, 1865-07-28

unable to assign any satisfactory cause
for these continual reverses to a Govern
ment which has apparently arrived at
the very height of prosperity aud power.
No two people would be found to agree
exactly as to the origin of the phenome-
non, which is, nevertheless, of frequent
occurrence. Possibly these reverses OF
Imperial Government arc 10 ONE degree
due to its W peculiar and distinguishing
merits. 1t has created a sense OF securl-
ty; it has promoted industry and COM
merce it has etfectualIy laid the cred
spectre" which haunted the imagination
of Frenchmen of all classes fifteen years
ago. Just as Lucretius tells us that "t"ar
''made the ancient diyinitles," so did the
fear of revolution create the French EN-
pire, and in proportion rs that fear d.
miuishes one cause of the strength OF alb
solut6 Government diminishes with i.
Just as in England the success of the
Liberal party has been in some degree
favourable to the Conservatives by emov~
ing the causes Of discomfort and the ne
cessity for change, so the success OF the
Empire has hcen favourable TO the OPP
position by removing the fears in which
that Opposition found its most obstinate
difficulty. We must add to these causes
the intrinsic justice and good sense of the
main principles Of Opposition policy, as
defined not in the narroW-minded and
crotchety views which NJ. Theirs put
forth on foreign affairs, but in such down
right expressions Of opinion as that OF the
successful candidate for the Puy de Dome.
Reasonable men are naturally alarmed at
the succession of deficits which are gra-
dually encumbering more and more the
industry Of France, and are the greatest
rcproaCh to the Imperial Government.
The failure of universal suffrage to secure
liberty is gradually teaching the people
that freedom is attained rather by the
limitation and subdivision of the powers
of the State in different hands than by
an apparent sacrifice to the widest theo-
ries of theoretical equality. There is,
besides all this, in human nature, and
more especially in French nature, a feel
ing Of envy which, Disgusting itself under
the specious name Of a love for equality,
longs to reduce whatever is above it to
it's own level. To France there is no in
termediate power to fill up the chasm be-
tween an omnipotent Government and a
single citizen, and it is not unnatural that
the love of equality which all institutions
in France so much favour should turn it.
self at last against those institutions them
selves. Neither is the Government al
together free from The charge of proyok-
ing these reverseS. The practice Of put
ting forward a candidate and backing him
with all the strength of the Government,
whose first duty, according to our notions,
would be impartiality, naturally arouses
opposition, and invests an election con-
test with a romantic interest unknown to
our politicians. A successful candidate
in England trilmphs over a fellow-citi-
zen a successful candidate in France de-
feats not only a fellow-citizen, but the
whole power of the State. The prize is
more difficult and the enterprise more
hazardous; the success is on that very
account greater and more alluring, It is
a lottery I'm which there are many blanks,
but where the prizes are very high.
We must add to these considerations
the manner in which the majority OF the
Assembly is occasionally disposed TO
abuse it's power, the lectures aud reproach-