The New York herald., 1867-03-25
Tho French Empire and tho Prssecatios OF
nj. Gbrardiu.

M. GSrardiu.
We have received by the last steamer the
details of the prosecution and conviction
Of N. Girardin, editor Of La Libertt, for the
obnoxious article, . translation of which we
publish to-day. 1t appears that N. Girardin
has not only appealed from the sentence Of the
court imposing fine upon himself and his
printer, but he has publicly declared that he is
no longer an sdhereht Of The empire, and that
the political and social relations Of twenty
years. standing whidh be has held with promi-
nent members of thd imperial government are
dissolved. More thsh this, private letasr Is
said to have been relently circulated, in which
N. Girardin predicted that the present Emperor
would share the fate OF Louis Philippe. Stimuli
taneously, the Paris correspondents of the Eng
lish papers hint mysteriously at renewed con-
spiracies in France, where republicanism and
Orleansism are by no means quite extinct.
Under these circumstances we cannot doubt
that the Emperor Napoleon already heartily
regrets the ill-advised prosecution Of N. Girar-
din, and will have canse to regret il even more
heartily in future. M. Girardin is a gentlc,aaa
of unquestionable talents, great wealth ana
high social position; he has been for many
years prominent in French politics; he has
been very intimate with Louis Napoleon, and
at the time his Objectionable article appeared
he was most intimate with the Prince Jerome.
When person of such standing deliberately
recalls his adhesion to the empire the move
ment is ominous. But, besides this, NJ Girar-
din is the first journalist i'm France his name
alone will create an immense circulation for
any paper with which it is connected his
writings influence many thousands of people.
We infer, therefore, that he has not taken his
present course without the certainty that he is
strongly supported and that he will be numer-
ously followed. The moment which he has
chosen is also most opportune. The French
people have lost faith in Napoleon His lucky
star has set, and that fatality in which all the
Napoleons have believed begins to turn the
expedition was the first of series Of disas ters,
and the French people, always superstitious,
have lost confidence in their ruler His con-
duct towards M. Girardin is not calculated to
reassure them. The Independence Beige tells
us that Napoleon was very angry At N. Girar-
din's article, and threatened TO withdraw all
his liberal promises; then became mole tram
quill and did not wish to make victim of M
Girardin !" then gave way to his rage again
and directed the prosecution to continue.
From other sources we learn that he was
equally vacillating in regard to the sentence;
for when the judges had condemned NJ. Girar
din to both fine and imprisonment the Emperor
tuations of temper are not Characteristic of q
great ruler. On the contrary, the French inter
pref them as new illustration Of the proverb
that the gods first ma 1den those who are to be
destroyed.
And, after all, what does the result Of the
prosecution of NJ Girardin provsf 1t estab-
fishes the fact that in Paris the price Of "en-
deavoring to excite hatred and contempt of
the government" is one thousand dollars In
gold for the writer of the article and twenty
dollars In gold for the printer. This is cheap
rate for revolution Again, by admitting that
there were cxtenuating circumstances" in
this case, the court indirectly censurcd NJ.
for his speech was the only extenuation that
N. Girardin pleaded. The French are not
slow to perceive these ridiculous but logical
sequences and to appreciate their force. In
all prosecutions of this kind the people side
with the press. They instinctively feel that to
attack the press is the worst possible confess
sion of weakness upon the part of any govern
mcnt. Thanks to such editors as NJ. Girardin
in France, the elder Walters in England and
others who might be named in the United
States, journalism is now profession, like the
law, or medicine, or the church, and it Is
entitled to the same privileges and immunities.
There was time when lawyer was not
allow cd to speak freely on behalf of his client;
when doctor was burned at the stake if he
chanced to be too skilful; when clergyman
suffered martyrdom If he preached any other
religion than that approved by the govern
ment. The interference OF the governments of
Europe with the press is relic OF that bar
barous epoch, and must soon pass away. The
press is only powerful when it says what is
true, and any government which fears the
press fears the truth. The hundreds of warn
ings and fines and suppressons which Napo
leon has imposed upon the press Of France
have not annihilated revolutionary feelings
but, on the contrary, have strengthened them.
A government that tries to force the press to
praise it, that opens private letters to prevent
the circulation of hostile pamphlets. and that
seizes all foreign journals which contain un-
palatable truths, renders itself contemplate,
and is soon hated. The outbreak Of N. Girar-
din shows the sentiments that underlie the
smooth surface of French Imperialism, and as
we once informed Louis Napoleon that the
French monarchy was near its fall, basing our
opinion upon the tone of the French journals,
so we now warn him that such blunders as the