New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1855-11-30
THE EUROPEAN MEPRlS rOPHELES

Translated for The Tribune from The Beli'le Lstuns
or no bstor cal oh ac'er of mcderH time have such
variou. opinions been expressed and such manitoba
comparisons been made as OF the man VINO has run
tie long and terrible gauntlet from poverty to the
Tuileries When NJ. de Cessna, the Editor OF La
potr,, exclaimed on the morning after the Coup Etst
of 1851: Caesar may sleep quietly beneath the dome
"of the Inva.ides for Augustus holds with strong
"bsnd the rein of his empie," he threS out q COM
parson which the people quickly took up, and when
is indeed not without foundation Like that OF Angus
tus who took bis popularity on credit from bis uncle,
the msjesty of the little Napoleon stands upon
another glory. 1t is not his own desert; 1t Dor
rowed spiepdor. And indeed in character certain
similarity cannot be- denied TO exist between Augustus
Ceesr snd Louis Napoleon. The sly, heartess, cold,
calculating intriguing Augustus who sacrificed bis
friends to prescription, who had completely ruined
himself by debaucheries in his youth, and to whom
every means of attaining end was acceptable, has
certainly points of similarity with the hero OF
the cd of December. Not until he was old did
Augustus become cement, and In this respect
Mr.. Napoleon will probably carry out the
plagiarism TO the end. 90 the whole, in Louis
Napoleon certain Mephisiopheean element cannot
be overlooked. His very appearence-the dead, cold
face with the great mustsche, which hides every
smile az did the Duke of Albss--this face, which Is
at most now and then moved by malicious compress
zion OF the lips, gives Mr.. Bonapsrte right to the
name Ct Mephistophees, which he has earned by his
conduct toward BIZ, enemies, ard his fiends-the En-
elsh afistocracy A man who for years and years has
allowed himself 10 be treated q moon calf, % an
iraJtcih-who during Cabinet Councils draws figures
of horses and men on the documents and then af.er
all carries out his own villa man who adopts any
and every means, even the most abhorreut, when II
leads him TO bis object-an actor who plays his part
so T. oroughly-may well be represented as the prnci
pie of evil When after the Coup fEtat t,e so-caled
Parliamentary Generals were taken TO the prison At
Ham. Mephistc pheles Napoleon took care that Bully
Chsr GARNER should be boted into the Same cell that
Louis Napoleon had occupied years before. His mar
rage with Sehorits Moptio, his bitter remarks
in relation to the pas. connection Of French Empe ror
with prncesses and regning houses, the cold bl,sded
revenge which he took on the Orleans family, and
above ell, his conduct toward England, show parey
Mephistc pheIesn nature. That sristocracy which
wosld not endure the bankrupt ioafer, Louis Nspo
leon Borapsrte in their palos, are nov too happy TO
swell the train of the fortunate adventurer The viz
tuous Queen whose sristocratic tastes are known
throughout al Europe is compelled TO submit TO the
kisses of notorious roue, who wherever ne lived
in exile had the reputation Of being by no means
f.stidious in bis associations. Surely there ia grand
rotribution in the late performances, in which Louis
Napoleon allowed the English sristocrscy, nay, even
the Queen hersef TO figure as decoi atoms. We viii
not now point cut the Mephistopheesn service which
be has dore his dear allies In the Crinea by exposing
their military weakness, especially the poweressness
of EDgIs1d 1t must often appear as though he had
the intention of reducing them to dependence. Add
to thai the cold blooded barbsty which he ever man.
fests tow ard al real republicans over WHOM he can in
any way bring his power to bear, and in Louis Nspo
leon ore csnpo: fail to recognize European hephis
topbeles. Louis Napoleon is he principle which, de-
nyrg The past sits like mountain upon the freedom
o. Europe.
We would wish xcphistopheles to the devil, If be
were not the devi himself will therefore merely
wish that be may soon return to his own home