Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-02-21
FRANCE.

following circular to the Projects of the DEPARTMENTS
MONSIEUR LIE PREFET You will shortly have to pro-
coed to the elections of the Legislative body grave
operation, which Will be either corolary contradc
ton OF the vote of the Goth December according to the
employment which you make of your legitimate influence
Bear well In mind that universal suffrage is new and
unknown element easy for glorious name to make the
conquest Of unique in history representing the eyes of
the populations authority and power very difficult to
fix on secondary indviduates consequently it is not
by following former errors that YOU will succeed de-
sire to inform of the views of the head of the State
You perceive that the constitution has aimed at avoiding
all the and dramatic part of the Assemblies by
interdcng the publication of the speeches delivered in
that way the members of those Assemblies not being oc
cuped with the effect which their words in the tribune
are 10 produce VIII think more of carrying seriously
tne AFFAIRS OF their country The electoral law will pro-
nounce on the incompabiities The situation of public
functonaries in political assembly always very deli
cate matter as In voting with the Government they lower
their proper character, and in voting against it they
weaken the principle of authority. The exclusion Of
functlonaries and the suppression of all indemnity must
necessarily limit in country where fortunes are so d.
vided as In ours the number of men who will be willing
ana able to fulfil such duties Nevertheless as the Cow
eminent is firmly decided to make use of corrup-
uon direct or indirect, and to respect the conscience
OF every man. the best means of preserving the Legs
auVe pody the confidence of the populations is to call to
IT men perfectly independent by their situation and char
actcr Whcnu has made his fortune by labor man
ufacture or agriculture if he has been occupied in i'm
proving the position eft his workmen if he has rendered
himself popular by noble of his property he is pre-
ierable to what is conyentionaly called political man.
lor wl bring to the preparation of the laws practical
mnd ana Will second the Government in its work Of pac
fcation and reedcation As soon as YOU shall have in
tmated to in the conditions indicated above the can
dates who shall appear to you to have the chance
OF obtaining majority of votes the Government win not
hesitate to recommend them openly the choice Of the
electors Hitherto has been the France form
electoral committees and meetings of delegates. That
sytem very useful when the vote took place an sc
dc ste The scrin de ste created such confusion and
such necessity for coming understanding that the
action Of committee was Indispensable but these
KIND OF meetings would be attended with advantage,
since the election will only bear name ii would
only have the inconvenience of creating bonds
and appearances of acquired rights which would only en-
barrass the people, and deprive them of all liberty You
WILL therefore, dssuade the parsans of the Government
from organizing electoral committees. Formerly when
the suffrage restricted, when the electoral influence
was divided among few families the abuse of this inu
ence was most shameful few crosses, little merited
and few places could always the success of an
election in small college 1t very natural that this
abuse should great dissatisfaction and that the
Government should be called to abstain from any os
tensibe interference Its action and its preferences were
then occult and for that very compromised its Dig
nifty and its authority But what avors could the Gov
eminent be supposed capable of influencing the i'm
mense body of the electors? By places : The whole
Government of France has establishments vast
to contain the population of canton. BY money?
Without speaking of the honorable susceptibes of the
electors the whole public reaury would not be sufficient
for such purpose You will remember to what the result
OF the efforts Of the Government was reduced on the 10th
december lS4S in favor of the candidate to the Pres
there is but one powerful spring which human hand
can restrain turn from the current in which it is direct
cd and thati public opinion; thatimperceptbe and in
dehnable sentiment which abandons accompanies Gov
ernment without their being able for it. but
which is rarely wrong in doing so nothing escapes it,
nothing is Indifferent to it; appreciates not only acts
but diynes tendencies it forgets nothing, pardons
nothing because ii has, and have but one moving
power-the selfinerest of each it is alive ALL from
the great policy which from the chief of the
State to the most trivial proceedings of the local author
ties, and the political opinion of department depends
more than is generally believed the spirit and conduct
of its administration For long time past the local adj
mnstratons have been subordinate to Parliamentary
exgences they occupied themselves in pleasing
some influential men in Paris than in satisfying the eg
mate interests of the and the people These
days are happily, it may be said at end Make oil
unchonaries thoroughly understand that they must
fully occupy themselves with the interests of ALL that
he who must be treated with the greatest and kind
is the humbes and the weakest The best of policies
is that of kindness to persons and facility for interests
and that functonares shall suppose themselves cre-
ated for purposes Of objection and deay
when they for the sake of dispatch and regularity
1T attach so much Importance these details it is be-
have remarked that inferior agents often believe
that they increase their Importance by difficulties and
embarrassments They do not know what moled;ct;ona
and unpopularty they bring down on the central Govern
ment This administrative spirit must be inexbly modi-
ned that depends you; firmly on that path Be
assured that them instead of seeing enemies in the Gov
eminent and local administration the people win only
consider them support and help And when afterwards
you IN tne name OF this loyal and paterna Government
candidate to the choice of the electors they
wal listen to your voice and follow your counsel All the
ou accusations OF oppostons will fall before this and
simple line OF policy, and people in France will end by
understanding that order labor and security only be
established in q durable in country under a
Government listened TO and respected
Hn