New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-04-13
SAPnIEONIC CRIlIE.

out the long series of his gigantic crimes in the
Der of bis romance last issued in HarPr for April re
turns from the grateful tax Of proving the perfdious
and unpalIia-od iorsy Spain a measure OF philan
tbropy and tie march TO Moscow set Of necessary
sef defense on the part OF his idol to the some what
delicate task Of convincing Republicans that the over
throw by violence OF Democratic institutions and their
replacement by an oriental Military Despotism was
likewise a very prsiseworthy and disn.erested per
Torrance IS usual-though he bases his work on the
assumption that the American mad has been poisoned
against Napoleon by the writings Of British authors
be quotes from these very authors his most plausible
apologies for the crimes wbch he is endeayorng TO
whitewash Tory Alison is his chief accomplice
this occasion, though Napier is ugsed in to display
some of bis honorable csn5or' IN the premises snd
Tory Walter Scott is gavey rebuked for hs assertion
of what one would suppose very Obvious truth 10 any
sort of Republican or even Liberal MOnarchist-
namely. that
AS the people of France had right 70 resign their
own liberties and those heir pOstery forever Bona
rae could not legally avail himself of their proiga and
impIuden nj cessiOn
Iftbisis not obvious truth how can any people whose
ignorant and bsrbarous ancestors may at some time
have invested leader or chief with absolute power
ever rgt;iuIy regain their liberties ave hold these
truths to be selfeyident," say Jefferson and our
Revolutionary sires, tha mankind are endowed by
their Creator with certain uRalieaajlc rights, and
Liberty among them. OF course, if these are unaien
able" then The People more give them away
than usurper can steal them. But let hear Ab
bot:
"Wss NAPOLEON usuTer II is in these pages not
merely afserted but proved beyond all controversy thai
Napoleon elected to both the consular and the imperial
throne by The almost unanimous suffrage of biz coun
trymen Whether wisely uDwisey, the French nation
chose the consular government and eced Napoleon az
First Consul Tie act OF daring by which Napoleon re-
stored his ensayed cnuntrynen the power choose
won their gratitude. France, in the exercise of its
cue STONED right decided that, in the peculiar crcum
stances in which placed. with all the desPots Of
Europe in arms against the republic with powerful party
Of Toy sts home and abroad doing everything IN their
power organize cOnspiracies and to bring back the
ROuhon and with Jscobin mob, cllmor us for pilnde
il was in vain TO attempt TO sustain republic And IS
bv no certain that this not the ws6s measure
which could then be adopted
This paragraph embodies the following assump-
tions:
l. That Napoleon was freely chosen Consul and
Emperor "by the almost III anmous suilrages Of his
"courtrymeD;'
9 That beside the steadiast Republicans or Jsco-
bin mot" & Jacobns, they always ncknamed by
BODspare there was 81 powerful party of rOyallSts
q" at home plotting to bring back the BourbOns
3. That Republic is naturally weak form of gov
ernment so that Nation perilously assaed or alarm
ngly nepoced by foreign powers may be obliged TO
sacrifice te internal freedom in order to preserve its
independence.
Now this Last as.urp ion is at with each true
Americans instructive cOnvctiOn-at war with His
tory-at war with the most glorious memories of
France. TIE coalition of despos which attacked and
Invaded her ~ almost "a formidable as that by
which ,he germs OF Napoleon yanquished in 1914;
set its legi,Ds were chased of her soil though they
had been so many sheep. Nation without head,
without credit, without finances an army without dis
cipline, without experienced generals without NUM-
tions hurled back the banded might of European des
potisn a. though IT had been chaf because that Ma
ton knew that it struggling for Liberty aud every
soldier in that Army was patriot consciously
fighting fer the Rights OF Man. Had Napoleon
IN IA been bat the chief general Of the French
Republic We do not believe all Europe could
have sent soldiers enough into France to van
quish him We koow how many brave Frenchmen
were at thar molderiDg to dust o. the sands
of Egypt the great plain Of Upper Italy ia the noun
tain passes of Spain, on the still ssngupe fields Of Ger
many, or beneath the SHOWS of Russia; yet We feel
that the French People fighting for Liberty. under Re-
publican Institutions and led by an able warrior cannot
be conquered on their own soil and since tie days of
Charles Martel, never could be. Only through usur-
patton aud despotism the triumph of the Allies
the return OF the BOurbons secured. How would our
Revolutionary Fathers have gone through their
Years struggle with an Emperor of America q. their
head
Leaving No. for the present TO answer No. !, we
proceed to give another slice of Abbott
That under these circumstances France should have
decided change of the form of government Is
strange. Sill il matters not whether France acted wisely
o. foolishly in making the change The act
else 81 her uadOrbted right To Napoleon Of
asHTPctoR, for his cooperation with his s0untTynen IN
that act, ID surely unjust
As mob q few hundred individual. can overrun
whole city, few resolate persons, holding the
rcins Of Government trampe upon whole nation. An
oveEwhel,c majority of the people Of France were op
posed 10 this anarchy - universal the desire for
the cons ulaT governn n that established, says Ali
son, riM Mir ancHinfy Napoleon wa paceI upon
- consular throne by three Hion eeren hpadrd and
votes But tceh kindred and sir tro votes were
cast in the negative Such ursnimty j. unVrecetent-d n
the history Of the world And vet for half century
Europe has asserted and many in America have recloed
the assertion that Napoleon ysurped the Coasula- throne
The change from the Consulate 20 the En1ife
act Of concession to mouarchicel Europe Aimiin. that
il wes very unwse change al that q question for
France 10 dccide, IA TIE exercise ~ her ORR Osafg
Ufkont asking tie permission o. j0reiRcrs This change
not forced upon reluctant people oy tyralt whJ
raDpng upon their liberties IL was the free act OF
the French nation. And who Will say that the French
nation lad not right 10 make this change l. may have
been very mpOliic act IL may have eXceeliagy
gratifying 10 the ambition of Napoleon still Il was ones
ion for France TO decide. The French people thought
that tie substitution Of mOnar hca would
them better 10 sustain the principles Of popular eqgay
against the hostility Of the surrounding kings.
An American who judges only by American stand
er1s 4 -.