Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-01-26
Correspondents of the National rntellissnoer."l
PANS, january 8, 1852

sires for legislator and ruler the Prince Louis Ma
poleon Bonaparte. The history OF the world cam
not show so remarkable an instance OF great
people solemnly declaringits own incompetenceto
self-government and invoking amaster. Noarga-
ment, no sophistry no perhaps ana butts ana us,
can put away materially inyaldate the greatfact
that by the choice of large majority Of its adult
men France has accepted, full and faiESiew Tall
the past in full view too of the future, the rule,
almost unlimited in degree, of one of the prince
pretenders to the crown. Our Judgment OF the
means by which the successful candidate for abso-
lutte power has compassed his ends and induced this
overwhelming popular expression in his favor may
be unaltered; impartial contemporaries and histo-
ny will judge them severely; yet our duty and that
of all foreign nations, is now plain. France has
pardoned those means, and accepted their results.
The whole world must acknowledge Louis Napo-
leon Bonaparte as the legitimate chief OF friendly
nation without abiding, except as they may AFFECT
| our appreciation of him as man, to the various
arts and endorsements efcacious doubtless to some
extent by which he attained this eminent station.
France has never possessed ruler of more legiti-
mate power than Louis Napoleon at this moment.
Such, / am informed, is the view which has been
taken of the actual condition of France by our own
able minister Mr.. Rives. So long as the dictator
ship of NJ Bonaparte had no better foundation
than the coup d6tat of the I'd December, q per-.
sonal usurpation, outraging at once q solemn oath
of office, q regularly established and accepted
constitution, and every principle OF the free re-
publican government to which Mr.. r.. was &C
credited, SO long Mr.. r. himself the representa-
tive of the leading republic of the world, inspired
by the spirit of our Institutions which acknowl-
edge the peoples will to be the only source of
power, forebore by word or act to recognise the
legality of that dictatorship. He did not loudly
and actively protest against the new order Of
things as some of indignant and Jealous coun-
trymen insisted was his duty. Whatright had he
to protest? The internal concerns Of France are
no concern of his or ours. The coup detat inter-
fered with no rights and violated no interest Of
ours His protest would have been justly heldby
the Dictator himself and by the very jealous and
susceptible French people as impertinent inter-
meddling. He did not demand his passports and
abandon his post. Such conduct would have i'm
prudently offended the actual government of the
moment, and made it positively hostile, thus en-
dangering the great national interests dependent
upon the maintenance of our peaceful relations
with France, and leaving in the midst of revo-
luton, without the protection of high national
representative, the numerous American citizens
whom every political crisis is sure to find tenn
porarily in France. Mr.. Rives very properly re-
maincd at his post, ready to intervene in his of
fetal character as representative of the United
States for the protection of any Of his countrymen
who mightneed his protection, but refraining from
any act that might by possibility be interpreted
into an approval or acceptance as legal of the re-
evolutionary movement of the I'd December. The
propriety of this course proved by the result.
An innocent American citizen was accidently in
volv ed in the troubles that followed. He was
rested and thrown into the Conciergerie from
which he was soon discharged, but only after the
prompt, earnest, and persevering interposition of
Mr.. R. But after the vote of the Goth and 21st
December, the face Of things, and the fact of
things, was totally changed. As previously it had
been the duty of the representative of the United
States to keep aloof from the usurper, though
all other representatives of foreign governments
here should hasten to offer their Fluctuations and
pay their court-a duty which he inteligently
comprehended and firmly performed - so, after
that vote sanctioning and accepting the usurpa-
ton, and nominating M. Bonaparte as chief of
the State by an immense majority of all French
men-a fact of which, in spite of cavaliers, it was
impossible to deny the truth-it became clearly
the duty of Mr.. Rives to hasten with alacrity
to accept and acknowledge the legitimacy of the
new government. The people had spoken and
approved The principle of our popular sover-
eighty, which is the life and soul of our own gov
ernment and of which Mr.. r. may in some sort
be considered as the personifcation, now COM
handed this recognition from him and he should
have gone to the Elysee alone, if the other mem
bers of the diplomatic corps in Paris had in
body kept away. This duty was understood too
by Mr.. r., and he consequently went on We'd
nesday evening last to the Elysee to offer, with
the whole diplomatic corps the customary COM
pliments of the season to the chief of the State.
informed you of this gratifying fact in hastily
written postscript to my last Thursdays letter.
have only to repeat now that the reception of
Mr.. X. upon that occasion was officially and per-
sonally cordial and affable could be desired. No
allusion was made to the late absence of Mr.. r.
from the Elysee. The Prince inquired if intelli-
gence of late events in France had reached the
United States at the latest dates And, upon the
negative response of Mr.. r., he expressed the hope
that it would produce no change for the worse in
the friendly relations which it was SO sincerity the
desire of his government to preserve with the
United States This little incident, therefore,
which was beginning TO attract notice here, may
be considered as ended. 1t is to be hoped that
the ruler of France will not remember il to our
prejudice in his future relations with our country.
At any rate, Mr.. R. is to all appearance estab-
lshed upon his ancient footing of cordiality with
the government of France. He was present in
official costume at the re Deun performed on the
LIST January at Notre Dame hope to learn soon
that the dignifed and firm but prudent conduct
of our representative in France has been sane
toned by our government, and approved by the
mass ofintelligent public opinion in the country.
1t deserves to be so.
The Te Deum celebrated at Notre Dame last
Thursday was the most magnificent affair of the
sort that has been witnessed in Paris since the
fall Of the Empire, of which it was intended as
was evident from oil the arrangements, to recall
the remembrance.
MURDERS IN GEoRGn.-The Augusta "Con-
stitutionast of Tuesday last states that, on the
preceding Sunday night, an elderly citizen
named Herring. and his wife, were murdered by