American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1866-06-23
(From the N. o. Commercial.
The Power of a Man.

Under the above head the st. Louis
Dispatch has the article which we
subjoin. 1t is true in every respect,
but the Dispatch offers no reason
why it is so. We will. Louis Napo-
leon is the prophet and apostle OF
progress. He educates every child
and employs every man for the ad-
vantage of France. He encourages
the mechanic and fine arts. He has
opened commercial communications
with all the world. He has made
France wealthy, popular and self.
sustaining. He has robbed England
of her trident, and driven Russia
back to her Businesses. He has sent
a commercial agent to open trade re.
lations with Mexico, and contents
himself with commercial commissions
on conquest. In this last item his
trade with Mexico has run up from
twenty-six to seventy-seven millions
of francs. Now all this has been
achieved by moral and material de-
velopment alone; very little by war,
and stillaess by the dishonest diplo-
macy of Richelieu, Talleyrand or
NesselrOde. He is becoming as out
spoken and distinct as Washington.
or Marshall, or Clay, used to be, and
deceives the diplomats by naked
truth. But the prestige of Napoleon
rests on working himself and en-
ploying every material agency in
France to vindicate the supremacy
of France. How long before the un-
happy South will learn that the in
dependence Of a State consists in
that universal and eternal standard
of pOwer-capital, industry and num-
berS? This is what the Dispach
has:
"a profoundly interesting exhibi
ton of one mans power, is the atti
tude of Louis Napoleon, Emperor of
the French, at this time. Such a
spectacle as he presents is rarely seen
in history. Alexander the Greatand
Caesar were, each in his day, master
of the world; but the world then
meant a portion of Europe, Asia and
Atrica-a few civilized centres, sur
rounded by dark area of barbar
ism. Louis Napoleon wields might
ier power than Caesar, whom he be-
gan by initiating, but whom he has
surpassed.
"He is virtual master of Europe
and its dependencies-of Europe,
with its hundreds of kingdoms, its
of populous cities, and its
enormous and complicated system of
He holds the isles of
the sea in his hand. He controls the
gold and silver of Africa and India.
All the Kingdoms of the Old World
are at his bidding, and their kings
and queens are his courtiers. He is
the oracle of Europe-this strange,
nscrutable man; and premiers, states
men and diplomats read his ambigu
)us utterances with painful anxiety,
Is the ancient world were wont to
'ead the responses of Delphi. The
secondhand speeches of his repre-
sentative in the French Chambers,
vaguely promising peace, spread per-
olexity through the palaces and
councils of Europe. A few laconic
words which he utters at Auxerre,
lecrying the settlement of 1915, fall |
ike a pail OF thunder on the capitals,
md instantly there is calling for
he men of war, a waking up of the
mighty men.
"There is threatening quarrel be-
ween Prussia and Austria; and
quarrel between Italy and Austria
md an unsettled dispute between the
King of Italy and the Pope, but we
10 not look to Berlin, nor to Vienna,
lOr to Florence, nor to Rome, to ask
there is to be peace or war.
n the palace of the Tuileries is the
racle, and thither we turn our eyes
or an answer to the interrogatory.
f the Emperor says there will be
'eace, there will be peace. If he re-
uses to say there will be peace, Eu-
ope knows there will be war, and
'repares for it,"
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