Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1858-03-24
A Retrospect.

Tuileries into the Place de Ia Concorde, and
after O few minutes there hustled out an old
gentleman with an attendant, who got into
tho cab, and drove TO the Arc de Triumphe,
through the Bots de Boulogne, into the coun-
try, no matter where. 1t was Mr.. William
Smith, the last of the series Of which Hugh
Capet was the first, and which in the course
of a thousand years comprehended the names
Of Charlemange, st. Louis, Francis l., Hen-
~ w., and Louis XIV. For considerably
more than half the period since the Christian
era, and for q third of the known history OF
the human race, the family of this old gen
tleman had ruled over one OF the greatest
nations in the world-ir some respects the
very greatest. Indeed, at various times, at
the interval of centuries, the nation and the
family had even aspirei to universal domln-
ion, aud, if not successful, were at least not
ridiculous. Ga this occasion, however, the
dynasty, the Thousand and odd years, the
Empire of the West, and q great deal more
masniticence, that it would take the ghost OF
Mr.. George Robins to describe and enume-
rate, had dwindlcd down to the person OF q
fussy old gentleman, without his accustomed
wig, apparently taking an airing In the Bois
de Boulogne. On any other day this would
have been the natural idea of any one who
CHANGED to witness the departure. On that
particular day, which was February 70,
1913, Paris was in O state which, though
certainly periodic, was lot quite usual
There was fighting in the streets, barrlcades,
cannon laundering away, martyrs" falling
by scores, and everything to make the place
unpleasant to quiet old gentlemen of domes-
tic habits, such as the one we have described.
MIR. William Smith, the last reigning son OF
St. Louis, and of the other illustrious per,
sonages mentioned above, came by easy
stages to the coast, "incoq" after q fashion
that IS, in that state of half-recOgnition
which consists in not recognizing that he
was recognized. Thence he crossed the
Channel to Newhaven, where he revealed
himself to the delighted landlord at that
railway packet station as Louis Philippe,
the King of the French, and entered freely
into conversation with him, and everybody
that CHANGED to fall in with him, on the say
age nature Of the population be had just
passed through and the singular incidents OF
his Journey. This was exactly ten years
ago to-day, and as seventeen years had clap
sed since tie last epoch of the kind many
people 10 this country seemed to think 1t q
very alarming state of things, and began to
tremble for France, not to say for their own
country. Indeed, as regards other nations,
these fears were more than realized. A sort
of epidemic ensued among Kings, p"alticu'
larly the representatives Of ancient dynas-
tics. Some atsconded; some signed consti'
buttons, abdications, charters and any bit OF
paper that was put into their hands; and
nearly all disgraced themselves sadly. 1t
was not till after a ~frightful amount Of fight
ing and ! series Of grislY executions taat
Kings once more felt easy On their thrones.
We all Of us know what France was to
have been long before the expiration of ten
years-tnat is, according as We listened to
this or that prophet. SO it is enough to say
that France has not spent the ten years IN
anarchy; she he's not expatrlated all her
priests and proprietors, or burnt all her pal
aces and churches. She has not poured her
armies ell over Europe, and helped Re
publicans or Marshals to pull down or build
up thrones. The contagion has not spread
into this country, and no Mrs. Smith has ia.
ken n passage to the United States, with an
attendant discovered afterwards to be a fash
ionable Duchess. Indeed, no very proml'
nent feature in the then existing order OF
things had passed away, except the particu'
lar family mentioned above, so far as re-
CARDS its position in France. We still have
Emperors, Kings, and all sorts of artificial
institutions. But, if institutions survive,
what has become of anticipations? Would
that we had more to say for human lore.
sight, and for the creative power OF political
wisdom and sagacity! Vulgar custom, the
coarse stream Of time, ingrained vice, inert
matter, senseless law of motion, antlquated
prejudice, and everything that can make one
feel little, have triumphed over the golden
dreams of poets aud philosophers. where
is that Republic which ~inaugurated Itself at
the Palace of the Legislature, and at that OF
the Luxembourg? Where are the illustri-
Gus members of that Council which rose
straight out of the warm heart OF a deliver
"a nation? Dead, banished, nOwhe7e~-eii,
save one. Yes, Lamartine, the Titan OF hat
storm, who tanned that chaos, and preached
to Europe out Of that whirlwind, Is now en-
ployej 10 editing cheap serials, not with uni
form success. The political results OF that
heroic struggle are the strongest aud most
rigid despotism 10 the world; a shadow OF a
Senate, a press without liberty, a splendid,
if not fashionable, Court, Paris halt rebuilt,
the Hotel de Vile opened to the Louvre, and
backed by q monster barrack; the Louvre
Joined to the Tuileries, and, we are sorry to
add, an average'of two attempts a year to
assassinate the Emperor, exciting a great
deal of indignation in the higher ranks OF
the army, but regarded with not SO much
concern as we should wish to observe on the
part of the people. That is the balance on
the ten years account. As far as we are
concerned, We possess in the re!GninS Soy,
ereign oc France Il much more Jealous and
honest ally that the above Mr.. W. Smith
ever was. So for we have no reason to re-
greet the change thai has como on France
since February %, 1913. ,
But who could have possibly anticipated
or imagined such an incident as tbat exactly
ten years after the Glorious Days OF February
a new Government would be taking office
10 this country out Of a French emergency,
the result of an attempt to assasslnate o
French Emperor Yet so it is. ct this mo,
ment, French liberty-we use the word, OF
course, in that conventional sense impaired
by political opinions-has taken up It's abode
in this country. In France 1t finds no rest
for the sole Of its foot. There the sons OF
freedom, whether Republicans, or the adml-
rers of a constitutional monarchy, or the adj
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