The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-07-13

It sounds strange to American ears to read that
fifty mioD Of irAAcs have been spent, within three
p,ice OF gasd for the poor OF Paris. In community
like this where the State considers that the best
thing it do for the citizen Is to leave him, un
aided to the stimulating effects OF private compe-
tiiion, il l. difficult 20 comprehend condition
of things such as exists in France, where all
classes ayowedly look TO the State for assistance
in difficulty, where laws favor particular inter
ests, and where the State itself traflics IN mo-
nopolies code Of political economy, II Is appa
rent, which would suit one country, would not
work 80 tremendously In the other. OF all
sciences, the science OF government IL the least
abstract and the least capable, therefore, Of being
conducted according to uniform abstrac. rules
question in social or political lite is very diff
feient from q question in mathematics. We can
say that twice two make -four, because we know
the rule TO he both universal and immutable, but
we cannot say that o law O policy which works
well in one country will work well in another, for
men are not arthmetical integers, totally void OF
feeling, distractions but creatures OF impulse
and prejudice, who oppose always negative, II not
a positive resistance to institutions which they DO
not like.
Ii Is not logical. therefore, to condemn the
French government for spending fifty millions TO
keep down the price OF bread, at least not logi-
the governments Of Great Britain and the United
States for q similar policy. Moreover, the act, COM
prehensivey regarded, was temporary poor law,
differing In form, we grant, from the poor
laws Of this nation, but substantially poor
law, because 1t sought 10 relieve persons in
want and sought 10 relieve them at the expense Of
the State In one respect in fact, ii had an advan
tage over the poor laws Of England aud America,
for it recognized grade Of destituton short OF alb
solute beggary, and indeed sought, with q wisdom
superior 70 our almshouse system, 20 avert pro-
fessional mendicancy, by keeping up habits OF indie
pendence and industry on the part OF the laboring
poor. For il II a very different thing In practice
whatever it seem in theory for man TO feel that
he buys his bread himself, even at reduced price,
and 10 feel that II 10 given TO him a. beggar Be
sides, In France there ~ no poor house system, as
there Ia here. We do not know on the whole, but
that the poor laws Of England and America go fur
ther in recognizing the much controyerted right Of
man 70 a living at the expense OF the state, II II
can be had no other way, than this bread law OF
Louis Napoleon. Certainly they go quite as far.
Viewed from different point, that Is, az a ques-
tion not Of charity but OF state policy, this much
censmred law was even more defensible- Every re
volution which has conyulsed France has had its
origin in Paris. Every instruction In Paris has
sprung from the suferings Of the working people in
times Of famine. A short crop IN France has always
been precursor Of agitations among the operatives,
II not OF barbados fusillades revolution, massa-
ere. Each one of these disturbances has cost the
State large sums, and the citizens OF Paris even
larger for they have not only diminished the reve-
nue., but.proetrated trade and confidence To avert
the recurrence Of such disaster in period OF
hieb prices by anything short Of a fragrant wrong,
IL clearly sound policy The adopted by Louis
Napoleon did ehectually avert such crisis IL is
indeed, TO be regretted when the social and polit
cal life OF nation ~ constructed on such false prn
cipes to render such remedy necessary but, as
ma,hematicians say, given the condition and what
other result could followG Or rather how else could
the end required be brought about 30 peaceaely or
even 30 economically II Is an easy thing for Bri.
tish and American Journalists, being under compa
ratively happy and harmonious institutions, TO pro-
nounce or cafhedJd against some OF the pecuarites
Of French political and economical life but proba
bly,, IL thoee same editors had been brought up In
r. ulx~x.
France they would make a worse job Of II than even
Lamartine OF Ledru Rollin, much less Louis Napo
leon. They would do siIlier things In short, than
ordaiD bread laws Philadelphia Ledger, july IL.