New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-03-12

whether rightfally or not, it is painful, even 70
the worldly, to rake up its cold ashes.
Nevertheless though We will not dwell upon
the truth, we must not disguiseit. The fact is
certain we have foregone our custom Of de-
yotion - we have lost our former ardent love
of European freedom. And why Whence
this apathy, half scornful and wholly distrust
full, where but lately We were so eagerly ex-
cited-where We felt it not enough for US to be
readers of the news or gazers on the drama,
but would fam. forsaking awhile our selfish cal.
culations for the instincts of truly generous
fire. have been partakers Of the danger, willing
workers for the right, fighting men for the sake
of free manhood, faithful and stern warriors on
the field of that most holy warfare. Had we mis-
taken the causel When we weighed it more
deliberately did we find il wanting Wasthere
no righteousness in the RevOutiOnl Was the
European press after all fairly free-was public
opinion felt and realiZed-were the many erect
before the few Were rulers earnest rather
TO recommend their rule by Truth, Justice and
Forbearance' than 10 force il on their people
with billeted soldiers; 10 blaze il among them
with musketry, 10 thrust il through them with
swords and bayOnetsl Was that, the truth OF
our popular belief, but deusiou' Alas No
The assurance would be welcome, but il is i'm
possible.
Wherever the Revolution broke ont il had
been preceded, and we may truly sayprepared,
by oppressOn-more or less grinding-but still
oppression. OF all those countries, France was
the most favored seemingly at least She had
the show Of liberal ingttutionss Constitutional Gov
ernmenf together with religious liberty, and press
free enough t. help forward powerfully It's own aud Of
course all other Freedom But in spite of this fair out
sde all within nth aud rottenness In their repre-
sentative system about man IN hundred had the
night Of suTsee-the other 90, including of course al
the working people were OF no account whateyer-dLs
franchised, degraded politically annulled. But the
masses are slow 10 assert their abstract ghfs This
pryaton might have been borne for awhile patiently;
but the negative wrong followed, Il almost al
ways H. By ts positive offspring The course Of national
policy shut from III natural channel into tue cOse pools
Of privilege segnaied into cOrrupton-end never
did corruption teen with shapes more noisOme OF more
gToyelng. Ii organised pilage under political
preteises. Voters were few and places many. There
something for every one OF them, II he only took
the paying eide. The Franchise became mere scoop
for The plumber OF the nation, and shrewdy nleed
IT scoOped out. The people, however soon found inst
these vernn, though few for voter. too mny
for bloodsuckers They would Gin have swamped them
by something Ikea rational suffrage such would have
ranged beyond the reach Of bribery They ie ashamed
find France longer French, but Jeish-la France
Juive-in the phrase Of OF their first statesmen.
people Of plscehuntsrs (Solliciteurs) Il sigmst
lied by another. Against these sickenng and demoral
izIng shGmcs they prUtcstcf-awhle peaceiuly-then
struggled against them strongly. sternly ihreateningy
at last the cup il uls few drops precpitate the
| overflow The Meme and Teke written on the Pal
ace wall The King. the Court; the Ministers start up
and see that destruction h upon them They scream
out In the agony Of their
tion-Surrender Tbs too laie The food rses still Il
heeds their cries only 20 them utterly IL
has risen their highest heads II sweeps away
King Courtiers, Council and ell, with the whole mud
castle OF Constitutional corruption into the abyhs OF
such was the Government of France-such ia
overthrow and yet France had been happy coinparn-
tivelyor OF all those countries where IN the year 1913
Revolution overturned the established rulers the one
which had felt their yoke the least gangy France
| we viii not except Tuscany. The despotism
there preyas indeed OF the smoothest aud soite
kind and il Tyranny like the old sorceress Gree could
coprlee it's magic circle, and turn its sube into
ewine they might have lived contentedy enough under
their Tuscan ruler. Such government would suit
swine very WELL but 1t had not freedom enough for the
DEVELOPMENT even of children, far less OF men. The
Priest everywhere and the Press was nowhere; or
worse than that for with the press even nuly
better than privileged seryty. So much for the most
favored countries" On the others, OF Austria Prussia,
the German and Italian States, rather than speak my
opinion | would leave the reader 10 his own. man
accustomed to free air feels himself II were sthed
in the low dark sickening dungconlke precincts Of
such iuqusiton Besides, at the sight OF such deep
human debasement human dignity SUPPRESS her feel
words. We see, but may be silent. We
would say of them Danes guide said OF some others,
utterly degraded wretches,
"speai not but having s'apced at them ps.s o."
But after all however may deplore the facts, where,
IL will be asked, the fault Bad as the old kngy
rule might be- the new, the popular one, still
worse. How otherwise we account for It's sudden
overthrow Ave, indeed thst is the vital question.
IL implies much more than can be met by short
statement but must not, and for freedom OF truths
sake will not leave II unanswered For never were
Truth and Freedom foully malgned than by the
writer's aud other apoogts Of the reaction against tnat
same nopuar rule And first then. Were the Democratic
Governments OF France, Italy, and Germany, bad In
themselyesa In az 49, the two eyentful years, was
living in those countries. spoke their languages read
iy converted with all parties freely, and endeav-
cured TO make up my mind conscientiously from the
earliest data and fesTlessy assert that these democ-
racies were bad, they were bad, mainly il not only,
from the Of their generosity and rustfuness.
They had their rulers at their feet They raised thsm
up and restored them 10 their high places only be
trodden down themselves and trampled by them from
the vantage ground. They returned 10 them their !
swords and stabbed by them 10 the heart the FIRST
uneuaided moment Thus they received their pledges,
listened their proestations took them their word
believed, in short, that they dealing with men.
and found out too late that they had dealt with mon
srchs - with that kind of eresture- whose trade
il to dispense honor TO others and TO dispense with
for themselves This, then was the very head of the
Democratic delinquency. The wa.hy, diuent weakness
that remes,ed their strong basis DESTROYED
their cohesive force and insured their downfall In.
happy wat thet me healthy soul OF democracy should
have been lodged in such sickly body-in the feeble
mbs the bloodess heart and the brsnless head of the
democratic leaders say bloodless and brsinless Tor
in such crisis all other qualities of the heart and head
ste nothing without energy; and energy IL was that
those leaders sadly wanted Not indeed uniyer.aly
kossnth IN Hungary, and some others in Italy; few
even In France stand out ike night from their un
manly feows But Of the IL is too txue-they were
verrustiu overconpiant, oyermerciful; | viii not
say over generous. for generosity implies energy and
this no one claims for them Their weakness then
justified their downfall; their downfall mean
not that Of their unhappily and unworth
n.y. the two were bound up and dragged down
together. They have been charged with other
erime-blocd th,r-tiness rspacity, sheism-for cal
unny 10 the creatures Of despotism u chesp
and sometimes useful. The ink Of an eusayed press
may blscken for awhile badly OF thess charges, how.
ever, they have easily enough cleared themselves but
of one crime that OF weakness they stand convicted