The Washington union., 1858-03-20
10 The Editor of the Nec Fork Times :

|
Whoever has read however cursorily the history of
France especially if he has studied the Anci Rfgme by
M Alexis de Tocqucveone OF her wisest teachers and
the best of have failed to perceive that the
Of revolutions in that country began at period far
earlier than 1882 nid that when the present Emperor
ostentatiolsy announced he had close that er
either his sincerity extremely questionable his dis
cernmcnt sadly at fault The French nation
standing still than other nations towards the end
of the last century discovered, nstncvey or by aid OF
external pressure. whether royal aristocratic, mun-
cpa that IL sick ut heart, aud that its extremies
becoming numb The people felt that their mala-
dy the increase, Notwithstanding they had long
been turning themselves about almost to the point of what
at length become revolution. In 1882 when the time
had been fully accomplished the surface of France hcaved
and the first eruption declared itself But bounless
the task presented that only partial cure out
Of this exhibition Of peccant humors Muscle
and nerve moral and mental force relaxed at last for
they Of mortal mould, and Napoleon the first of
that name, to salve with glory the still exudng
The Restoration furnished occasion for the reopen
ing OF that sore and Louis Phppe's lot it play
the medicner lie proved TO be quack and the convu
sion which flung him into royal being hardly escaped the
ignomny Of total failure but to superficial observers
the outbreak in 1S4S to be the all and the end
all Men of that epoch filled each his part according
their means but admirable many of the labor
who put their culders to the wheel few of them
coprehencd either the depth and nature of the soil
be wrought or the instruments they to Their
course They had done their little ALL and
had broken down. long before Louis Napoleon alto
gether prepared to make his experiment.
II has been often said that the leap which his vautng
ambition led him to take indicative of marvellous ge
MUS genius sufficient to guarantee his raunt that OF
revolutions there should be in France AS to
that without stopping to discuss the genius of the man,
it may be remarked without risk of contradiction that
circumstanced he WAS with name and notoricty TO
back him, and without man. name or fame to thwart
his purposes. had he failed i'm leapng, and fallen the
other side he would have deserved to be written down
the veriest in Christendom The treasury, and by
consequence the army, at his disposal nothing,
then needed for but sccesy and rapidy of
action There danger of being betrayed. for the
very few in whom Napoleon trusted besides having moth
ing lose in any case and everything to gain by fidelity
to him. knew of who could would reward their
tache and long experience in the paths of conspiracy
had taught their leader that to march well is to march
quickly when in motion.
certain degree of formality and Of seeming legality
being indispensable, the Prince President chosen
chosen forsooth, to be Emperor And, indeed, large
majority of Frenchmen did say yea! and amen TO the
proposition that the nephew should occupy the vacant
throne of him he called uncle st IA crowd of human
beings In complete possession of their senses but with
deliberate desperation choose TO trust unseaworthy
rather than abide by the remnants of their former
home upon the ocean, which no mortal hand can save
from dissolution.
Once an Emperor, always an Emperor, is, and will be
forever the iron resolve of Louis Napoleon. He is
absolutely despotc than the Czar because in Russia there
traditional limits to the exercise of theoretically limit
less power which overstep and live On the
throne of France, where circumstances and his adroit
ness have placed him. nothing death or u with
England upset him while health and strength of
body and mind remain to him intact,
Louis Philippe. morally and physically aged beyond
his years has been gcnerousy aud stupidity scoed at
because in ls4S he flew the course but the King by
nature not less brave than the Emperor To remain,
therefore, he is in outward estate The latter must
continue be what at present he is in bodily and mental
condition
To suit dynastc purposes, France may, but probably
never wi be plunged into bloody trial of strength
against England Should this come to pass the world