Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-04-01
From Correspondence of the Evening Post.
Affairs in France.
PANS. March Alh IA

AhISS hdTCH 4tIl, lOOS.
This mail has brought you some highly i'm
portant lntelllgence-nore important than it ap-
pears at the first glance.
Well, the first elections under the new order
Of things in France are over-what of the re-
suit? The government papers will tell you that
they are signal triumph for Louis Napoleon ;
but they are not On the contrary, they are
terrific blow to his power
But let me tell you, at the outset, how they
were conducted. | went to one of the polling
places, and saw something of the method. GEN
orally they were quiet enough and you had to
be told that an election was going on. Thus
extremes meet: elections are quiet in our coun
try, because the people love the laws which they
themselves make, and they are quiet here, be-
cause they are afraid of bayonets
was at the Hotel des Invaldes on Sunday,
to attend service and see the new and splendid
tomb of the great genius and nightmare of
France, Napoleon, when behed the venerable
antiquities of that place. 1t is hospital, you
know, for old soldiers and officers-paraded in
line along one of the corridors, and marching in
solid body towards one of the doors. They
are mastering for church, thourht, but my
thought was an error They were leading them
to the polls to vote, and as there are some two
thousand OF them, you may judge that their bal
AOt' "iO Vi SOhO Weight IL Se6llS LnuL lne polls
were held inside of the building of the Invalides,
and that citizens and others, who wished TO vote,
had come from the streets to the interior
There were several persons about the coult
distributing tickets, and had the curiosity to take
one of these from each, finding as supposed
should, that they were all alike headed, Can
dtdature de la Government" On the outside of
the Court, at great distance from the polls,
there were few struggling blouseS distributing
tickets In the opposition, but their canvassing
seemed to me to be very timid and Inefficient
AT other polls, there may have been more act
I've and independent spirit cannot say Yet
as bodies OF troops were drawn up near each, |
DIN doubtful whether the voting was highly ami
mated.
Under these circumstances, then, what ia the
result? Let us see. The number of inscribed
votes in Paris is 1854, of whom only 1872 905
voted at this election. Thus you see that one
third of the voters in the city, principally egi-
mists and republicans, will not sanction the pres
ent government even by exercising the right of
franchise under 1t! That is the first significant
fact. Again, Of those who did vote, the candi-
dates of the government succeeded in getting
about '130, 900 which is barely more than one
half Of the votes cast; and as there are 25,00O
officials in the different Offices, directly employed
by the government, $4,000 more indirectly EN-
poyed as sellers of tobacco, keepers Of markets
&C., &C., $4,000 soldiers within the walls OIL
the city, and $4,000 more within days march
of the walls, you have got significant fact
Thirdly, there is another fact which is, that on
the Goth December, Napoleon claimed to have
received over one hundred and ninety thousand
votes in Paris; he has, therefore, either lost in
popularity since, or the claims of that election
were unfounded. Finally, in one of the prnci
pal districts--the most commercial district Of
the city, by the way-one Of the great leaders
Of the republicans in fact almost the only leader
left General Cavignac, has been successful BY
tremendous majority. Now it was precisel!
in this district that it was supposed the grea
force of the administration lay!
There you have the whole story. Large nun
bers OF the opposition will not vote at all bu
when they do, they triumph with ease. In tn
country districts, the same disposition not to vot
is observed, except in few places where cand
dates have been returned for special purpos
That purpose was simply to send few men
bers to the legislative body to protest, under tn
lead of Cavaignac, against tine existing usurpt
ton. THIS they will unquestionably do bl
they will not take the oath Of fidelity to Il
constitution, nor consent to serve in body
created How could they do the latter, with al
regard to their own selt.respect, or to the la'
and rights OF the people? Already the COVER
ment organs have taken the alarm at this pre-
+ pect, and threaten Cavaignac and his frien
that, if they attempt any 6 theatrical display"
they call it, the President is determined to pr
serve orders" which means to imprson or bani
them. But, as the meeting OF the legslati
body depends upon the will of the Preside
there is no telling when the republicans will {
a chance even TO protest
Besides, long before that, matter OF extern
interest will likely employ the French. L
President has totered for some time; the resi-
of the election are,felt as a great blow his 40
900 or 100000 troops will not long be satSh
with marching from Versailles to Lyons and |
ons to MarselIIes, without an object. and sor
thing must be done to occupy both them and
nation Is not the thing at hand? Does
the republic of Switzerland give asylum
French refugees, and what more plausible
text for war upon the only republic In Eur
than this harboring of democrats'
As long ago as the Cd of January, the Pr
dent addressed note to the Swiss GoVernm'
demanding the expulsion of certain refug
which he might designate. The Swiss repl
in a moderate tone, that if he would point
any one of them who was engaged IN &C
hostiIities against France, he should be
away. but that they could not move on n
general allegations and suspicious 10 tn'S
President has made more positive demand
his reply, and the Swiss have returned E9r
about to return,) a more positive refusal. Me
time, Austria has joined France in her post
and England, you will see by a iesniilcaI ar
in the Times Of yesterday, will doubtless r tn
I. Indifferent to say the least There are ~
French troops on ,Uar footing, now gatherf
Lyons, and orders are said to have Oeeh Isl
for concentrating more at that point a.,
Shonld collision occur, as 1t proOaoIy
and these despotsms unite to destroy tne
sacred right Of asylum, | ask the people OF
limited States whether they will look calml
such an outrage. Switzerland has republ
government like our ownE her people are
and virtuous her laws are almost as old a
hills: is she 10 be blotted from the map OF
ron" 70 e.--v cut the policy OF an upstart u