The daily press. (Cincinnati [Ohio) 1859-1859, 1859-04-27
The Nephew of His Uncle.

The notions of Ameri can journalists in
regard to the character of the present
French Emperor are originally derived
from the British press. In the original,
they are simply the products of British
prejudice; and in the imitation, they
have added to this goodly proportion of
that shallowness that comes from ignor-
ance, at once lazy and pretentious. 1t is
easier to nickname the present NAPOLEON
"the nephew of his uncle" to call him
tyrant, to allude to the fact that while he
was an exile he was poor, and to the ru-
NOR that he was proAigate, to refer to the
horrors of the coup d'etat, and add any
quantity of abusive epithets, than it is to
search into the record and discover what
is his real character, what the circum-
stances by which he is surrounded, and
what the actualnecessities of his position
The present Emperor of France is neither
fool nor mailman. He is the ablest mon
arch of Europe, in the most responsible
position. He is all that constitutes the
moral power in the government of peo-
pie forever upon the verge of anarchy
There is reason to believe that he fully
understands the difficulties by which he
is surrounded-that he has courage equal
to accruing exigsncies-that he is fertile
in expedients, in cases of trouble and
danger-and that he is as cool in his
counsels as he is resolute in his acts.
These are qualities which youthful editors
and dandy clergymen may undervalue,
because they do not understand them
but they are nevertheless elements of
greatness. They constitute the higher
order Of human character-that which
belongs to men who achieve great sue
cesses, and who, long after their deaths,
and when their minor frailties are for
gotten, are worshiped as demi-gods.
1t has been favorite mode of disposing
of the difficulties of the phenomenon
LOUIS NAPoLEoN-to treat it as an acci-
dent He, proAigate adventurer makes
lucky hit, and gains, by the help of
favorable circumstances a footing in
France. Fortane still favors him. He
CANDLES for power, and wins. Embold-
ened by success, he stakes still further
and more desperately A sudden ac-
cession of fanaticism-no one knows
why-on the part of the French people,
comes in to aid his designs, and he is
President of the French nation. He
throws again, and, thanks to luck is En-
peror This is an easy kind of philoso-
ply, and we'll BELTS the shallow; but to
the thoughtful it is unsatisfactory. There
is something more than this. Gamblers
do not win so many times in succession
There must be something else to make
the cards so always turn in his favor.
The same style of philosophy disposes
quite as readily of the official character
of the French potentate; for example
All monarchs are scoundrels; therefore,
LOUIS NAPOLEON is scoundrel Among
monarchs, Emperors are greater scoun-
drels than Kings; therefore, LOUIS Ma
PoLEoN is a great scoundreL Among
Emperors, parvenu is a greater scoun-
drel than a hereditary one therefore,
LOUIS NAPOLEON is very great scoundrel
He was poor before he became an EN-
peror, which is bad; was forced to live |
by his wits, which is worse; associated |
with not very exemplary people, which |
is still worse; made his way without in
fuential friends or any assistance but the
votes of the French rabble, which is the |
most execrable of all OF course, he is |
nothing but senseless, needless, blood |
thirsty tyrant What else could he be,
with such disreputable antecedents |
This, however, does not account for all |
the phenomena.
The life of LOUIS NAPOLEON, to those
who are acquainted with its features,
presents one of the most remarkable in !
stances of deliberate design, persevering
pursuit, and successful accomplishment,
to be found in the history of mankind. |
Whether ethically right or wrong in his |
acts and his ambitions, is question we
will not attempt to decide; but that he |
has been from first to last consistent |
he first deliberately laid down and pub |
lished to the world his programme, and |
afterward as deliberately pursued and |
carried it out, is thing which no one,
with the testimony before him, will ven
ture to deny. This is 30 much the case
that his writings composed and printed
before the commencement of his active
career, seem almost prophetic and are
the best possible responses to the Trades |
of those literary visionaries who began |