The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1852-11-17
Number IS.
NAPOLEON THE LITTLE.

published at London by far The most iiin-
sparing criticism and the bittsfest asssull
yet made upon the ruler Of FraneSg Il 10
volume Of 400 pages, divided tutes pise
books. From ths first Of these sniilled
the Man, the Courier des Etdts ,Ubis pubs
fishes an extract, Of whichths PhiAdelpl6a
Ledger translates portion. his u opps
a most brilliant species Of invective, a0dLs
profession Of filth in the eternal vitality ef
Liberty:
"Let US set forth this triumph Of ordsr;
let US depict this Government, yigorsls,
settled; squared off strong, having on its
side a crowd Of small young men Who
have more ambition than pairs OF boots;
parasites and miserable bsggars. sustained
on the exchange by Fould, the Jew, and
in the Church by MontAlembArt, tho Cob.
olic; esteemed by women who wish 10 b
girls, and by men who wish to b. prelses;
sustained by coslition Of prostiiution.
giving fetes. making cardinals, wearing,
white cravat. and with an opera, hat under
the arm; with gloves like fresh bptterrof
Morny, new vanished as. Maupas. fresh
brushed as Persigny; rich. elegant, clean,
gilded, brushed, joyous. born In sea Of
blood. ,e1gfT* ~
"Yes, there will be waking up. 1,'ot
"Yes, men will come out of this torpor,
which, for such q people, is shafnss sEd
when France shall wake up, when,it shall
get its eyes open, when it shall see whatit
has got before il and at its side, it will 70.
coil, this France. with terrible shuddsr
before the monstrous crime which has
presumed to espouse her ia the darknsss,
and whose bed she has shared. III oai
"'fhen the last hour will sound, s,aal
The skeptics sniile and insist on say
ing. Hope nothing. This regime, ws
believe, is The shame Of France" So bs
it,. This shame is quoted OH Change
Hope nothing. You are poets and dream
ers If you hope. Look around you. Tho
tribune, the press, intelligence. speech,
thought, everything which was liberty has
disappeared. Yesterday it moved. It aot.
ed. it lived--to-day, il is pstri6ed. Well,
then! people are content, they adapt thsn,.
selves to this petrifaction. they turn tito
account, they carry on their business shd
live in it as usual. Society continues, and
mul,itudes of honest men find things well
enough as they are. Why do yon wish
TO bring this state Of things to an end7-
Do not deceive yourselves! g This is solid,
this is substantial, this is tho "present and
the fature." g2t aes1..eL s,,gT
I'VE are in Russia. The Neaa issiio.
zen over. Houses are built upon it,
Heavy carriages pass on its surface. IL
is no longer water, it is rock. Passengsrs
60 and come on this marble which was
once river. A city is rapidly 'buil.-
streets are laid out--shops are opened
they buy, they sell, they eat. they drink,
they light fire on this water. They can
indulge in everything. Fear nothing, do
what you please, laugh and dance, il 10
firmer than the solid earth. HuTra for
Winter! Hufra for ice? 1t is hero ior
eternity. Look at the sky. Itis dayl-
1t is midnight? A dim and pallid. raw
glimmers on The snow-you would say
that the sun was dying. tSi
"No, thou dost not die, o Libstty?-
One Of these days, at monet when it.is
least expected, at the hour when thou ars
most completely forgotten, thou wilt rise
again? All! dazzling spectacle! Thy
sun-like face will at once emerge from the
horizon and illuminate the sky. Over all
this ice, over this white and sitffsnsd plain,
over this water, now solid block, over
this shameful winter thou wilt launch thy
golden beams, thy brilliant and burning
rays! Light! Life! Heat. And lthsn
listen! &.4a = gs5L
"Do you hear that dull sound? Do you
hear that deep and frightful srackin9?---
1t is the breaking up Of the ice? 1t Is the
Neva which flows again. 1t ID the living
water, joyful and terrible, which lifts up
the dead and hideous ice and breaks il 10. )
to pieces. twas granite, do you sayvl,
It breaks ike piece Of glass. II, 10
breaking up, tell you. II is truth which
returns, it is progress which recommsncss,s
it is humanity which takes up It's march,
and which floats off, drives forward, hur-
ries on. strikes, dashes, crushes and
browns, like the miserable furnishings ~
down fallen howell. not only tho new sun.
pire Of Louis Bonaparte. but all the ssrhp.
lures and all the works Of ancient eternal
despotism. Look at il as itpassss away.
Il is about to disappear forever, You win
never see il more. This book, half sub.
merged, is the old code Of iniquity-this
stool which is engulfed, is the throne, and
this which is swept away is the scaffold.
"For this stupendous dsluge, for this
supreme victory of life over death, what's
wanting? One Of thy beams, o, SGn!l-
One Of thy rays, o Liberty!" a's