The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-02-13
FRANCE.

the topic OF discussion IN all tne newspapers,
English and American. to the exclusion OF al
most every other subject Even the London
Times has little more than agrowl to spare at
the rect of the world, so busy is IL in baying the
French Usurper. As fer that gentleman, he
seems to have feaihered his nest very hand
someIy, and whether he may choose, in future,
10 reign under the name of President or OF EN-
peror, the result will be pretty much the same.
He has oil the power, all the money, oil the
army, all the navy. He can make what laws
he pIeases, and refuse to authorize such as he
docs not like. The lives, the liberties and the
properiy..of his fellow citizens, or more proper.
ly speaking. OF his subjects, are completely at
his mercy. He can declare war, make peace,
conclude treaties, and form alliances. 10 one
word, be can do whatever he may think proper
under this constitution, and he is responsible to
no one save TO God and to the people for his
acts. This is autocracy in its most literal
sense despotism as absolute as that OF the
Gear, or OF the Austrian Emperor.
Such is the state Of things which has grown
out of the revolution of I848, a revolution
which was hailed throughout the world, by
the friends of human freedom, as triumph OF
their principles. In such manner have been
disappointed The hopes Of those who looked
upon the gigantic struggles which France had
been making for sixty years with adm ration,
and INDUCED the hope that she had prohted
so well by ex perience, as not to run the same
risk of engulfng her liberties that she had en-
countered in 1889. All has proved deceptive;
and if foreign nations find fault with the go.
vernmen. of Louis Napoleon, France has no
right to do so. She has solemnly voted her.
self unfit for freedom, and we believe there are
few persons in the world who will not concede
tia, for once she has voted q solemn truth
Being DESTROYS to enter once more into bond
age, she has found a man who has kindly vol
unteered to take charge of her, aud if she
choose to give herself up to him, surely no one
has right to complain. They were her liber-
ties-she, no doubt, knew what they were
worlh-and if she thought them of so little
value that she could afford to throw them
away, why upon her bead must the conse-
quences rest.
In the debate upon the proposition to give
Canada a constitution, in 1871, Edmund Burke,
for the first time, drew the broad line of dis
tinction between the AngIo-Saxon race and
the other races ofEurope, and in reply to Fox,
who insisted upon the capacity of Canada 10
govern herself, and relied upon the example
of these States for proof of the position, stated
that the parallel was not just, because Of the
distinction between the two races which lived
on the opposing shores of the ST. Lawrence.
Most of our readers doubtless recollect that
speech, for it was one of the most memo rable
ever delivered, and furnished the occasion for
the disruption OF the long friendship which had
existed between him and Fox. Every day in
the history of France has justified the assump
ton of Burke, at least so far as its capacity to
govern itself is involved, and now, utter sixty
years experience, the French people have been
bruush t to the same conclusion.
The English journals express great indigna.
tion at the suppression of the National Guard
differentiation into the history of that body
since 1879; will leave the true friends of free
dom little reason to regret at its dissolution
They have never been efficient in protecting
tue community or themselves, and those very
communities, where they exist in largest bo
dies, as Lyons, for instance, have always beer
points at which the largest corps of regula,
troops havebeen stationed. This last fact proves
that in the opinion of the public at least, SC
far from preserving order, they are sure to vo
late il, and that peaceabie citizens by no means
place great dependence on their efficiency in
the hour of danger. They seem to have sui.
United, almost without a struggle, and many
Of them are said to regard their dissolution as
q matter Of relief.
The English papers assaiI Louis Napoleon
as murderer, and state that thousands were
massacred in the streets of Paris, while he wa.
carrying his coup d'etat into effect. This il
positively contradieted by the well Informed
correspondent. of the Journal Of Commerce
who says that, upon the authority of M. Ire
buchet, head of the Sanitary Bureau, gen
tleman OF spotless reputation, the total mum
Der of killed and wounded, (exclusive Of tn,
military,I was only one hundred and ninety
one, of whom two-thirds were insurgents
The loss of the soldiers was fully as great
Tits bad enough h, however, at best, yet il is 10
80 bad as the deportations which have beer
made TO Cayenne. These have been the mos
horrible Of all the consequences resulting from
the coup deiat, aud they will continue
blot upon the memory of Louis Napoleon
long after he and the victims of his tyrann,
shall have been Wondering in the grave. Yet
when English journals undertake to censurs
him, il would be well to ask if there is no suct
place as Botany Bay and Van Dieman's Land
aud no such persons as OBsen, O'Meag her
and Mitchell, or whether the editors neve
heard Of St. Helena and Napoleon.
GOLD In AUSTRALIA.
A Lendon letter, per the latest arrival, say
that al Port PHILIPPE 81 rich chocolate. &C olore.
clay has been found, beautifully variegate,
with specks and Jumps of gold, after the fash