New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-23
Republican, and 20 he was in bis own strange way

" Here are" exclaimed he cheerfuly, auxiliary
foIces, ard hope Louis Bonapsite ROW will be soon
conquered" Then lie told that the prisoners
friends were divided very different classee one OF
winch benced by NJ Pereigny, and composed OF
fanaticsl par,issns sof the Empire the other com
prisiIg nlsLy sincere Republican, like NJ NJ. Frederic
Degeo1ee, Jolly, Peauger, Lieutenant Lsty ara nun
s.li; that LOUIS Bonspsrte, hauled about by the Two
contending factions, could Lot help vaclllang tltt
allowance ought Ia Re made for the difficulty oi nus
POSITION; that his intentions were upright, although
they might possibly be perverted, II he were apan.
GcneG TO the nischiev0us influence OF his Imperdi.
advisers; and that II tde cuty OF US 81 20 prevent
such calamity. gszsd a. him In astonshment, a.
could hardly imagine Il at the establishment OF ne
public should thus be made the consequence OF the
ADOPTION by Louie Bonsparte of Republican prinai-
pies. c..
However having repaired to the Chateau, vas
into large neatly furnished room, where ~
lie seemed to be wanting Of what is required or do
nlsstic comfort 1T once percelved-et this be ssld
10 the credit of Louis POippe-,hst the prisoner WAS
very kindly treated. lie sat in high backed arm
char between the chimney and table spTe8d with
books and pspers As en- cred he ne for Tard
TO meet the expected visor and shook hands With
me with Mingled expression of cordially ana re-
serve. My impression wac that Tor moment he
thought OF assuming sort of statey countenance but
he vaa almost instantly sensible of the mstsks. cid
his best to appear cay and free, and got con.
versstion. | had never seen bin before; nor was l
enabled st tt at tune, 10 remark how different no
.n bis features hs msnoers, h,s department from all
the other members Of Nsp0le0n's family, whom did
not knoE. But it struck me that there Was Lo.hDg
in him Of the Napoleon type, that he spoke WITH
rather foreign accent aud that ne mad less c)mmand
of language than any man l had ever oJnversed
with
As lorg az the conversation turned on Lous Philippss
policy could not but agree. We concurred III
thinking that system would not last long which WAS
based upon corrupt practices at home and perma-
nent huuiliation abroad. But when the que.tiOn
about what the future should be We began to
disseat.
10 20 ha n t,ua and,
knowledge In full the principle Of tue sovereignty Of
the people
How is this principle to be carried out in your
opinion p asked.
He answered unhesitstingly, Through universal
safrege."
Never wss,' said ], "uuiversal suffrage more sr-
IDENTIFY advocated than by my,elf az principle. But
the immediate practical results of ts operation must
be looked TO with infinite care. You cerssinly
of the intellectual situation of the pessantry
i'll France. You aware that most of them abide in
ignorance, and that if we were TO compute how many
thousands among the country people do not even know
how to read the number, would be something fright
full Besides, where there is great inequality of social
condition., Independent vote Ia hardly be expected
from those who depend entirely others for their dsl.
ly bread end the maintenance Of their families"
Do you mean" he interrupted that the national
will to be disreearded, that you have right if pow
erfu enough to do 80, 10 impose your political creed,
on the strength OF your conviction, upon an unwilling
majority =
sal cuff age must rot be suffered to be loaded pistol
in the hands OF child. The sovereignty OF the peo-
pie dots not imply the intellectual aodicanon OF those
capable Of giving TO their fellow-ctzens, either by
their speeches and their books by their example,
enlightened and generous impulson. II Is the duty
well the right Of all honest men to address them
seves to the task of bringing over TIE majority to
them, as tOpreyent the people from being ioied at
their own weapons"
g So be it,"
well then, it is not enough for you to acknowl-
edge the sovereignty of the people and 10 Do" ps-
lively 10 universal suffrage You must have, as aem-
Der of the whole, clear notion of your intended ln-
tiative; you must have, beyond your worship oi Jul
yerssl suffiag political creed. II
Louis Bonsparte looked a little embarrassed; out
after q moments silence: "My creed" said he, "is
the Empire Was it not the Empire that raised the
French nation to the summit of greatness ana glory
am convinced that the destiny of the Empire rests
Cd the national WILL A. .5;.o
ry principle y
"And how lie it possible to reconcile the principle OF
the sovereignty 9th people WITH rmo Tbe .trr il
the negatcn Of the former. The national VIII may,
and it is conormsbe to the very nature OF things tnat
il should charge while any nei edltary powet Is hoo
reticslly nmutsble. 1t is absurd tina; the na.loua'
will of to day should be called upon to destroy Tue ma
tional will Of tomorrow, and that the sovereignty Vi
the people should be forfeited by an ac, Oh tno soVo
reipbty of the people. The fact OF embracing man
ack nowle6pment of a principle; IL would he a down.
,iolt ,reachery. Democrat is of necessity opposed
TO- sny hereditary form of government whatever. Inc
sovereignty of the people Is nQt as P,in,tpe
Generation bs allowed TO consca'e the right OF al me
eratons TO come compact OF that sort IL III It's
very essence Lull and void.
Inuis Bonat arte did not insist, as if conscious that
he playing bad game aa s tur1 OFF the eep
xors.ti,,,p well" be continued, what YOU have
ssd may be true, and the main point after all Is thst
the Government, form 1t a. you ike shouid Dc intent
on the Improvement and happiness OF the people.
He then b. ear to speak about the urgency OF social
reforms, and as | went on expoundng my own views
on the subject, be seemed to chime IN with me from
the beginning the end. In fact, if Isd found him
rrestly at fault in his declaration of opinions IN
merely voltic,l popt Of view, felt almost amazed at
his readiness to adopt tho;e very principles OF SCc"i-
lem which be made of atterward to become Emper-
or, by terrifying the ignorant into voting sway then
Liberties. have still in my possession copy OF his
book, Extinction du PauTerSme, which ne composed
in d STRAIN If Socialist aspirations, and which he gave
NE, with two lsterpg lines written by himself Oh Tho
fret page.
had leave for a three days stay. They Eere spent
in srshsng all the various topics that had reference
either TO the stste Of Affairs t. the partcu
lar situation of the prisoner
Among the circumstances present to my memory
there is one which | Think worth mentioning, az It
serves to bring out into stronger relief the hard dspo-
sjtiop That was eyinced by bis subsequent conduct
One afternoon be wss terg the particulars OF his
fsare at Bologne when on a sudden his voice seemed
20 falter he stopped struggled moineLt 10 suppress
sob, aid burst ITO tears
The neat day We went cut to take walk over the
narrow rampant assigned TO his melancholy prone
made which was watched, Of couse, on ell sides by
sertirels. Ns,hinks see him still bis head reclining
walkipgwith Flow steps, and spsskiog 10 low voice.
as If fearful les. the wind should bear every word
he uttered to Z gaoer. The conversation now Was
about the History of the Roman Emperors, as writ
ten in book which Louis Bonsparts admired very
much on account of the Partially showo by the su-
thor for thote tyrapts whom Tacitus branded with