Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-01-24
FROM OUR PARIS CORRESPONDENT
PARIS. JANUARY 8 1880

sires for legislator and ruler the Prince T,orIs N,
PoLEoN BoNAPARTE. The history Of the wor
cannot show 80 remarkable an Instance Of q orea
people soemnly declaring its Jwn incompetence i
selfgovernment and invoking master, No argu
ment, no sophistry, no perhaps and butts and ifs
can put away or materially nvalidae the great fac
that by the choice of large majority of its adul
men France has accepted in full and fair view of al
the past, in full view too Of the future, the rule
almost unlimited in degree of one Of the prime
pretenders to the crown. Our Judgment of tn
means by which the successful candidate for abso
lutte power has comprised his ends and induced thi
overwhelming popular expression in his favor ma,
be unaltered impartial contemporaries and histo
ry will Judge them severely; yet our duty, and tina
of all foreign nations, is now plain. France ha
pardoned those means, and accepted their results
The whole world must acknowledge Louis Napoleon
Bonapare as the legitimate chief of friendly nation
without abiding, except they may affect our ap
probation of him man, to the various arts ant
endorsements, effcacious doubtless to some extent
by which he attained this eminent station. Franc,
has never possessed ruler of more legitimat,
power than Louis Napoleon at this moment Such
| am informed is the view which has been taker
OF the actual condition of France by our own abb,
Minister, Mr.. RIvEs. So long as the dictatorship
of NJ. Bonaparte had no better foundation than the
coup dstas Of the I'd December, a personal usur
patton, outraging at once solemn oath of Office, q
regularly established and accepted Constitution, and
every principle of the free republican Government
| to which Mr.. r. was accredited, so long Mr.. r.
himself the representative of the leading Republic
of the world inspired by the spirit of institutions
which acknowledge the peoples will to be the only
of power orbore by word recognise the legality
of that dictatorship He did loudly and actively pro-
test against the order of things, of
dgnant and Jealous countrymen insisted was his duty
What right had he to protest. The internal concerns
France of his The coup detat in
terered with rights and violated interests of ours
His protest would have been justly held by the Dictator
himself and by the very jealous and susceptible French
people impertinent intermeddling. He did not de-
mand his passports and abandon his post Such conduct
would have mprudently offended the actual Government
Of the moment, and made it positively hostile thus en-
dangerng the great national interests dependant upon
maintenance of peaceful relations with France and
leaving in the midst of revolution without the protec
ton Of high national representative, the numerous
American citizens whom every political crisis sure to
ind temporarily in France. Mr. Rves very properly re-
manned at his post ready intervene in his official char
acter representative of the United States for the pro-
lection of any of his countrymen who might need his
protection but refrainng from any act that might by
possibility be interpreted into approval acceptance
as legal Of the revolutionary Of the ID Decem
ber The propriety of this proved by the
suit An innocent American citizen was accdently in
yoved in the troubles that followed He was arrested
and thrown into the Conciergere from which he was
discharged but only after the prompt earnest and per-
severng nterposition Of Mr. r. But after the vote of
the 10Th and 2ls December the face Of things and the
fact Of things, totally changed As previously it had
been the duty Of the representative of the United States
TO keep aoof from the usurper though all other repre-
of
offer their Fluctuations and pay their coura duty which
he intelgently comprehended and firmly performed-so
after that vote sanconng and accepting the usurpation
and nominating NJ Bonapare chief of State by an
immense majority Of all Frenchmen-a fact of which, in
spite of caviers it impossible to deny the ruht
became clearly the duty Of Mr. Rives to hasten with
aacry accept and acknowledge the legitimacy of the
new Government. The people had spoken and approved
The principle Of popular sovereignty, which is the life
and soul Of our own Government and of which Mr.. r.
may IN sort be considered as the personfcation
commanded this recognition from him; and he should
have gone the Eysee alone if the other members of the
diplomatic corps in Paris had in body kept away This
duty understood too by Mr. r., and he consequently
went Wednesday evening last TO the Eysee to offer
with the whole diplomatic corps the customary compli-
mens Of the to the chief Of the State inform
ed you Of this gratifying fact in hasty-written post
script to my last Thursdays letter. have only to re-
peat that the reception of Mr. r. upon that occasion
officially and personally cordial and aable as could
be desired No aluson was made to the late absence
Of Mr. R. from the Eysee. The Prince inquired if in.
tegence Of late events in France had reached the Unit
cd States at the latest dates And upon the negative
response Of Mr. r. he expressed the hope that it would
produce change for the in the friendly relations
which it sincerely the desire Of his Government to
preserve with the United States This little incident
therefore, which beginning to attract notice here
may be considered ended 1t is to be hoped that the
ruler Of France viii not remember it prejudice in
his future relations with country At any rate, Mr.
r. is all appearance established upon his ancient foot
ing Of cordially with the Government Of France. He
present in official costume the Tc Deu performed
the LIST January at Fotre Dare hope learn
that the dignfed and firm but prudent conduct Of
representative in France has been sanctioned by Gov
eminent and approved by the Of intelligent pubic
opinion in the country. 1t deserves to be SO.
The Te Deua celebrated at Notre Dame last Thursday
the magnificent affair Of the sort that has been
witnessed in Paris since the fall Of the Empire Of which
intended evident from all the arrangements
recall the remembrance enclose the following long
account Of the ceremony:
The ceremony, ordered by the President Of the Re-
public Of returning thanks to Heaven for the success Of
his late election celebrated yesterday nj the Cathe
dral Of Notre Dame with most imposing magnifcence
The weather not NY any propous for the oc
cason from sharp frost which had taken place the
cold exceedingly severe and thick fog during the
whole day, but particularly in the morning enveloped
Paris. Notwithstanding this drawback, n considerable
number Of persons had already collected in the neighbour
hood of the cathedral early nine o'clock although