The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-09-21
"THE EMPIRE OF LIBERTY.v
Prince Nepoleon's Famous Speech
"The Empire Not Incompa tible with
Liberty''-The Empire OF 'Aut hority
Must Burn ITS Old ships.

The recent debate on the Senatus Consultum
in the French Senate was opened By NJ. Boulay
de la Meurthe, who groaned over the wounds
made in the constitution of 1852. and said he
should vote against the meas ure. Several
senators followed, gi7ing more or less cogent
reasons why they should vote for it. Some
said it was necessity forced by the pressure
of public opinion, and others took the more
courter-like ground that it was an emanatior
from the spontaneous wisdom Of tn, Emperor
But all their In .ubrations were thrown into the
shade by the following remarkable speech Of
Prince Napoleon:
Messieurs les Senateurs, shall go at once tc
the heart oil the matter in hand. The subject
is most serious one. We are charged to- day
to effect change in the constitution. This is
certainly most important phase in our politl-
cal history. 1t is not my intention, especially
at this late hour. to speak of the events which
brought about the present crisis, and which
are known to everybody. In Limtne let no as
sociate myself with other speakers in q tribute
Of gratitude to the Emperor, who, at mornent
Of profound tranquility, has begun such a
considerable transformation as that which has
been styled BY the honorable President OF this
Assembly himself, the transformation of the
empire oil authority into the empire OF liberty.
! beg you to see in the extensions Of the
Senatus Consultnm which would ask for NO
thought OF opposition. mean to speak very
frankly; but to prevent any possible misunder-
standing, desire publicly 10 declare here
what will readily be believed. but which never
theless it is well TO repeat-my entire and
unreserved devotion not only to the En-
pertr. but to his son. cloud cheers. }
/ understand, better th N any one, that my in
terest as we'll as nv affections are ind;ssolubly
bound up in the Empire. IHear, hear.l My
personal vanity might be gratied. l admit,
by what is now going on, as for a long time
past | had been a partisan Of the present
transformation. had also asked for the liber-
ty Of the press and the right of meeting long
before they were conceded, in principle atIeast,
bv the letter of the 18th OF January, 1867.
am happy to see the Senate now called on to
accomplish q parliamentary reform OF great
importance, but regret to see that body and
the committee manifest in the work a certain
feeling Of hesitation and of want OF confidence.
They seem to approve reluctantly, and to make
reserves. Movement
NJ. de Maupas. Such, Monseigneur, are not
the sentiments Of the committee. Move
ment.]
The President. Nor Of any of its members.
Priuce Napoleon. That at least is the spirit
and tendency Of the report; and when the
country sees an examination accompanied with
go much reticencs, and made with so little ar
dor, it may feel uneasy, and inwardly doubt
whether in reality thess reforms are sirable.
As for myself, accept them unreseIvedly. l
believe the CO. oexistence OF the empire with
liberty to be perfectly possible, and those men
who think that it is not are themselves as ire
concilable as they maintain those Two words to
be. Liberty may be for time eclpsed, but 1t
is beacon toward which oil civilized nations
are tending, and France has right to count
herself among the number. ThIse men who
look upon the present reforms as contrary to
the principles IF the empire are enemies OF the
government; those who consider them as ex-
pertinent only are equally dangerous. would
have the empire OF personal authority burn
its vessels and abandon all ideas OF re-
ceding. The art Of governing is to give