuI ption with hor-
ror and with hatred there is little sympathy, and
there can be, as yet, little concert. Neither the
le gitmist General the military partisan Of con-
stitutional monarchy, nor even yet the commanders
true to the principles Of the republc-nether Chan
garnier, nor Lamoriciere, nor Caveignac-sould
fummon the popular masses TO their aid. They, IS
well as the statesmen Of their several parties have,
since the events Of lSis relied upon the army 10 CO.
cree the people. And !. must be confessed that
they themselves are crushed by the very power
which they trusted to- as morarchic constitutional
and conservative. The fidelity Of the army, the
wisdom OF trusting to IL, and the poh:y Of govern
ing by military sscendancy, rather than by sstice
and popular concilation, formed the very basis o;
that system which the majority Of the late National
Assembly profefsed and patronised We soc the
result, and, sorry TO admit, the logical re-
suit, Of q govern mebt and system so framed and
tnd