The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-03-25
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS IN FRANCE

CHARLESTON, S. G.
LIBERTY OF THE PRESS IN FRANCE
There is storm brewing on the banks OF tn
Seine. The opposition to the Emperor's govern
ment, never entirely dead, has quickened and re
ceived considerable reinforcements by the Ill sue
cess of several of the Emperor's military schemes
Tho Pope has still large party Of Jealous adher
ents in France who cannot forgive NAPOLEON fo
having been the indirect cause of all the presen
troubles and prospective humiliation Of his Hoh
ncss Tho Mexican expedition, that had cost thu
nation so much of blood and treasure, has come tt
naught, under circumstances very humiliating tt
France; and finally, that terrible thorn in the
French side, the aggrandizement of Prussia, per
mitted, it is alleged, by the weak policy OF NAPo
LEON, all these have rendered his Majesty's Gov.
ernment unpopular. Something must be done
and the Emperor throws a tub to the whale in the
shape of additional privileges, the crowning Of
the edifco of liberty" These, however, have not
had the effect anticipated. So far from conciliat-
ing the malcontents Of the opposition, these con-
.cessions have only emboldened them. They see
clearly with what object the edifce was crowned.
They are not satisfied. The debate on the ad-
Dress prohibited by this same Decree and the right
of Interpolation substituted therefor has caused
great discussit in the popular branch Of the Ma
tonal Legislature and has since been the cause OF
grief to M. DE GRARD1N, editor Of La Lsberte, who,
as We mentioned some days since, is the first in
stance of the press in pllory under the amended
law Our foreign mails have brought the original
article that has led to this prosecution. Remark
able is the fact that although M. EMILE DE G1RAR.
DIN signed his name to the article, as is required
by law in France in all writings of political char
acter, the printer of the journal is nevertheless
prosecuted as well as the writer, who in this in
stance happens to be the editor. The article is
headed 'Les Desti,;ees MeiReues," phrase quoted
from NJ. RouHERs speech, in the session of the
2Gth Of February, in the Corps Legislaty, and
reads in substance as follows:
"Of the entire speech OF NJ. ths Minister Of State
M. Rouher), delivered on the 26th Of February,
after the interpolation of N. Jules Favre, and be-
fore the declaration Of NJ. Emilio Olivier, there
will remain in the memory Of it's readers only these
three ines-cloquent, it may be-, but certainly i'm
prudent: owe, Ii. g., the Emperors government, }
have gradually brought the country, from year to
year. to greater degree Of prosperity "a des
destinees naeiUeures,' cannot be easily translated
into literal Engieh. It means a higher degree of
prosperity for the present, and still greater glcry
in prospect.) This was very imprudent, for these
three lines force US to an involuntary comparison
Of the present with the past. First, let Us exam-
inc our foreign relations
s'Territoriauy, France, under the second Empire,
has been enlarged by three Departments--Alpe
AIaritmes Savoie and Haute- -Savoie with an aggre-
gate population Of 788,OoO inhabitants. But what
is the price paid for this territorial increase. In
the first place. at the expense Of loan Of five hun
dred millions francs, contracted in 1885, at go r.
SOC. Secondly, at the price Of all the French
blood which has been shed for the dofence OF Italy
against Austria. Thirdly, at the price Of the uni
cation of Italy. Fourthly, at the price of the uni
fication of Germany. And, finally, at the price Of
what the reorganization Of out army will cost us
new system, which will call for double the old
contingent at least 16O 600 able bodied Frenchmen
every year, instead Of 80, ,OOo at the most, which
was the contingent before 1852.
s'What increase OF glory has been reflected upon
France by the expedition to Mexico, which has
cost us, since 1862 so many strong and able bodied
men, torn from the plough and the workshop, and
so much money, so sadly needed for other pur-
poses2 ...,
"Of what Weight in the balances Of Prince Gort-
chakof were the innumerable dispatches OF M.
Drouyn do Lhuys. in 1868 did thou -s-'>.-so d
single abatement Of tho rigorous policy adopted
against the unfortunate Poles, mis,ed by cruel il
lusions? -
seWhat advantage did we derive from the VIC
tories over the Russians, which we gained in con-
junction with England and Sardinia :? and OF the
victories which we gained over the Austrians IN
our alliance with the Italians2 Of the battle OF
Sadowa, which we permitted Prussia to win, - hav-
ing with our consent, Italy for her aly2 Did we
form an indissoluble alliance between Prussia,
Italy and France, three powers Of 100 OoO,-
600 inhabitants, having force so formidable at
their disposal that nothing could be done without
them nor against thom?
s.But in default of this alliance, il We failed to
accomplish it, if wo repeled it, what allies have
we?
tsWhat is our attitude now in the East, between
Russia, the power against which we were fighting,
and Turkey, which We defended from 1854 to
1862
'sIn return for all our sacrifices what compensa-
tions are offered US, OF what, indeed is there that
can be given to us2
'Now let us turn to our internal affairs. Morally,
France, under the second empire, has gained moth
ing, absolutely nothing. That which on the day
before the ID Of December, 1851, 1.-THE day Of tho
coup detat,] was liberty, on the day following was
merely tolerance. What had been right was now
only auth orization, and these authorizations [per-
missionsl have not infrequently been refused upon
the most insignificant pretexts-very often when
the meetings proposed were mere literary con-
ferences.
"But if we adopt comparative scale OF Liberty,
we shall find that France is much below Germany,
England, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Portugal and
Switzerland. Spain alone in all Europe is below
France.
What then ore the facts, the events, or the laws,
which authorize NJ. the Minister Of State, IN.
Rouher, to glorify himself at having conducted
the country gradually, from year to year, to
nobler destiny?' All our efforts to find them have
| been fruitless.
sIt is not to us our former colleague Of the Legs-
laGve Assembly, NJ. Rouher, should undertake
seriously to say that the coup detot of the I'd De-
cember 1851, has saved France from anarchy; tor,
if ho makes uso Of such language, contrary to
TRUTH we shall reply by placing before bis eyes
these words Of the President Of the Republic
[Louis Napoleon], spoken at the Hotel de VILE
December 10, 1885, 1T is with pleasure can say
to-day that the public mind has become tranquil
tho dangers which existed two years ago have dis
appeared and, in spite Of tho uncertainty Of
things, we can count on tho future, because We
know that if further notifications shall become
necessary they can be brought about without
| trouble
ssAnd if these words shall not suffice, We shall
| add those addrassel IhY Louis NapoleOnl six daYi