Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-12-18
THE LATE POPULAR DECISION IN FRANCE.

THE LATE POPULAR DECISION IN FRANCE.
Mr. WALSH, late United States Consul at Paris,
expresses opinions widely different from some of the
correspondents of the London press as regards the
cordial unaniinity with which the people cf France
recently voted for the restoration of the Empire
We copy what he says on the subject from his last
letter to the Journal Of Commerce:
PARIS, NOVEMBER 25 1852.
national election has taken place without parallel in
the history of the world On Sunday and Monday all
France deluged with rain in many departments the
roads rendered nearly impossible for horse;
yet the peasany braved every risk and discomfort in
der to give their surages for the Empire in the chief
town of each In this capital the weather
wet and dismal elsewhere still the number of voters
was larger than any former occasion. In my
sons abroad both days. and visits several Of the
polls, military array presented itself; special
rangements Of the police visible; entire reliance
seemed to prevail the orderly and loyal dispositions of
the people; confident calm regular, easy approach
with earnesness of purpose, the marked character
stics of the procedure. II the weather had been good
considerable influence would doubt be ascrbed it,
The correspondents of the London press have that
peden of Interpolation The veracious informant of
the Morning Chronicle reported Sunday evening that
the magic ou in the would be few compared with
cember, 1851" lie is utterly beied by the official re-
turns Of which the fairness cannot reasonably be con-
tested He ventures to add that the printers had been
prohibited from furnishing negative bulletins these
ready to be distributed in any quantity the polls
The number of nays found in the balloturns is proof
that they abounded The Monteur of this day relates
instances of eager voters between ninety and one hun
dred years of age others of sick Of distinction and
fortune borne in ters According to the semi-oical
Journal La Patrie, of yesterday afternoon it is now
certain that the total number of SURFACES the 2st and
I'D instant will exceed eight millions. Tomorrow, in
time for the mail of the Arctic shall have the numbers
from all the Departments. There viii be scarcely
than ten thousand dissdens from the army and navy
gether. 1t is held most significant that the
Journal des Debatshithero the leading organ Of the
Oreanst party and profoundly reserved touching public
political afairs-has formally accepted the Empire. The
following remarks part of its expose of reasons
The souvenir of great power, the memory Of great
genius, and the hope of regular and equitable govern
ment have gone great way towards the advent Of the
Empire. But not less strong, decisive and ire
sstibe cause, is the legitimate resentment which France
against the revolution of S4S What do oil these
thanks addressed to Louis Napoleon for having saved
France imply! That he saved her from what was most
dreaded-the resurrection of 1913 in 1852 In 1851 it
necessary that France should be saved at any cost
from anarchy, which approaching. 1t was that
mperous and evident necessity that Prince Louis Napo
leon founded his Government the I'd December and it
is the mperous and evident necessity that the
Empire is founded Ii the Empire changed any thing
in the present state of things, persons might feel
alarm; but it does not do The situation takes its
tural name, that is all. The Empire would only be
change If it were war; the speech at Bordeaux tells US
that is not that it is peace The expression OF En-
pe, ces Ia pdi contains whole system of government
which separates itself clearly from all the preeedents
which may be sought to apply to it. The Empire is
ainy not the Monarchy which we have defended for thr
Int arah how alvatre
partsans Of monarchy it the government which is best
suited to the genius Of France Liberal institutions may
temper this government, but they cannot destroy it,
Notwithstanding the alleged servitude of the French
press have in Paris three four organs of the old
monarchy and avowed though cautious and temper
ate republican Journal the Steele The Union Legiti.
mist and the Steele have been engaged in controversy
respecting the comparative merits of the monarchca and
republican systems each pleaded roundy and srenu
ousy for the superiority of its choice all other in
situations To the arguments of the latter derived from
American example, the Union replies
The Steele points to the American people as an ex-
ample its side but does not that this example is
contrary to all its theory The United States when they
formed themselves into republic, not constituted
people They had neither history laws Of their
tradition They organized their revolt cleyery and
far from breaking off with the national habits customs
and laws they preserved all that authority de tdco
and de je had given them Of institutions the authori-
ty alone displaced That is not passage from mo-
narchy republic, but simply the acknowledgements from
a dominatt4 There is consequently analogy be-
tween that and revolutions And since the
of America is mentioned, is it not clear what
ribe arguments it gives against the republic ITSELF
when having its origin in natural and legitimate
causes? We say nothing of the republics in South Ame-
RIGA, with their dreadful spectacle of convulson and
weakness But il be imagined that the United States
themselves have denitivey solved the problem Of
congomeraton Of populations constituted out of the pale
of monarchical unity Only sixty years have passed
existence be entitled to oppose their experience and
authority to that Of ages"