New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-05-12
A LESSON To ROYALTIES.


According TO German proverb, when a
'mishap occurs il may turn TO good" 80 is it
with the visit to London of the unguillotined
Louis Bonaparte. This farcical spectacle en-
forces after all grave historical lesson.
Royslty. aristocracy, and all the like leprous
tails of the past which for nearly century
have deseryedly been dragged in the mire on
the Continent of Europe. have maintained them
selves in England in an inaccessible retreat.
England seemed proud of her medieval stsgna-
ton, so admired by Continental Royalties.
With naughty satisfaction she pointed to the
dust of ages on her royal purple, and her Sow
ereigns never deigned TO associate with parve-
nues. All at once these Shams have disappeared
under the touch of most contemplate new
conner. England lies PROSTATE before him. For
whole days she uplifted on her royal escutcheon
the bloody miscreant, whose ofenses known to
the world as murder, perjury and robbery, ac-
cording to the English common law would in
e,itably have been e1piated by punishment on
the gallows. In this she has shown the intrln-
sic value of royalty. What true man can hence
forward be pleased or honored by shaking hands
with the residents of Buckingham or ~. James
Palacel No more ii behooyes her clergy to
preach 10 the masses on the moral purity and
elevation of the Amounted; these now see that
nfamy coalesces readily with monarch. 1t is
well that it is SO; well that royalty loses the
spurious aureola which still dazzled the sight
of the masses, and prevented them from pene-
tratng its real character. The people, on their
second sober thought, will discover the con-
taninaton of the French Usurper. Victoria
busting the rooms for the reception of Eugene,
with whom Guelph or Coburg would hardly
have united by left-handed morganatic-mar-
riage, well illustrates the fimsiness OF these
shams, the pride oflegitimacy, and the stainless
ness of royal honor
We do not dwell on the brilliant display of
snobism shown by the Londoners, beginning
with princes and dukes and going down to the
yilest ragamuffns from Blgrayia down to the
Tower-hamlets-as well AS by other cities send
ing dutful addresses to the Bonaparte. This
WAS somehow matter of course. The great
fact is that this blood-staned cartouche has
brought the British monarchy to his level. He
has polluted il and dragged it in the mud.
Frenchmen may forgive him something accord
ingly. Pressing his heel on the neck of England,
making her blush for the day of Waterloo, and
piteously screening its glores and recollections,
be has avenged his uncle He has Inundated En-
gland more than by gaining battles over her.
His quiet landing aud taking possession OF
London amid storm of snobbsh applause
is deeper wound than would have been
inflicted half a century ago BY the sue
cessful Boulogne Expedition contemplated
by the original Napoleon. Whatever may
be the commentaries and sophisms put for
ward by the English journals to give certain
elevated tone to this visit and reception, 1t Is
not the result of a generous impulse or the sim
cere recognition of popular sovereignty persona
fed in this small Napoleon by the choice ola whole
people The English did all this through the
sentiment of iear-through a consciousness OF
prostration England knows well that the utter
destruction of the life of free people-the
Liberty of the Press-tOgether with intimi-
dation, corruption and bayonets-gaye the mill
ions of votes to the usurper. Englishmen, on
this occasion proud to be called gentlemen,
well know that Louis Bonaparte is not of
their order. But her governing classes at
least, if not her people, feel that she is
at the mercy of this daring and unprincipled
schemer; and that they must conciiate his
favor. To man of genius no such ovation
would have been profered. Shakspere was
yagrant by act of Parliament; Dr. johnson
wanted dinner; and the highest honor over
rendered by royalty to an Arkwright or Stevenson
was a greasy knighthood, which the latter
spurned. But to this red-mouthed, red handed
villain she gives her dearest decoration-the
garter. In this fierce irony read stupen-
dous lesson-to the present as well to the future.
Not only in his own person does Bonaparte de-
base royalty but in that Of others. The
proudest from among the brotherhood bend be-
fore him in the hitherto uncontaminated halls Of
Windsor Castle. scorners Of genius, they wor-
ship jail-bird