Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-03-09
From the Correspondence of the N. Y. Tribun e
France Amnesty-The EN-.
press.

PARIS, Monday, Feb. I, 1853
The number of persons embraced in the late
measure of so,called amnesty amounts to 4,3l2
The list of their names fills forty columns Of
the double-sh Monit,ur issued Friday last
1t does not Contain the names Of the exiej
Generals, nor those of the members of the Ma.
tional Legislature, who were seized by armed
force and sent out of the country, not only
without form of trial, but without form of accu
sation, by arbitrary order of the Saviour of
France, the just and benevolent protector Of
law and order, and religion. In lauding the
goodness Of the imperial heart, displayed in
this act of pardon, the adu'ators of the reign .
ing power, make no mention of the fourteen
months of suffering which these four thousa nd
men and their families have endured, while
awaiting the Emperor's marriage. After Louis
Napoleon had utterly failed in his criminal at
tempt at Boulogne to introduce civil war into
a peaceful country and overthrow a regularly
constituted Government, and had barely failed
IN his attempt to shoot an unarmed government
officer who resisted him, he was allowed all
the advantages of formal trial-time to pre-
pare his defence, conformation of witnesses,
the assistance of the ablest legal counsel in the
realm, the privilege of speaking himself and
the advocacy before public opinion of certain
journalists. In the prison where he was con-
fined, he was allowed the attendance of ser.
wants, books, writing materials, and Within
reasonable limitations, the privilege of cores
ponding with his friends and with public jour
nails. None of these rights, and few Of these
favors have been granted to the victims of TIE
coup d'etat. Some of them have been treated
with Il severity that has destroyed their physi-
cal health. subjected not only to the baleful in
fuences Of a hot climate, bad food and worse
lodging, but TO the petty tyranny of their keep
ers. 1t is not strange, then, that in their long
ing TO revisit their ruined homes, these men,
broken in health and spirit, should have i'm
pored pardon in the prescribed terms of sub
mission. We have semi official authority for
saying that the pardons now so tardiIy granted
have been asked for on those conditions But
the self humiliation of the victims would not
alone have sufficed to move the generosity of
the Emperor. Even yet in France there exists
a sort Of mutilated public opinion, and that
opinion has been latterly growing more and
more articulate in its cry for mercy to the van
pushed. 1t was motive o:policy then that
induced their conquerer to insist, against the
advice of portion Of his ministers, on their
partial liberation. They will of course live on
their return home, under the eye and within
the clutch of vigilant police. There remain
twelve hundred prisoners and eXiles, who
must look to the coronation festivities for the
occasion of the commutation of their penalties
For their sake, let us hope that the late rumor
of this ceremony occurring in April instead of
May, is founded in truth. a number of par.
dons are said to have been accorded to non
political prisoners, at the request of the En-
press. This is quite probable; all sorts OF
means are employed to create a favorable feel
ing toward her, and the police are very active
though not successful, in their endeavors to
suppress the circulation of ISLANDERS on her
good fame. / know an instance where the
mistress of washing boat on the Seine, on a
hint from the police, openly forbid the wash
erwomen, on penalty of losing their places, to
talk on political subjects of any kind, and did
presently put on shore one of the sistcrhood,
whose indecent opinions Of the Empress invol-
UNFAIRLY oozed out of her. Caricatures repre-.
senting the Empress with cigar in her mouth,
and obscene notS and couplets, more disgrace.
ful to the utterers of them than to the object of
their illusions, are in circulation. On the
other hand, well intentioned Autographs, lear
ing a general resemblance to young brides,
young mothers, and young women at large,
as seen Oh wooden clocks and in the parlors
of country taverns, and cheap medals with
the effiges of the Empress, find ready sale.