New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-03-18
NAPouEoN,s rRounLEs.

Between the scandalOas disclosures attending
the downfall Of the banker aud stock jobber
Mres, and the war now fully opened by the
Roman Catholic clergy, hs imperial majesty
Napoleon III Is in pretty serious trouble. The
Mres scandals are enormous. That enterprisIng
gentleman appears to have carried on the business
of bribing officers of Government rnembeIs OF the
LeCislatQre, and members ri the Imperial family,
on a scale and tO an extent such Is even our
great Napoleon of the Lobby az Albany never
conceived Of. According to one writer Mlres has
spent 10 this way more than half million o!
d,llars o year for i've years past. the Late uncle
Of the Emperor, Jereme Bouaparte, il said 70
tavs had 100000; his cVuiB, the Princess
Mo.hilde, $i00, 600 II. Barocbe, Vioe-Presidrut
Of he Corps Lecislatif S35 O0t; while 81. 5,ori'y,
the EmperUr's iliegIt tie brother and President
of that body il believed have exceeded even the
Prince Jerome in his receipts from the same vast
source Of corruption. We presume tie world has
never witnessed a more astounding display Oh
political and social corruption.
At the sane time, toe hostility which the ultra.
montana clergy have always cherished for the
Man Of December has now assumed form OF
outspokan bitterness, which has excited ali France.
1t is well kncwn thas Napoleon bas been 10 tho
habit Of occasionally putti0g forth a deiense oil
bis policy in the guise Of a pamphlet, sometimes
ANONYMOUS, sometimes tigued By Dir. Lague:Oh-
Mere, q clever journalist OF Paris and Jealous
adherent of the Emperor. One OF these panlph-
let's, lately issued on Rome, Italy, aud France,
has furnished the occasion for q pastoral letter
from the Bishop of POltIers to his clergy, 10
which he not only denounces the conduct Oh the
French Government toward The See Oi itome, but
under the name Of POntius PLAT, assaiis Napoleon
himself with unsurpassed vIolence OF Language.
This pastoral letter has BEEN answered BY Tue
Government with q letter from PeFsiguy, Tie
Minister of the Interior, t. the Project OF the
Department in which il was first published. Tue
Minister describe. the B'shop as ''preiu'e who
"bas not feared to muke the authority Of HIS
character serve the purpose Of Pass'oos uncon-
Z" pected with religion" aud speaks of the pas
toral as ga document in which arc disclosed
with so much sudaeity the secret IDEAS The
"party which, under tue vail of religion, has no
" other object than TO attack the elect Of the
81 French people," The MOnRsar also gives notice
that the pastoral, (which contains illusions insult
"ing TO the Emperor's Government and which
Z" is of nature 10 disturb tue pabhc mind,
"has been submitted to toe high jur,sdictlon Of
''the Council Of STATE, charged to decide on III
" cases OF abuse"
The Council will row determine whether the
Bishop shall be banded over 70 the civil arm for
trial and punishment as q crimiUal; Or whether
lie shall be RENTED Tor Judgment 10 hiu eccle 81
astical suPeriors; or whether he shall be de-
clared innocent aud discharged ct once. In
either event. the question seems pregnant with
consequences of great scoops and Importance.
At any rate it is not probable the e1traord'-
nary luck, which has attended Napoleon Ill in
his political and military struggles, VIII continue
70 favor biu ia this more difficuls and dangerous
conflict with the Church.