The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-03-07

JHE EpERoR's SPEEcH.-We pubhshe1 yes-
terasy the speech Of the Emperor Na1oleon on
the pening Of the French ChamberA II more
close resembles the message Of an American
President than the royal speech OF British sove-
reign. But the resemblance is lost when we look
for figures, details and exact statements; the
French prefer rhetoric to these dry matters, and
the Emperor serves them according to their
taste.
Judged specifically, the address indicates q
prosperous age, serene prospect, tranquil and
confident sovereign. Examined closely, it tells
of ruin staring France in the faee, and Of the En-
peror seeing it coming from afar.
Civilizations Victories" says the Emperor,
ARE not gained without sacrifices or without vic
TINS He means himself when he says "civilza-
tion;n the sacrifices and the victims" are the
stockholders of the Credit Mobilier, and the mer-
antile classes in France, who have been crippled
the stranguIy of the Bank of France. 1t is
Lot quite clear that the Emperor has right to
set himself up as the embodiment Of civiliz alton.
True, France has been prosperous, to the naked
eye since the establishment of the Empire; but
that appearance of prosperity has been due far
less to the increased stability impaired to business
by the strength Of the government, than to the i'm
mense impulsion which business has received from
the fabulous expansion of public and private
credit; the Empire is, at the present moment, &C
tually bloated with fictitious health. Such con-
vilization" in this country of ours though we
are not particular about exact terms either.
In another sense the phrase used by the EN-
peror is strictly correct. The expansion Of pri-
vate and public credit has stimulated works and
enterprises which, in queter state of the public
pulse, would never have been undertaken when
ii eliminates, as it must do, in crash; these
works and the fruits Of these enterprises-the
'conquests of civilization remain, but the
individuals Immediately concerned will be {" sac
Iifces and victims We concur with the EN-
peror in considering that in the long run coun-
tIy is gamer by such flows and GIBBS as this:
Just as we believe that our railroad system is OF
infinite advantage to this country, though it is
plain that all, or very nearly all the original
stockholders in the companies must lose every
thing. But Napoleon seems to have forgotten
that he is himself in the very foremost rank Of
the host marked out as victims and sacrifices"
When the crash comes in France, and the Credit
Mohlier breaks (that of Austria is trembling 10
the wind), it will need great luck on the part OF
the Emperor not to break too
For the rest, the principle which runs through
the whole of the Imperial speech-the idea that
the government is and ought to be the tutor,
teacher father, guardian, and dry-nurse to the
nation is so repulsive to our democratic ideas on
this side the water that criticism Of details is out
OF the question. Perhaps the very best criticism
on the state of France at the present day is the
delight expressed by the French journals at the
literary cxcellencis Of the speech. OF the matter
they seem TO think nothing; but the style, they
say, is sweet.