The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-09-07
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 7 1854

Safeguarding ambition. The Spanish mar
riages spattered the legitimacy of 1880 with
| the mire Of European Reproduction its i'll ad
vised refusal of legitimate reform, demanded az
means of purging it of political corruption
damned it in popular opinion. Against foreign
contempt and national dislike, it could moi
possibly stand. A pretext to abolish it, as it,
predecessor had been abolished, was not want
ing The crisis came; the legitimacy of 1880
born of political bastardy took to flight, with
carpet-bag in its hand, and sought refuge
under an assumed name, in neighborine
kingdom, which might not inaptly be termed
the refuge for destitute monarchs.
And now, what was the country, which sud
denly found itself dubbed republican, to do ?
The old and the bastard legitimaeies were out
suggested by some, under the new title of a
Fusion. How could it fall back upon republi-
canism without remembering the reign of ter
TOR and the directory The sapguinary remi-
niscences of the former had recently been
brought homo to all, by the events of June,
when the modern teTrorists assembled in the
streets to fight against the Republic, as the
sections had done against the Convention. The
victory, in each case had remained on the side
of the military power; but military dictature,
with Paris and the principal cities of France
in state of siege, and the public press gagged
and imprisoned, was not Republic. Besides,
who should be promoted to occupy the chief
place in the State, on the expiration of the
Presidential term of four years, as fixed by the
Constitution Clearly, neither a republican
leader, nor one of either of the other factions !
The recent elections had proved that the sym
pathies of tho country were in another direc-
ton. Who, then, could the nation look up to,
but to the man who had secured the largest
number of votes And what did he represent?
An idea! He was the embodiment of the le-
gitimacy which had been established by the
three million five hundred and seventy-seven
thousand eight hundred and eighty-fve votes,
less enc, of 1s04-of the legitimacy which had
rescued France from anarchy-of the legiti-
macy which had found its way to the heart of
the nation by its heroic deeds and its magnif-
cent glory-of the legitimacy which had con-
quered Europe overturned monarohs, created
kings of its own, and seen other kings crouch at
its feet-of the legitimacy which had vanquish-
ed coalition after coalition, raised to beat it
down-of the legitimacy which had at length
succumbed to treachery, not less than to mis-
fortune which, being held prisoner in Elba,
had burst its bonds, re-entered France q con-
queror, and resumed possession of its throne
the legitimacy which had suffered Waterloo
and the agony of St Helena; but which, though
dead to the world, had since lived strong life
in the heart of the nation. This was the legiti-
macy of which it now again asserted the su-
premacy-a legitimacy of its own, sprung from
itself; and endowed with the vitality of popular
affection.
And this, too was the great fact which the
ballo.-box of 1913 revealed and it was against
this fact that the political leaders of the day
conspired, in spite of their full knowledge that
the nation was against them. Conscious of
this circumstance, of the intentions of his oppo-
pie, was it marvellous that he should also con-
spire, to give substance to the day-dreams of
life, and to re-establish, on the ruins of the
legitimacies by divine right and of the barri-
cades, the legitimacy born of universal suf.
frage?