New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-02-11
EUROPE.
Hpsudhea's Essay ON the Coup d'Etat Of Dec.2
c~repss&esce d Ths n. 7. Trss.e

bLkLtN, cdtnQAy, jan 4, ic-h'
For what are we to take this production :
For scientific esssyi But searches nothing to the
bsstom-it brings forward rhapsodicd proposi'ions'
pointed expressions-snd when these proposaons
teuch upon great truths Of the present. a. for instance
the decadence Of philosophy ii makes no siiusons 70
The antecedents from which these propostions nave
been deriyed-pothns Of the scientific Development
which led 10 them-nothng OF the men, VINO nave
gained them by their researches and Isbors.
Why for example, has Proudhon gone on o. there
vas no such person In France ~ Angate Comef
Have hi propositions merely sown downto him through
he air, Has he not attained TO them by studys
Or docs this production profess TO be merely Of
beDe, Iettres ehsracteri Merely q pamphlet, An
occasional essyi
Blu, h treats of the most dicnt questions- whether
there is still sphlosophy-whetbcr after the over
throw Of the medieval Papaey there stl consist
entity be church and a religon-whether after the
overthrow Of the Bourbon and Orleans dynasty there
can be any other syem than tina, Of anarchy and no
government.
Il aims 10 decide-to give the final upshot-t wishes
70 show the direction, In which the Government OF
nation of thirtyfix millions fulfil their part In the
history of the world and at the same time carry on
she Revolution which IL involved In the whole pre-
vious course OF history. and whose completion viii
finally rive an assured freedom and permanent order
70 humanity.
In short this essay still belongs 10 the ambiguous
productions Of literature which have been brought TO
an end by the coup da. 1t forms an exception TO the
rule which Louis Napoleon has made the law for
Prsnce-a schoshock to the regular order Of the day
Since the I'd Of December, France-which formerly
must have at least its pamphlets month challenging
the universal attention Of societyhas had nothing 70
reed The exception, now permitted by the President
hes again given spsmphletto the French people, which
hes produced great excitementin society, from which
IN Indefinite revolutionary hope has derived nourish-
ent and which piques the hatred of various interests
md classes that have been injured.
Hence the great sensation which this work has pro.
duced-and the circulation which II enjoys.
When ! ssy that the coup dttat put an end TO
shsse political, philosophical social and democratic
rambling these point nopoint illusions do not in
insend that for all future time productions Of the
hiBs whirh treat given scientific principle In litera
" manner making accessible to the Of the peo-
pie, will become an impossiblity snachronism.
On the contrary, certain the modern positive
cultivation and knowledge for which the first principles
are now elaborated will exert still greater influence
on the culture of humanity, than the revolutionary
metaphysics Of the past centuryso certain, Ike
every scientific development will be inaccessible 70
the great Of the peopleso certainly will IL also
oeed in popular and literary exposition-and so GER
tainly viii 1t obtain 1t.
But the pamphlet literature reaching from voaire 70
Lamartine which has reduced the metaphysics of
Hobbies and Locke and partly Of spinoza to apopuisr
form--TBs literature has to end, in the past
sxty years of revolution II has fulfilled its object the
people have had enough Of It, needs more political
realization hence the coup ddai can make end
Of 1t by the stroke of the pen, by sovernmen,
al regulation
This metaphysical literature with its Coryph@-
uses, voltairc, Rousseau, Dderot and Helvetius,
and with It's latest representative, Lamatine,
with it, unwearied and indefinite statement and
counter statement, with It's revolutionary struggle
against the existing order, and iis dependence
upon H. with lis sudscity and moral haliness will re-
main unique In In its kind, although the positive
culture and research win have its popular httersteurs
Its characteristics features hafncss, shallowness
ard uperciality and also is effect the French Revo-
ition only specifically attacked the medieva system
and has been punished for It's numerous compromises
with by the reaction Of Napoleon Bonaparts, which
was the legitimate consequence
The literary men, whom the creators Of the modern
culture and research will have tor successors colabo
Tsteurs will not have the inherent Independence OF 9
voltare Diderot, Rousseau since the positive nat
IRE of modern research cuts of vague illusions, and
by the force Of s laws and discoveries makes 1t mpos
ble for the teraeurs TO gain personal renown by their
The Interests Of bellies letters win suffer, the world
will gain since the force and evidence OF the new laws
Will facilitate their COtnpfentntlOu. Inc WUriu VI
phrases win receive less attention Ia proper hon as the
actual world Is investigated in its laws
reckon Proodhon still belonging in part TO those
old ifterseurs and In this article will justify the seser
ton by some of his expressions.
France 10 him, in the declamatory apostrophe which
he males her In the conclusion Of his essay is the
land Of hbeItythe land In which the mind treer than
any where ese--ihe land which suffers for the world
On France In his view, depends the rejuvenaton and
union Of humanity the unity OF France to him 10 iden.
hcal with the unity of the human race the spirit OF
IL fA sntxf ot thah Yrna rarp
One Of Napoeons corporhls for whom the battles OF
Austerlz and Jena the sum total of human history,
might speak In this way and no one would wish 70 ds
tuTb him In his dream. Lcpsic and Waterloo VIII not
by this be struck Of human history the culture
and great achievements Of other nations be made to pass
for nothing
effect on any Enghshman, American, German, or Rus.
san-the English language. which rests is universal
dominion its eonquests in every region OF the world,
IL not seriously threaienedthe great mission Of cul
ture devolying the English Is not smitten with
barrenness-German research will not betake itself
70 repose because everything s done by frsnce-snd
the consequence of Russia for the future not set
sde because the progress OF humanity depends ON the
progress Of France.
II no natsn belonging to modern culture will be sf
fected by this defamation the einence nay the alb
sousey exclusive claims of the French people YET this
exaggerated phrase has personal untAess In relation
10 Proudhon 90 far as he wishes 10 point out the i'm.
porsnce OF the eokp dat for the whole world for the
present and for the future
He wishes 10 be investigstor-snd the great pro
bem and lsbor Of cultivated nations now 90 fully
In sight and have such degree the whole world and
the wholefu for ebectstha, he who holds his
nation for the only one and makes the whole future de-
pend on Il alone sanno, lay any claim to eomprchsn-
sive cultivation
But Gays Proudhon, the French world ought not IL
be judged by the apparent state Of It's developmen-h
hes not yet attained is majority.
The Egyptians according 10 Herodotus, called the
Greeks Children The Egyptians were not wholly in
the wrongfor II was the Romans that hrst evolved the
manly spirit in humanity.
Az Proudhon has said Of his countrymsn Greek
also might have replied 10 the objection OF the Egyp
uans SOnly wait II my nation has accomplished 80
much In its childhood, what VIII il not effect when it
reaches the vtrie age-whst will not the Greeks be
when they come 20 be menf But the Greeks remained
children Even the great results for humanity which
they brought to passive viii speak more guardeily
than the Egyptians-have come from their youth and
beyond the limits Of youth they able pass