Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1853-02-16
From the London Times
France--Troubles of am Emperor.

power ana felicity, than lew lncidents socCufIeuI
to remind him that he@is mortal, and that in all
human greatness some alloy of our original IN |
frmities will work its way. The Senate, hither-
TO SO obsequious, manifests strange disinclina-
ton vote away the last vestige of Parliamenta-
ry control over the expenditure and the CONNER
ciaI legislation Of the country. The Northern
Powers unaccountably show none of the eager
ness to hail the advent Of new Caesar which had
been attributed to them The Pope greatly hesi-
tates to repair 70 Paris for the ceremony of the
coronation. The matrimonial project which had
gone SO far that portrait of the Princess Wasa
was shown to the confidential circle of ST. Cloud,
and the ladies of her household were already des-
ignated,-i suddenly demolished by the announce
ment that this accomplished Princess has resolved
to bestow her hand on Prince Albert of Saxony,
and is net tempted by the lure Of an Imperial
crown 10 add another victim to that list which al
ready bears thegnames of Marie Antoinette, Jose
phine, Marie Louise, Marie Amelie, and the
Duchess of Orleans. But while we respect the
good sense which has induced the Princess Wasa
to foregos these treacherous honors; her refusal
has, of course, touched the vanity of ruler who
occupies SO conspicuous position in the present
state Of Europe. 1t is always unpleasant to4be
areected suitor, but it is doubly painful to be re-
jected in the face of the world, and in spite of ad
yentitious circumstances which might be supposed
to gid the Imperial offer.
Nor is the internal state of the Palace, in its
councils and its domestic relations, on a more
agreeable footing. The Emperor is said to have
proposed to the Princess Matilda, his cousin. an
Ill n Of fln
Gently granted to the Imperial family by the State;
but this income was to be secured to her on eondi-
ton Of her renouncing the allowance she obtains
Russia by the express will of the Emperor Nicho-
las, who compels her husband, Prince Demidof,
toSpay it to her. The Princess declines, thinking
that after all, her Russian settlements are bet
ter species of property than French annuity,
even when it is securedupon the Imperial Crown.
The personal jealousies and division of the Min
listers most nearly attached to the persons of Lou
is Napoleon have assumed character of unusual
violence. M. Persigny and M. Fould are said to
have exchanged direct and insulting proyocations
in the very presence of the Sovereign, The fl
nancier was accused Of running the Empire-the
conidant of disgraceing it; this alteration was
carried beyond the limits, not only of policy and
respect but of decency and goodstaste. Perhaps
itwas consciousness of the extreme incapacity
of several Of his present Ministers, and of their
entire wantof consideration in the country which
induced Loiiis Napoleon to resort a few days ago
tosthe singular and almost Incredible expedienti
of opening negotiations with somelof the most
rigid members of the Republican party.
The interview which took place was not, as was
reported at the time, with M. Carnot, the re-
nowned author of the circulars in favor of electo-
raj Ignorance, which he issued from the Depart.
mentsof Republic instruction in 1913, but with
M Bethmont, who also held seat M. .,de Lamar
tines Provisional Government. Tothe astonish-
ment of this gentleman he was summoned to the
Tuilleries, and honored with an audience. Louis
Napoleon did not disguise his want of able agents,
or the hostilitysof all the statesman who had be-
longed to the monarchial government anterior to
164S. He. expressed his readiness to treat on al
most any terms with the men who had served the
Republic, observing that they must now be aware
that no Government but his own was possible
N. M.aBethmont was authorized to communicate what
had passed to his friends, including even, we be-
lieve, Gen. &C. Gavaignac. 1t is unnecessary to add
that theresult was aacolleetive and indignant re-
fusai, for there is still not man of independent
poliicalopinions in France who would not esteem
it, adishonor to assume the livery of the Imperial
Court. A zf7s
The resistance of the Senate to the proposal
for.modifying the Constitution is still more sig
nifcant symptom, for although the members of
that body have been chosen for their supposed at
tachment to the present order of things, they are
independent by position, they are irremovable, and
they comprise certain number of men who have
figured in the Assemblies of the Constitutional
Monarchy. Allthe efforts of M. Troplong, who
had just been rewarded by the highest Judicial of
fee in the Empire, were for many days unaVailng
to slHmount the repugnance of the Senators to
the scheme for giving the Emperor absolute pow
er over the protective system of France, and to
that for Withdrawing the details of the budget from
the Lower Chamber. At one moment it seemed
as if the idea of coap d'etat against the Senate
crossed the mind of s'the irritated Ruler At
length, however, a compromise was effected, leav-i
ing all substantial power in his hands, but warn
ing him at the same time that the Senate will not
always prove as mute and as flexible as he intend
ed to make it,.
aItwould be hard if despotic power were never
used for any good purpose, and there are no doubt
objects to which it can be applied with more eff
feet than the machinery of free government
Thus it has always proved in France task of in
surmountable difficulty to confront and overpower
those class interests which have perpetuated COM
merciaI Imonopoes and restrictive duties to an ex-
tent now unknownin in any other part of the world.
The power which Louis Napoleon is likely to ac-
quire over the commercial tariffs of France, will