Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1854-12-22

Claims was prepared, the Senate has passed,
with some amendments, a Bill reported by the
| Special Committee of which Mr.. Brodhead is
chairman. We have not yet examined the
| Bill, but will inform our readers as to its par
| ticular provisions at some future time.
-
| THE EMPIRE-THE WORD CONsTI-
TUITION ERAsED-LIBERAL wRI-
TERs-THE EXILES-THE CATHO-
Lie PARTY.
The acts following the first blow to legality
are always ascending back to their source.
The coup d'etat, though having virtually put
an end to the republic, had preserved its name.
The constitution of the 18th of January, 1850,
the work Of Louis Napoleon, was, as we have
seen, piece of complete absolutism. Still
there remained the name, which reminded men
of contract between two parties, and conse-,
quently of the existence of two parties, the
people on one side and the PrincePresident
on the other. But once the empire proclaim
ed, the last vestiges ofthe popular element we're
done away with. The legislative body alone
was still testifying its existence. 1t must be
remembered, however, that this existence was
only tested every six years, at the removal of
the members of this body, and that six years
of compulsory silence is almost equivalent to
death warrant to the principles of popular
sovereignty. The exercise of its power, rusted
by inaction, is no more dangerous and it soon
becomes plant to the will of its master.
In the proclamation of the empire, the word
| II Al.
consulta took its place. This was still an i'm
itation Of the empire. The senatus consaita
modified the constitution and made its enact
ments more stringent and stipulated the salary
of the emperor Listc cirile) and the dotation
of the crown, (dotation de la couronae.) 1t, at
the same time, instituted a dowry for the
imperatress, and handsome income for the
princes Of the imperial family. The Senatus
consultd Of the I'd of December, 1852, was Ger.
tainly better speculation, viewed in the light
Of private affair, than the constitution Of the
18th of January, 1852. The latter made Ma
poleon powerful, it is true, but the former gave
him fortune. This document was followed
by decree, should he have no heirs, making
his uncle, Jerome Napoleon Bonaparte, his
successor to the crown.
The elevation of Louis Napoleon to the en-
pire was not an act of much importance in
ITSELF but the contamination Of the act perpe
trated by the constitution Of the 18th Of Janu-
airy, 1852 1t did not affect public liberties
more than they we're already affected, but rem
dered the charges on the people still heavier
by making them contribute to the luxury and
extravagances attached to the retinue of nu-
merous family and prohigate courtiers. What
ever be the manner in which taxes are raised
directly or indirectly, by a fixed or floating
debt, does not matter. Under what disguise
OF pretext soever public charges accumulate,
whether under the shape Of imposts or loans
they are no less charges for that. When we
speak Of the 6nancies Of France we will see
what sort Of relief the government Of Louis Ma
poleon has introduced in the finances Of that
country.
The elevation of Louis Napoleon to the EN-
pire-though prepared by his friends long be-
forehand, and foreseen by his enemies as an
immediate consequence-was not, however,
without making certain impression in the
political world, especially upon foreign cabinets
There was also dumb protestation among
the enlightened men Of France Of all parties
aprotestation which manifested itself by several
works, the contents of which, either in one way
or another we're destined to recall 10 the French
the remembrance Of their lost liberties and the
right they had to make them respected. M.
De Montalembert, Legitimist and warm
advocate Of the French Catholic party, pub
lished, about that time, pamphlet, entitled
Des Interest Catalogues an XIX Siecte-the
Catholic interests in the XIX. century. In
these pages, stamped with the highest elo-
quence, M. De Montalembert, strove to prove
the strength Of the Catholic party, its re-
sources and the advantages il had gained
during the last ten years, and even at the
time Of the late general European revolu-
ton. But that part, very contestable, in
our opinion, would have had but little effect,
had he not demonstrated, at the end Of his
pamphlet the necessity for the clergy Of France
Of always siding with liberty, and Of steadily
and gradually educating the people under the
influence Of that spirit There are, in those
sheets, several passages written in quite a lib
eral mode and with the consciousness of the pro-