The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-10-29
The French Political Plny-Erms
gic OF TragiscOpiic

From, the London Spectator.
1t is related of q tragedy-wrter Of the
first French empire-Lemercier, if we recol-
lect aright-that when, although known to
be opposed in politics to the Empire, he had
been elected to the French Academy, and
had as q consequence to be presented to the
Emperor, the latter received him most gra-
ciously, and asked him if he would soon give
the world some fine tragedy. 81 attends !"
was the new Academician's enigmatic but
threatening reply, of which the Caesar did
not care to press for the Interpretation.
Tragic enough when it came was the result
of that waiting, and such as to take away
from the professional tragedy y-writer all in
clnation to cut 1t up into acts and scenes for
a mimic stage.
And now the world stands waiting for some
''grand spectacle as the result of Second
French Empire: but whether the play is to be
tragedy, or only tragi-comedy, no one can
tell as yet. For a time it looked as if the
former were nigh at hand. Whilst the En-
peror was struck down by illness, amidst the
swelling clamor of opposition, it seemed as if
no more tragic fate had befallen ruler since
the days when King Bomba lay impotent and
agonizing whilst Garibaldi and the thousand
were swooping round and up from Marsala.
One by one all his trusted aud handy human
tools had been dropping away-De Morny,
ST.. Arnaud, Billault, Troplong, Moe
edged blade of universal suffrage had
wounded the wielder's hand. He who
| had crushed out an adverse Parliamentary
| majority had now bent the knee to minority
| just elected, had striven and juggled to anti
| cipate its action, and seem to give that which
he burst no more withhold mad, If not sacri-
| feed, yet put out of the way his most eff
! cient remaining instrument, Rouher. And
| now he lay perhaps on his death-bed. Gould
the woman and the child beside him lift and
bear the load which was slipping from his
| grasp?
But the scene is changed again Caesar, if
not restored to health, is himself once more
| What next
We need not here again discuss the proba-
bilities of an abdication, already discussed in
this journal. That the plan, whether finally
rejected or not has been considered and
turned over at the Tuileries, seems beyond
doubt. But in itself it would really be but a
change Of form, not of substance No one
believes that the Third Napoleon will retire
to San Nuste convent, or take to cabbage
planting like another Diocletian. The plain
fact of the matter is this:-There> is war be-
tween the ruler of France and the FreAch
people One or the other must succumb III
this warfare Which shall it be -?
Without struggle, certainly not the ruler;
scarcely the people. But where Pin the
Parliament or in the streets If in the Par
lament it may safely be said, that the EN-,
peror is vanquished beforehand The civil
history of modern times has few more
remarkable pages than that of the
growth of the Opposition in the
Second Empire, from the time when the
Five, alone amidst compact mass of minis
terial votes-it is almost IA solecism to call
them Yoters-with no publicity TO back them,
since they spoke unreported, bore witness
that there was France outside that mass-a
France unsatisfed, protesting, desiring ready
to claim what it desired At each new elec-
ton few votes were added to the first nu-
cleus OF opposition, whilst others struggled
IN by degrees from the ranks of the majority
itself; at each Parliament some new cohces-
sion was granted from ON high lest Al
should be won, till at last, in spite OF the