The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1858-07-09
THE POLICY OF THE EMPIRE IN
FRANCE.
tFrom the n. 7. Heraid.l


tFrom the n. 7. Heraid.1
Our adviees both from Europe and from
Washington indicate that there 10 something
more In the ornaments that France 10 now
preparing than meets the public eye; and !.
Is evident from the unqualified disavowal Of
Mons. Belleys movement given by the EN-.
peror 10 our government, that nj this mo-
ment, al least, he wants to quarrel with this
country.
The position Of Louis Napoleon is singu.
lar, and Il may be critical. Il is evident tha,
France is beginning TO get irritated under
the military scab he has imposed upon her;
and that, while an immense army Is necessn.
ry to the support Of his power, it is also
equally necessary that he should find EN-.
plOymen: for il abroad. At home the civil
and militay classes are already beginning to
clash. In contemplating the past course Of
Louis Nnpoleon-wbich is the only way we
have to form some idea Of his intentions for
the future - we cannot but perceive how
thoroughly he has carried out the policy Of
the Empire as it was conceived by Napoleon
the Great. In this we have On assurance that
Louis Napoleon looks upon himself as the
destined instrument 10 complete the great
cycle Of events that was cut short by Wa.
terloo.
He sought with the same assiduity, and
with greater success than did his uncle, an
alliance withEngland against Russia; and the
result has been 10 make Paris the centre Of
discussion for MI European questions, and
caused France to be reconized as the first
military Power of Europe. Napoleon iii.
and Alexander ii. have repeated at Stutt.
gard the famous interview between Napole-
on ]. and Alexander I. upon the raft at Til
sit The world does not know yet the result
Of this interview; but it does know the re.
suit Of the first conference between the first
Emperors. Although Napoleon has not told
US what were his own intentions, he has told
US what were the conditions Of Alexander
lie demanded Constantinople. which Napo-
leon said he refused to grant, because it was
the key of the world. The past tells us very
significantly that tbs claims advanced by
Louis Napoleon at Stuttgnrd were the iden-
tcal ones Of his uncle. No war with Rus
sia, no Moscow, Elba, Waterloo and ST. Hell
ena have yet followed them, for the time is
not yet ripe; and, then steam and railways
have changed the instruments Of kings. But
We have pretty close repetition Of the gath
ering at Bologne in The preparations at Cher.
bourg and the placing It in immediate con-
nection with the military camps Of France
by means Of railways.
SINCE the conference Of the Emperors at
Tilsit, steam has changed the face of the
world and greatly reduced the relative value
Of Constantinople TO the rest of Europe. At
the same time the same ngent has greatly in
crensed its value in the eyes Of Russa. Louis
Napoleon has q son TO succeed the first King
of Rome; he has sought by his Spanish mar
riage to bring himself nearer to the throne
Of Spain; and we have every reason to be-
lieve that he looks forward to obtaining the
natural boundary for the Empire that were
drawn in the mind Of the first Napoleon
These may include all Italy and Spain,
and perhaps even England. Whatever they
are, whatever may have been the demands at
Tilst and Stutt gard, the third Napoleon can
afford to ray the price which the first refus-
ed. Constantinopls has ceased to be the key
Of the world, while il 10 more than ever the
key Of the Russias. Nicholas proposed 10
England the divisions Of the effects Of "ths
sick man," Turkey, and she proclaimed the
proposition 10 the world. Foiled by Eng
land, what is there to prevent the house Of
Romanoff, whose boast il is that it never
abandoned its policy, and who has left for
hundred and fifty years the inscription Of
Catherine, @here lies the way TO Constantine
pe," over one Of the gates of Moscow-what
is there TO prevent the Romanoff from max
ing the bargain he was 80 willing to make at
Tilsit!
The friendly course Of Louis Napoleon
toward ou, government, and the tenor Of his
of Mons. Belly are also consonant with the
in regard to the recen: proceedings
policy Of the Empire. Nay, even more than
that, purchase Of Cuba by US finds its coun-
terpart in the policy Of the first Empire, and
NAV be consonant with that of the second.
Il was Napoleon who sold us the then Span
ish province Of Louisiana; and not only that,
bu! il was he who proposed and forced US to
buy IL. jefferson has the credit Of doing il,
but |, is we'll known to every student Of po-
litical history that he opposed II to the ut.
most, and only accepted il when forced to do
so. Napoleon did this from motives Of high
policy, which still weigh with the Empire in
France, even to q greater extent than they
did when that policy was 6rst adopted. Ma
poleon iii. knows as well as did his uncle,
that he has no reason TO seek quarrel with
the young giant across the ocean. First in
Western Europe 10 the aim OF the Bona
parties, and this can DO best obtained by
with the first in the East, and by
building up n powerful political and COM
mercial rival to England In the New World
far from France, and one that will not inter-
fere with IL.