The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-12-17
p.r,. Correspondence OF tn. Republic.
PAsls, November %, 1852.

PARIs, November 20, 1852.
Public opinion lie divided about three to one
the question whether the vote as returned by the
government 10 correct or multiplied several times
by itsel II is needless to say that it is three to
one in favor of the multiplication, and those who
incline to belief in the report. do SO not from
confidence in the integrity Of rulers, but
from the simple idea that the vote is really large
enough without any fraudulent increase. For one.
find il impossible to credit the return made Of the
city Of Paris. the only spot which fell under my
eye; as to the rest of France, l know nothing
about it, and only suspect that the figures gene
rally have undergone material fasihcation. As
you know, II rained on Sunday and Monday with
out inermission, and have yet seen nothing in
print out Of France which does not bear witness
the deserted state of the polls on the two days.
The Presa. in this city had the daring to say
that the election had been extremely cold. Ust-
ally upon voting days there ia certain de-
gree Of animation in the streets; there are
groups at the doors of the sections; the side
walks in the neighborhood are strewn with
torn and rejected bulletins; and altogether,
decided stir, an evident commotion, shows the
passer-by that something unusual is going on.
Having witnessed this exceptional excitement, you
are not surprised on reading, the next morning,
the electors had proHted by their prerogative. Bot,
on this occasion, there was neither stir nor ami
nation, nor heaps Of mangled votes upon the
sidewalk-the sections were deserted and the bal.
lot-box was forgotten. And this evident to
every one who took the pains to visit half dozen
Of the sections. And yet the returns show heavier
vote, compared with the registered number, than
ever before. II ia useless to urge the immense
power that the government Yields, and the very
natural inclination of the voters TO fortify go
vernnent which they are obliged to accept !
could have believed the returns had the weather
been fine; but under the circumstances, am con-
WINGED that the persons having cognizance of the
matter found it necessary to compensate, for the
indifference Of the voters, by little Iegerdemain
of their own. -
Look for q moment at the stale Of the case Il
is evident that the government desires as large q
vote possible. Therefore the will 10 not want
ing. 1t will be evident, from moments exami.
nation, that the government possesses tile power as
well the will. The Of the polls are all
men who have sworn fidelity to the President;
they are either men who have been appointed d.
rectly by the President. as the mayors Of The
various wards, who have been elected as
government candidates" There is no one
representing the republican side of the ques
ton or the opposition there ia nothing whatever
to prevent the counters from counting double
if they like. But this is not the worst. The poll
lasts two days, and where the ballot. boxes spend
the night Heaven only knows. Suffice il to say
that they remain in the hands of the government
during that portion of the twenty four hours
when crimes are committed in the dark. ! do
not mean to cay that the vote is made to last two
days on purpose that a night may intervene !:
but it 10 q circumstance not to be overlooked
when weighing the pros and coma. There are
eight hundred sections, and consequently eight
hundred urns or ballot boxes in this CITY, A
little manipulation exercised upon each Of them
hundred votes thrown into the affirmative side,
or fifty taken from one and dropped into the
other, would make a difference of eighty thou.
sand in the vote Of the city. So, if the govern
ment possess the will and the power, il only re.
mains to inquire whether II has the daring and
the conscience to execute it's will. Upon this point
your readers are as well able to form an opinion
as am. The less said about conscience the better
was talking with an Imperiaist upon this sub.
ject yesterday. He was perfectly willing to &C.
knowledge that the vote had been fasified, and he
defended it as n act of necessary prudence. Here
s Paris, the capital of the empire, the seat of the
government, the residence of the sovereign, either
giving the heaviest proportion of noes, or else alb.
staining altogether, on this occasion. And
government that would be restrained from
strengthening its position by any scruples of con.
science respecting few votes more or less, would
never have the nerve to face balance against the
treasury, or to muintain a decent firmness upon
any point There is but one alternative Louis
Napoleon, or another revolution. Where 10 the
harm of assuring tranquility by amending. revis-
ing, and correcting the result of the vote? Uni
versal suffrage is tool in the hands of those who
knO HOY tn na her wh NJ "a
is injured by an increase Of the affirmative vote
Not only is no one injured, but the whole country
10 benefited, tranquility is assured, a peaceful
reign is rendered much more probable, and Paris
appears to have been converted. No one is robbed
but those whose No is counted as Yes, and those
whose silence is Interpreted as an assent. These
gentlemen must sacrifice their opinions to the gen.
eral good. 49,.
did not contest the conclusions of my interlo.
cutor.o am not prepared TO maintain that, under
the circumstances Justification of the vote lie an
imprudent or an improper act. It may be one of
those cases where the act justifes the means. MY
only object was to maintain that there had been
cheating in the returns; and beyond this had no
position, antagonistic to his, to support.
The vote will doubtless reach 200 900 ouis Four
steamers have sailed from Touon for the four sea.
ports of Algeria to collect and bring back the re-
suits in the African colony. We shall have to-
morrow by mail the vote Of the French garrison
at Rome. All these items will contribute to swell
the grand total little squeezing will easily give
them any further development that may be ne
cessary. When you want the mercury in Their.
momeier to rise, put your hand on the bulb and it
obeys instanter.
The Monitem announces that the Empire ia to be
inaugurated by measures of clemency. Perhaps
shall see at last, the realization of of this
same Journals often-repeated promises. 1t speaks,
however, merely OF the extension OF little more
freedom TO those who compelled to reside within
certain limits, (internes potiques,) and says no.
thing about the recall into France of tine African
generals and the mum erous other exiles. The de-
olaration of the regime will be made on the
I'd of December. The Legislative Body will 90 in
state to St. Cloud on the night Of the lst, and the
Emperor will make bis grand entry into Paris the
next day. The whole army will be under nrms.
The three great bodies Of the state will receive him
at the Tuileries, and he will at last mount the
throne Of his ancestors This is already built in the
Sale des Marechaux and is said to be marvellously