New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1866-01-08
Especial to the New Orleans Crescentl
OUR PARIS ANB CONTINENTAL COR
RESP0NDEyCE.
PARIS, December Is, 1865.
LnE II L-t-I.Nrl-


struggle Leopold King of the Belgians, departed
| this life at the age Of Is. This termination Of
long and useful life has created general sensa.
ton, though it not expected that his majesty
could long resist the numerous attacks he has had
to undergo Of late. All of the other political
subjects are now set aside, the Kings death being
the general theme of conversation. The famous
treaties of 1925 which were the basis Of interna.
tt0nal right may be said no longer to exist, and
Belgium the offspring of violation Of one Of
these treaties can enjoy but very uncertain
existence placed is in the midst Of antagonist
| CAL ambitious and great powers, with wonderful
appetites.
Whilst Leopold was alive, the Belgian national
| ity had nothing to fear. The King was istin
guisled for his wisdom and was moreover allied
with the majority Of European potentates, either
| by marriage or by friendship. The necessity Of
having an arbitrator to settle any diplomatic diff
culties was guarantee that Belgium would re-
main iny0latc during his lifetime. But now that
the King il no more, what barrier is there against
the ambition of Napoleon III who, it is we'll
\ known, coyets what is called by certain number
Of papers, the natural frontiers.
| Who does not know that in 1852, the decree an
nexing Belgium to France. was signed by the EN-
peror, and that the publication in the Moniteur of
.
at the request of NJ, De Morny, then very in1uen-
| tiaI, that Napoleon altered his decision The
public and Europe awoke the following morning
little dreaming of the immense danger the peace
of Europe had run in the night, and it was only
long afterwards that the world knew what the
historian of Napoleon I was capable of.
Why should he not do in 1865 what he medi-
tated in 1852? Will not some preteXt be found
by France, to intermeddle in the affairs of Bel
gium-sueh as the re-estabshment of order
Once order re-cstablished then there will be an
indemnity required as was Savoy to cover our eX-
penses in the Italian expedition.
Let us examine and see if the above mentioned
, fears are justified, for what is
BELGIUM IN 1866.
1t is dvidedinto two parties both influential, but
let it be said to their glory calling the name OF
liberty. There is the catholic ultramontane
t party and the liberal party. Leopold |, protes
tant in catholic country, spent his whole lite in
trying to keep peace between these two. His
sympathies were by no means LIBERAL he mostly
, lent his assistance to the members of the ultra
montane faction who were the representatives Of
general public opinion. He considered it his duty
as constitutional King.
Of late the ultramontane party seeing the dem
ocratc liberals daily gaining ground, had had re
course to their old dodge of calling out that they
T are oppressed and persecuted. They have, evel
since 1861 taken advantage of the different exist
ing difficulties between the mining and sugar man
ufacturng districts relative to the tariffs to nsin
uate the possibility of ultimate annexation tc
France. The fact is indisputable, for which oul
liberal press scouts any idea of Incorporating the
kingdom of Belgium. The Union and the Monde
two Partisan ultramontane papers, declare openly
and without disguise that Leopold Ii, Qate DUO
, of Brabant,) shows himself unfavorable to the
l catholic party there will be disturbances in Bel
: GUM Other symptoms make US fear that the des
TIMES of Belgium lie in other hands. Ii the young
King ascend the throne without disturbances O.
0 any kind and if the patriotism of the antagonist
5 cal factions abstain from rancour for time a
n least, Belgium may be saved; if not it is to be
, feared that Herr Won Bismark the Prussian Pre-
mier on the one hand and Napoleon III on the
other, will share the booty. The army in Belgium
5 is decidedly favorable to France, l. e. the officers
y who naturally enough would prefer being in tht
e service of France. Let US however return to tht
important person called
j. LEOpOLD I, KING OF THE BELGIANS.
n He was scion of the house of CobOurg, born OF
1t the 18th Dec, 1870. He married in 1916 Charlotte
o Princess of Wales daughter of George " King o
e have held much the same position the lat
y Prince Consort After the battle of Navarino h
e was offered the Kingdom Of Greece, which h
- refused Elected King of the Belgians, by th'
it National Congress of the 4th June, 1881, h
:, accented the crown conditionay the 18th june
T. and finally took the constitutional oath on the 2ls
1t July 1881. The following year he married Louise
he daughter of Louis Philippe, King of the Frencl
Id He was one of the most singular persons mag
te nable You saw him walking about the streets
y Brussels like any private indvidual; one would hit
e. have thought how this poteptate had created 1d
&c himself q second nature very different from III
c. own. He was the idol of the Belgian people, VIII
II mourn his loss as King has never been mournet
lie Once, but only once, during his long reign did
have to complain of his subjects.
oi CURIOUS TRAIT.
IN IT was in 1882 the mob, no doubt under the inil
~ ence of foreign nstigators to nsurrection rece
i" ing the word Of command from Paris, appeare
d. under the windows of the palace, procaiming til
IN downfall of the King and the esta bshment of
y Republic. Leopold at once came forward an
~ addressed the public in the following Words n
Vi friends see we cannot remain together, you WIS
:" for Republic-good-retur turn to your home
A' peacefully, give me time to make the necessal
e' preparation and will shortly leave Belgium.
IL, have sworn to make you happy and will keep N
Vi word.n The mob affected to tears, disperse
Gu quietly shouting "Long live the King" His BE
III gian Majesty was great traveller and never faile
=, to be present whenever two sovereigns were
~ meet Did two ambitious potentates agree to con
- together in any place.to change the map OF Europ
nc quick as lightning Leopold was there to put
"o spoke in their wheel. AT the time when there VI
' talk in France of interfering in favor of fPoland
one day saw him taking his ice at 1oro"s' on tt
:" Bougeuurd des Hdliens. Two days after the StGt
" quo was decided upon.
- Well this model King, this citizen King, was
heart mixture of Talleyrand, Of Palmerston al
- of Nicholas I-simplcity and good nature. In t
~ streets of Brussels nobody was greater stiekl
~, for royal etiquette than he. When in his pala
a. at Leeken, he was an out-and-out aristocrat, a
" egotistical in the extreme. He had caused
unhappiness of his second wife by his immo
Ir, life. He had not the slightest affection for
H. children, whom he only embraced on his dcathb
of He is said to have thoroughly dcspsed the Belgi
nts people, whom, however, he made happy by
tie specting their will He possessed that virtue viii
ton MQntGsquieu calls the soul of mouarchies-ars
act cratic power. He had sworn to defend con: