The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-01-04

Prospects OF an Opposition In France.
The article from the Courier de Paris, which
is published elsewhere, is the famous article
ascIbed to M. de Girardin, which has been un-
derstood in the salons of Paris as the continua-
ton of the crusade begun in the Pycsse. Il
will be remembered that the article of the
Presse, which we translated yesterday, was
vague, loose, and revolutionary in tone. K
talked generally about rising of republicans
to achieve some underlined purpose; but what
this purpose was or by what method it was 70
be achieved, not a word WAS said. The infer
ence of course was that the aim in view was
the destruction of the government and the
means a popular revolution. Hence the EN-
peror, in strict accordance with his well knows
policy, suppressed the paper for two months
The Courier is evidently in the hands Of
older men, None of the vague generality and
ardent precipitation which marked the opinions
Of Mons. Peyrat and his colleagues can be de-
tected in the article given elsewhere, and -
which, no doubt with good reason, the name q
Emile de Girardin has been attached It looks
straight and boldly to the organization Of .
constitutional opposition to the government in
the Legislative Chamber, with q view to hold
the government in check and to secure for the
French that practical enjoyment of liberty which,
under the Napoleonic theory, the empire is Of
all governments the best calculated to secure.
Care is taken to disavow all desire for revols-
ton. Elaborate distinctions are drawn between
the proposed new party and all the existing
old ones. All the old parties, says the article,
are based on the assumption that liberty and the
empire are incompatible: our theory is precisely
the reverse; and therefore we call for now
party to aid the the government in working out
the Imperial regime to best advantage. All
governments are benefited by an opposition:
why ours less than others? Such are, in brief
the ideas carefully expressed, under cover
of much special pleading in the article under
review.
Two points will suggest themselves for cor
sideration. In the first place, every attempt
which the French have ever made to get up
constitutional opposition has been failure
The opposition to the ministries of Charles
Tenth and Louis Philippe were futile until they
became dangerous, and then they were merged
in anti-cOnstitutional and revolutionary fac
tons All the benefit which constitutional
governments derive from a lawful opposition,
working practically in concert, though nomi-
nally in antagonism to the administration of the
day, is unknown to the French statesmen. N.
de Girardin himself promised at one time to be
one of the most able parliamentary leaders Of
France; but he too fell short at last, and
found no place in the chaos of parties
which preceded the last revolution. Those
peculiar elements which form the b.
sis of parliamentary characterize power
to submit patiently to defeat, and still to
labor in the old track; the capacity of aiding
in work without being at the head of it; the
GOODNESS and fortitude which enable politicians
in constitutional countries to endure abuse and
every kind of ill treatment and still to carry on
their daily work: these qualities have hitherto
failed to appear in the French character. They
may be there, of course; but they have not come
out.
The more, however, the position of French
politics is studied, the more conspicuous does
the advantage seem which the Emperor could
reap from seconding the aspirations of the
writer in the Presse and his friends, and which.
according to the news by the Niagara,
he appears disposed to adopt. Experience
teaches that you can no more shut up alto
gether the mouths and hearts of an ardent and
intelligent nation like the French than you can
seal up permanently a boiler full Of steam.
There must be an explosion ifsome valve be not
opened. Now, what safety-valve so convenient
as this constitutional opposition in the Legisla-
tive Chamber could possibly be devised! Start
ing from his present stand point, the Emperor
could regulate the speeches of members and the
license of reporters and commentators in the
press with perfect ease that which was really
dangerous might be suppressed; for the rest,
the opposition deputies might be left to blow
off their superfuous steam in wordy assaults ON
the Emperor's ministers, it being understood
that the dynasty was beyond the reach Of as-
sault. Really, as the Courier says the scheme
is perfectly feasible, and commends itself
to the Empcror's mind-the proposed amnesty
on New Years day will show to what extent.
1t may be the means of saving his dynasty
when he is gone.