The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-12-22


think tina, he was no ordinary man. we can
see no sense in these sneers, for they are not
justified by a.y thing that has happened since
he landed last upon the coast OF France. lie
had been, for years, the butt Of the entire En-
glish press. and apparently with some degree
Of reason. His exploits, in the invasion OF
Francs, certainly did seem more romantic than
wise at the time but even here, as events
have since shown, he knew the French people
far better than those who made him subject
of ridicule To their apprehension, France
pres ented a compact Kingdom, formidable
abroad, from its immense military strength,
Formidable at home, from the apparent union OF
all parties in support Of the government but
more formidable, both OF home and abroad,
from the supposed wisdom and vigor OF the
reigning monarch, than from either of these
causes, or from both combined. To all outward
appearances, ten or fifteen years ago, no mon
arch in Europe babe farer TO enj joy reign pros
porous TO the end than Louis Philippe, or TO
transmit the scepue with less difficulty to his
successor. Such was the opinion, not only OF
the crowd who merely judge from appearsn-
ces, bul of men renowned for political ssgaci-
", who had spent their lives in the atmos-
phere of diplomatic circles. II there were
few who saw beneath the surface-who detect
ed the incompatible and irreconclabe anoma-
lies which existed in the French constitution
who foresaw, from the discOrdcnt nature Of
the elements at work in the bosom Of society,
that storm must come, and that sooner or Ia
ter, it must sweep away the throne-tEey
were not needed, if the expression of their
opinions did not subject them to tho sneers Of
the super-snpient.
1t was a profound knowledge Of the French
people and of the French social system, as
may now very easily be seen, which nstiga
ted Louis Napoleon 10 attempt the subverson
OF the Orleans Dynasty. That he was not very
far wrong in his calculations, subsequent
events have demonstrated beyo the possibili-
~ Of cavil. He knew that the apparent
strength of Louis Philippe was all holowness
and unreality-that the bloated fabric Of his
power would dissolve before the first breath Of
popular dlscontent-that the glories of the en-
pre, and the name of Bonaparte, were as ON
nponent now, as they were when the greatest
OF that name landed from Elba, and by the mere
terror of his fame, drove the miserable show
of King, which had been forced upon the
French people by foreign bayonets, into exile
Two mistakes he made, and these two led to
the failure Of his enterprise. In the first place,
'.the peur was net ripe.' The people were
not prepared FIR he crisis, which events were
indeed preparing, but had not yet brought
TO perfection. 1t was necessary to have a re-
voution more radical than that which he pro.
posed to bring about. The nation were TO be
cheated with the shadow of liberty, while they
were to be ground by despotism, in its name,
worse than any monarch dared to exercise. La
the second place, he did not wait to be called
TO the throne, but attempted to seize the crown
himself. "Time and the hour" not concurring,
Of course he failed. Grown wise by defeat, he
took, his measures SO well before his last at
tempt, that success was inevitable. Short
sighted people judge of the wisdom Of an en-
terprise from the success that attends il, and
as the world is composed of major ity of such
men, this attempt having failed, was set down
as the foolish expedition of hair Drained
scamp. On the contrary il was the result Of
accurate intelligence, and profound calcula-
ton.
We do not profess to en- terrain a very high
opinion of the new Emperors morals. We
rather think he wouId ut but q poor figure in
catalogue of saints. Strong as is the faith
OF the Catholic Clergy, and beloved as he is
by the Pope, we doubt whe Their he will ever be
sanonlZed. We very shrewdy suspect, how
ever, that IN every particular, he is fully as
good as any Of his brother monarchs, and so
tar as mind is an ingredient Of importance in
the administration of affairs, we think it may
be proved that he is full match for them all
combined. With regard to the title by which
he holds his crown, he may well be a subject of
envy, not only to them, but, could they be re-
called, to life, to all monarchs that ever lived.
When was crown ever cid by such a tile
Inc votes ct nearly eight millions of his fellow
citizens have placed it on his head. The op
position to his assuming il has been so small
mat his election may almost be said TO have
been effected by the unanimous voice of the
French people. Ii has been said that many
OF these votes have been procured by false re
turns by intimidation, and by other processes
NOT oh5lstent with our ideas of the purity Of
'hs ballot box. To some extent, this may be
"ue' That it can be true to any great ex
'eH'' when 1t is considered that eight millions
s's' 'Aelr votes, we find il impossible TO be
He'e' ne same things were said of the FIRST
Napoieon' who, we think time has proved. was
Inc most popular monarch that ever sat upoo
the throne OF France. Besides, the yery fra,
vote taken for Louis Napoleon, when he offer.
Cd Tor the Presidency az ainst the ,nost dis,in.
guished military man in France, keenly alive
asthat nauonis aud always has been to military
glory differed but little, in the aggregate, from
that by virtue of which he now fill. the INN,
mai throne. Much as may be supposed to h..
IN the power OF a person s;,n.,.A " o'