New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-06
FRENCH DEMOCRACY.

Paris, on March 90 and 81, had again to choose
two Deputies, as Mr. Jules Favre, tho eminent
lawyer, and Mr.. Havin, the editor-in-chief Of
the Sieoie, who, at the General Election last
year, had been returned both from the capital
and from provincial districts, had chosen to sit
for the latter. The result is in accordance with
the general expectation. Two Of the most dis
tingushed representatives of democratic princi-
Piles in France, M. Canot, and NJ. GARNER
Pages, both members of the Provisional Repub-
lican Government of 1S49, were elected by over
whelming majorites, Carnot receiving 1909
votes against 4,s58 for NJ Pnard, and GARNER
Pages, Ii,456, against 6,450 Cor NJ. Frederic
Levi, one of the Paris MARES put forward by
the Government.
Both Carnot and GARNER Pages have been
among the most honest statesmen of France and
the stanchest defenders of republican form
of Government. Both have steadily refused to
take the oath of allegiance to the Empire
until recently, when they consented to be can
didates for the representation of the two vacant
districts of Paris in the Legislative Body. In q
letter addressed to the Opinion Rationale, NJ.
Carnot explains why he has changed his policy.
In 1853 he says, he refused to take the oath, in
order to protest against the " destruction of the
public liberties and the rigos of arbitrary
power-." Again he refused the oath in
ftj7, when elected to the Corps Legislat!f,
because his political friends were ofopnion that
such an example would have a more beneficial
influence upon the public mind than the vain
efforts of few isolated individual. Bat to-day
be regards he state Of things as altered. Pub
lie opinion loudly calls for liberal and democrat
lie reforms; il lends TO the Opposition Deputies
strength hitherto unlocked for, and the histo-
~ of the Restoration shows how much "a nuiner-
ically small opposition may do when supported
by the general feeling
NJ. Camot's letter intimates that with him
that portion of the Republican party oil France
which hitherto has refused to recognize the En-
pire, has determined TO abandon its abstinence
from political life and TO labor in common with
the entire Liberal Opposition for the ntroduc-
ton OF democratic reforms. The number Of
these men may not be considerable, but their
influence on the masses OF the people is so much
the greater. They represent far more the senti-
ments of the French cities than the majority
of the present Liberal Opposition in the Legisla-
tive Body; for it is generally admitted that the
population Of the large cities, and more particu-
larly the workingmen, are now as devotedly in
favor OF a republic as they were in lsle; aud it
is among the avowed republicans that they will
look for able and true representatives Of their
views.
Thanks TO wise law Of France which allows
the election of q Frenchman 10y any electoral
district ofthe Empire, and to the equally wise
habit OF the Liberal party TO prefer, in choosing
its representatives, the really great men Of tho
nation TO the best intriguers, France has this
day Gil array Of democratic representatives of
WHICH any country might feel proud. Other
European countries may have in their Legisla-
lures more numerous Liberal party, but We
know Of none which can boast of SO large num-
Der Of eminent and gifted leaders as France.