Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-01-19
TRANSLATED BY W. J. ROSE.

As the thunder Of cannon in the streets
Of Paris was borne away by the electric
telegraph to the nations of Europe, every
busy hand paused and every ear listened.
SIT is the Revolution that begins!''
This cry penetrated the palaces and the
work shops, in the former inspiring terror,
in the latter re>awakening life and hope.
The illusion was shorl-lived. The sounds
they heard were not the echoes of Rev.
o,uton began: they were but the last conn.,
bining and uniting process Of the reaction
arg parties who had required this cement
of fire and blood.
What parties were they who here per.
fec:ed their nlliance2 The Priesthood, the
Nobility, the Bourgeoisie,- Of
Legitimisls. Ofleonisls, and 'sbue" (super
moderate, Trans Republicans stood on
one side, represented by the majority ofthe
National Assembly. On the other side
stood Louis Napoleon, representing the
Despolism necessary for the maintenance
Of the present compulsory system. Where
were the People2 They stood aloof from
both an.ag gonis,s-they had but few repre-.
sentatives in the Assembly. and these few
had opposed themselves to the popular rev.
nlu,ionary iastinct-had receded from the
struggle when the Constitution was at-
tackled in its very principle of life-"the
universal suffrage, ,-hnd remained upon
their sents in the Assembly after the latter
had ceased to be representative of the
People, and they themselves had ceased to
he the Peoples representatives. Some of
The Mountain have saved their personal
honor-lhey have fallen on the barricades
-bu, they were no longer Representatives
of the People. The People had no part
soith either Louis Napoleon or the As
senabiy. The contest between these two
was not contest between Freedom and
Despotism-it was a struggle between taoo
rirais contendng for illegal supremacy,
and through their mutual destruction can
the People first hope to recover their own
rghtful heritage. With what chances did
these antagonists enter the lists? The As
sembly had suspended the right of univer
sal suffrage, and, in opposition TO Napo.
leon, had refused to restore it. Napoleon,
by decree, gave it back to the People,
and made this question the main issue be-.
tewen himself and the Assembly, The
Assembly had with it those Generals hose
names have, since the massacre Of June,
been gra, en- ineffaceably upon the memo
ry of the People, in lines of blood-and
would have given them authority, through
that very Constitution, which they them>
selves had annihilated. Louis Napoleon
brought the indecision of the army &c an
end, by summoning it to the protection of
the popular sovereignty, whose represen-
tatye he called misunderstanding him.
self &c his soldlery as tine opponent, rot of
the People, but Of the inlriguants who were
agitaling the Assembly, and finally, ervel.
oping his armed implements in the fumes
of e'schnaps," and wine mixed with little
"gloiref' glory he caused all their scru-
plies to vanish. Thus, the main strength
left to the Assembly was in the rogalist
parties, the Bourgeeisie and the National
Guard. Where was the National Guard
during the conflict? Invisible Where
were the house proprietors2 They clio Led
their doors, and shut out the barricade de
tenders who fled to them for shelter, upon
the bayonets Of drunken soldiery. The
.'bourgeoisie'' of Paris pileously sacrificed
the flower OF its own youth, the students,
clerks, young shopkeepers, in short, all
that portion of its intelligence which yet
remained capable of ideal enthusiasm.
The Partisan, and with it the French
bourgeoisie has clearly shown its utter
worlhlessness in practical life. 1t is on
the point of formally surrendering, since,
renouncing all the civil liberties fought for
and won by its forefathers, il goes over to
the military despotism of Louis Napoleon,
and implores arms for the defence Of lis
pepper bags and butter frkins.
And the People! 1t heard those parties
calling it to the barricades, who, after they
had laid down their arms in June, murdered
them in the spirit of cowardly treachery,
those parties who still abandon the brav.
est champions of the People to slow and
agonizing martyrdom in exile, in Africa
or in the dungeons of State. The People
heard themselves summoned 10 do battle
for constitution which no longer existed,
which has been used only as legal instru.
ment Of villainy for their oppression. The
people answered then, sour Revolution