The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-06-03
NapOIeOn's Mission.
SPEECH OF THE DUKE De PERsIGSY on PEACE
AND THE PROGRESS OF FRANCE.

The Duke de Persigny delivered a
speech lately to the local assembly of
ROanne, which has been Published in
the Paris Moniteur as Of political inter
est He commenced by characterizing
agriculture as the most noble Of all in
dustries, and the agricultural classes as
the surest supports Of the greatness and
riches of nations, drawing attention to
the greatness of England as so much
based upon this principle. He con
trasted the political feelings of the con
stituencies in the cities and the agricul-
tural districts In one word, in the pro
vinces and in the country, public opin-
ion, be it liberal or conservative, is re
ally the expression and result Of the
ideas and sentiments Of all society
that is to say, Of al classes. It is, then,
evidently, the most enlightened opin-
ion. In the great centres Of population,
as there is always that deplorable prins
ciple of the antagonism of classes, that
eternal malady of great cities, which
takes the place of the interests of the
country and falsifes its aspirations, it
often happens that the most enlighten-
ed part of the population is dominated
by that which IS the most petty. Re
ferring to the firm establishment Of the
empire, and its superiority to the at
tacks Of party spirit, he spoke of the
union OF all the parties from which the
empire sprang; for each section might
best find in the imperial power the chief
satisfaction of its OpiniOns-the one mon
archical unity; another q wise liberty,
and third democracy. For this great
fusion Of old opinions in this newly
formed mould, time was and is still
necessary. Speaking then of the late
effort made by the opposition TO win
over the constituencies, he eulogized
the representatives. of the agricultural
interests as those who would stand firm
by the government which they had
founded and they could judge that it
had kept It's promises to them. "Order
established as it had never before been,
the public fortunes nearly doubled, inn
mense works carried out even during
war, and unheard Of prosperity at
home, marching side BY side with glory
abrOad-this was the history of the
twelve years of the reign. And never
theless, gentleman, beyond this, and
those great things which the empire
has done at home, it is certain that its
principal preOccupation has been to re-
establish abroad the independence OF
France, to restore to her liberty of ac-
tion in the world, to free her from those
menaces Of coalition, which since 1915,
have ceaselessly weighed upon her.
History will tell by what prodigies of
ability, courage and moderation these
great objects have been attained And
now that this part of the mission of the
empire is finished, and its military part
in Europe clOsed-nOw that glOFi-
ously re-entered into the comfy OF
nations, France has no other interests
than the common interest of Europe
heTself-it Is evidently an era of peace
which cesnmences for her" But he
asks, how can the empire accomplish
this peaee?" and, repltdioting tic erample
Of those gOccrHments ef erpedisHcy 'ehieh
condemn their country 20 tie immo5i6ty, he
proceeded No, goccrnms7t ,ohich Is
caLed Napoleon IS net constituted t0r this
preeari0uS Efc The conditions Of its ex-
istence are for it the greatness, the pros
perity, the glory Of France. But what
glory is greater than to shed the benefits
OF civilization to the millions of French
men who do not yet enjoy them; to
follow up without tagging the work, so
generously undertaken, Of the moral
and material amehoration of the popular
masses; to make healthy unhealthy
districts, to irrigate the plains, 10 plant
with trees the hills and, above all, not
only to complete our networks of rail
ways, but TO finish the neighbOring
roads Gentlemen, you know that the
ways Of communication are to a country
what arteries are in body; if there
be parts Of the body which, by the
vessels being obstructed, no more re-
ceive and retain the blood, a paralysis
or stoppage of the supervenes. Mil
lions OF habitations, by the want Of
roads or their bad state, still have only
an imperfect communication with the
centres OF civilization, with the regions
Of production and consumption. The
value Of produce weighed down by the
costs of transit cannot remunerate the
labor. Regions depriped Of the ways
Of communication are condemned 70
misery, and a mass OF riches is lost to
country After pointing out the adj
vances which have already been made
by the Emperor towards remedying the
evils thus set forth, and the power and
means which he possesses TO carry on
the great work, the Duke de Persigny
saws, "The application Of his system
has commenced in Paris; the same
thing has been done at Lyons and IN
other cities, and everywhere with ANAL
ogous results. The empire Is not limi-
ted to give its attention only to great
cities" The speech concludes with an
eulogy on the prosperity Of France, and
its Identification with the principles OF
the empire.