Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1852-02-19
THURSDAY MORNING, FEB. 10.
THE FRENCH CONSTITUTION.

consti ution which it has pleased the Dictator oil
France to grant to the people of that country
As many of our readers may not have put them
selves to the trouble of examining closely that
curious specimen of governmental machinery,
we propose to recapitulate its most important
provisions. with the view of submitting a few
words of comment.
The government of the French Republic is
entrusted to Prince Louis Napoleon for 10
years The President of the Republic is to
govern by means of the Ministers, the Council
of State, the Senate and the Legislative Body.
The President commands the land and sea
forces, declares war. concludes peace, con-
tracts alliances and executes the laws. He
alone has the initiative of all laws. The Min
listers depend solely upon him, and like the
Council of State, the Senate and the Legislative
body. take an oath of fidelity to the Constitu-
ton and to the President. In case of death,
the President has the right by secret act
deposited in the archives of the State, to re-
commend his successor to the French people
The Council of State is appointed by the
President and its members are removable by
him. This Council is charged, under the d.
reetion of the President of the Republic, with
drawing up projects of law and regulations of
public administration. 1t maintains, in the
name of the government, the discussion OF pro-
iects of law before the Senate and Legislative
body.
The Senate is composed of the Cardinals,
Admirals and Marshals, and ofsuch citizens as
the President may deem fit to elevate to the
dignity of a Senator The Senate Is called the
guardian of the fundamental pact and of the
public liberties 1t maintains or annuls all acts
which may be submitted to it as unconstitution-
al by the government. 1t can propose modifi-
cations of the constitution, and if these be
sanctioned by the President, they are submit
ted to the people for ratification, by universal
suffrage. The President convoles and pro-
rogues the Senate, and fixes the duration of its
session. Its sittings are in secret.
The Legislative Body is elected by universal
suffrage, representation being based upon pop
ulation 1t consists of 200 members, who hold
their places for six years, and receive no salary.
The ordinary sittings of this body last for three
months, and on the demand of any five MEM
bers, it may be resolved into secret commit
tee 1t cannot originate projects of law, but
discusses and votes those submitted by the Pre-
sident and Council. The President canvokes,
adjourns, prorogues and dissolves the Legisla-
lative body at pleasure.
Such is the outline of the strange political
edifce which the hand of Louis Napoleon has
erected upon the ruins of the late Republic
To call this new Government a Republic is
dissertation of the term, and shameless and
impudent mockery. 1t embodies the very
sence of centralized despotism. The Presi-
dent does not govern France in conjunction with
the other departments of State, nor does he
even profess to do so but in the significant lam
guage of the Constitution, he governs by means
of the Ministers, the Council of State the SEN
ate and the Legislative body. These are not
coordinate and independent branches of the
government but simply the instruments with
which the Executive executes his own will
This Constitution furnishes a striking illustra-
ton of the facility with which despotism as
sumes the garb of liberty, and absolute power
may be exercised by one man under the exter-
nal forms of free government. The French
people have now an executive chief chosen by
themselves for limited period under a system
of universal suffrage, Senate composed of all
the distinguished men of the country, and Lee
Gislative body also elected by themselves. But
Notwithstanding all this the government of
France is as perfect an autocracy that of
Russia. So enormous are the powers that have
been conferred on the Executive branch of the
Government, that all the other departments are
a..
There is popular Assembly it is true, but it can
originate no laws and is held completely in
check by the Council of State, which is appoin-
ted by the President. The latter having the
sole right to originate legislation measure,
however clearly demanded by the honor and in
terests of the nation, can even be considered by
the representatives of the people unless it shall
first be submitted to them by the Executive
chief. In the worst days of her imperial bond
age degenerate Rome still preserved the out
ward forms of her Republic. Whilst groaning
under the bloody and capricious sway of 1ibe-
rius and Nero, she still had her Senate, her
Tribunes and her Assemblies of the people,
These institutions had stood for five hundred
years We're interviewer with the national charac
ter and habits, and identified with all the past
glories of the nation. We can readily conceive
why underthese circumstances the empty forms
We're tolerated and preserved by the ltmperors
after all real liberty had been1 ex1inguish-
ed. But we at loss to understand why
Louis Napoleon should deem it necessary to en-
act the solemn farce of keeping up the forms of
republic in France whilst he is acting the part
of despot. The experience of the French
people in Republican Government has been very
brief, and we should scarcely think it necessary
to amuse them with shadow of what they have
lost, since they have quietly permitted them
selves to be robbed of the substance.
The following extract from Partisan letter
gives the history of the Eagle as military en-
blem. 1t may seem at first little incongruous