The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-03-10

The Orleans Family.


The Orleans Family.
Louis Philippe, who was an ambitious
man and fond of power. was still fonder oil
money and always kept an eye TO the main
chance. On the day before he mounted the
throne, in August, 1880, he executed deed
of cift-a donation, the French call tin
favor Of his children, of all his vast proper
tv, amounting TO about Two hundred millions
of francs, rescrvng to himself the usufruct
Of il, by which the conveyance remained
inoperative until after his death. The rea-
son for the deed Of gift was ibis; BY the
laws and usages of France, for long time
back, perso coming to the throne ceased
TO own private property, and all that he was
in possession of previously became, ipsO fac
10, vested in the Crown that is, it was an
nexed 10 the sovereignty, let that severe ign
ty be where il might. This law Louis
Philippe disregarded, and though, that by
his dotation he would secure TO his family
all his enormous wealth. There was some
discussion about his proceeding at the time,
but no resistance to it, as the Citizen King
was then too powerful and TOO popular TO be
resisted. And so things went on during his
reign Of seventeen years and half. When
he went into exile in lS4S, his dispositions
with regard TO his property wero respected,
and continued so 10 be until the 23d Of JAN
uary last, on which day Louis Napoleon, by
decree Of about dozen lines confscaied
to the use of the State the whole of the es-
tate of Louis Philippe included in his doia-
ton, on the ground that iha, &C, was illegal,
and that on his accession, his estates vested
| By operation of law in the sovereign wilh>
ont respect to the person. The lawyers
differ about The but the usage and the
precedenls are against the dolation. Hem
ry the Fourth attempted to do the same
thing that Louis Philippe did, but his de-
signs were frustrated by the Parliaments-
then Judicial trihunals-and he finally ac>
quiesced in their decision.
This measure of the Dictator is very
high-handed and inscriptions one. The
Car himself would not venture upon such
n one, nor would Louis the Fourteenth or
Napoleon have ventured, who were both
Il" the State" and who could dare TO 10 as
much as any body ought 10 dare, and agrcat
deal more. A Roman Emperor-the worst
of the Roman Emperors-might have dared,
or m Inca of ancient Peru, who was bona
fde owner, without any fiction of law, Of all
his subjects, and of all their property. This
is clearly not question TO be decided by
the executive head of the State. Iii one,
the solution Of which belongs either 10 the
legislative or TO the judicial department.
to The former, if it is political question, to
the latter, ifil is one oflaw. But the Prince
President, as they call him. whilst commit
ling this enormous and wholesale wrong,
provides in the decree sop for public opin-
ion, and one which will go far 10 eoneiliate
| il that is, the assignment of thirty or ioriy
millions of the confscaiad estates 10 charit-
able and benevolent purposes. And such
is the weakness and The selfshness of human
n AZURE, that many will, for that reason, ap-
prove the measure, who would not. had il
been simple and naked confscalon. 1t is
said, however, tha, the dissatisfaction is gen
eral, and very great; that the Ministers
were nearly all opposed to the decree, and
that many of the property -holders, seeing
that they have got a stork for a ruler in
stead of log, do not know when their
turn may come 10 be plundared. So these
men of wealth and influence, who have seen
the constitution and laws of their country
uampled under foot by crafty aud unscru-
puIous usurper who have seen their fellow.
citizens butehered in the street by drunk>
en- aud infuraled soldiery, for no crime but
hat of being in the street; who have seen
thousands of them prescribed and hunted
down like wild beasts, and thousands SEN
fenced to deportation, punishment worse
than death, who have seen all this, and il
not approvingly, have yet raised neither
hand nor voice against III but when their
pockets are threatened though very remote
ly, then they have eyes 10 see, ears to hear,
tongues to speak, aud nerves to feel, though
nsensible as The bronze of the Napoleon
column to the degradation of their country,
and TO the relentless and cold.blooded
measures Of the oppressor. When we read
of all this, we cannot help thinking of the
words Of Charlotte Corday when on the
scaffoll and about TO be guilIoined for the
killing of Marat; Quel friste Peuple pour
former une repuNiq,sl