The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1865-05-27
Louis Napoleon In Africa.

One Of the chief features Of the for
eign policy of Louis Napoleon has been
his ordinations patronage of the ma
tionslity principle. Reticent and equiv
ocal az he has generally been on great
political questions, he has dared in this
question to put himself openly on re-
cord. lie alleged his regard for the
inalienable rights of oppressed nation
alitiss as the reason for his support Of
the Italians IN their war against Aus
tris, for his sympathy with the Poles in
their instruction against Russian rule,
for his refusal 10 endorse the claim Of
Denmark to he possession Of Schles-
wig aud HolsteiD, and for his proposal
Of q European Congress 70 satisfy, in
general, the inst aspirations Of Cypress
ed nations. On al Of these questions
the majority Of the leaders Of the pros
gressiYe party we're in full sympathy
with the sentiments uttered by Napo-
leon.
But il spite Of these and other lib,
eral professions, the Progressive Party
of Europe never placed any confidence
n Napoleon. They regarded his whole
home policy as that Of an astute tyrant,
and his expedition 10 Mexico for the
overthrow Of the Mexican Republic as
the most glsring contradiction Of all
his liberal professions on the nationaL-
ty question.
The Emperor has Just given q new
proof Of either the greatest ~inconsis.
tency, or OF glarIng dishonesty, by two
p-roclamstions which he has issued,
while on q visit to Algeria, TO the peo-
pie OF that country. It is 0 thirty
five years that France has held. against
the otten-eEpTessed wish of the inhabi.
tants, this portion Of Northern Africa
She holds it By only the same law by
which Austria claimed a right to Lom-
hardy, Russia TO Poland, and Denmark
70 the German Duchies. If Napoleon
had been IN earnest in his profession
about the nationality principle, could
be have been deaf to the claims Of the
Arabs, while he recognised those of Eu-
ropean nations who were in exactly the
condition? But he not only tres
ted the effort by Nahomedans of Africa /.
Tor recovering their national indapen-
denoa a. an entirely uniustifable re-
beIuon, but IN his proclamations Issued
the beginning OF the present month,
he added Insult To coercion. In the
proclamation addressed 10 the Fu~
Inhabitants he unblushingly az
serts " w nus, Ic Il. masters, because !
We are he rls-s cimh-cd' And 10 the
he says, In his second proclama-
ton Tell your mistaken brethren
ZUUO,UUD of Arabs cannot resist
FTenchmea. 1t must be
4ala TO the credit of the Austrains, the
Russians and the Danes, that neither
them based their Claims upon such az
Zument5 as thIs pretended defender of
oppressed astiOuaiities does.
There Is another very strange passage
n his proclamation 10 the Arabs. The
JatholIc Emperor of France, who on a
thousand occasions hes called himself
/. loyal On of the Church. who lust
n his proclamation to the Euro
,ean settlers OF Algeria had referred to
planting the cross as g sigu Of civil
and the symbol Of peace and
charity, claims allegiance from the Ma.
lomeosns because their prophet says
gives power 70 whomsoever He
7IIl; and he calls upon them to &c
knowledge with the Koran that what
iod directs is well directed.
No such language would ever be war
snted by the church to which the En-
'eror claims to belong. 1t is the same
pirit OF MscchiaVellism which regards
religion OF the subjects as well as
heir national rights - means for SELF
ggrandizement, but not for the tri.
.mPh OF a principle-N. !. Tribune