New-York tribune., 1869-05-29
FRANCE.
q. W. S.
THE ELECTIONS.

tho Department of the Seine. The mere avowal
would be the annihilation in advance. not OF his
chances of obtaining majority, but OF MS chance
of obtaining more than derisOry minority Oh votes
There are however or were three candidates OF lhe
new order known as agreeable. One of these NJ
Louvet, has just retired from the canvass III
favor of Emile Olivier, so that the contest IN
the Third District is now between the last
named gentleman and NJ. Baucel. The con-
test in no other district offers the same or as great
interest In no other Of all France is that question
so clearyput to electors which was put in December
1851: "Win you have this man to reign over you
1t is well enough to observe here, in passing that
the population of the third circonscpton is prepon-
deratingly bourgeois, not ourrier
Mr. Baucel was a member of the Legislative AS
sembly sitting on the benches Of the Mountain on
the LIST of December 1851. On the %, he protested
against its dissolution by Napoeons troops Aiter
that he passed some years in forced exile. He has
not changed his opinions in the LAST IS years He!s
the uncompromisng radical Democratic candidate
The position of his rival cannot be stated so briefly
Mr.. Olivier has given the public volume OF bis
speeches uttered in the Corps Legslat and another
volume entitled "The Nineteenth of January" OF an
apologetc and autobographical nature, as helps to-
ward its definition, while friends and enemies nave
contributed to the same end hundreds upon hund-
reds of newspaper articles All the Paris journals OF
yesterday and to-day devote columns to tho same
filed with reports of and comments on the great
meeting at the Chatelet Theater last "Wednesday
night.
This meeting was called by Olivier for the pur-
pose of again defining his position. To make his
purpose and position as Ineligible as we may IN
few words, historical paragraph must be inserted
here. Born Of honest and thoroughly democratic
parents Emile Olivier was sent by the Provisional
Government Of 1slS to Marseilles, clothed with
nearly absolute authority over the department. AL
though hardly past bOyhOod he performed the ardu-
GUS duties Of his Office with singular wisdom
Though escaping active persecution himself, he SUI
fered with all his family from the cruel persecution
exercised on his father after the coup detat At the
first election in 1851, the crushed Democracy put in
no appearance In 1857 they voted among others for
Goudchaux and Gen. CaYaignac, who, as was known
beforehand would be the case, resigned after their
election, for the principal reason that it was
not consonant with their dignity as notorious
Republicans to take the oath required of dep
uties as a preliminary to taking their seats IN
the so-called Legislature of victorious en-
envy, Louis Napoleon. To prevent a recurrence OF
this disagTeeable sort of manifestation" this gem
tleman, who oddly enough sets a high estimate on
the validity Of political profanity devised that an
oath be taken by the Candidate. Special elections
were then ordered TO fill the places vacated by Messrs
Cavaignac and Goudchaux. For one of these places
lt was agreed by such managers as the Paris Oppo-
sition then had that Emile Olivier should be the
candidate. He accepted the nomination and of ne
cessity took the oath: 81 swear obedience to the
Constitution and fidelity to the Emperor" He was
elected repealed the oath taking his seat and for
the next six years was eminent among the historical
Iolo ad n
liberty. Although in the last Of those years he Of
Tended few of the more radical Of his original con-
stituents by what they considered a cupable ten
dency TO accept crumbs instead Of stocally starv-
ing until the whole loaf of freedom could be snatchcd
from the withholding government, he was again
snccessful sworn candidate and deputy in 1863. The
history of his changes since then which the radical
republican Democracy tax as treason, which he in
sists is only variation in strategy and tactics not
change of base nor of the grand objective, political
liberty for France is as said paragraph ago, the
subect matter Of ten large volumes and Of endlessy
voluminous newspaper writing
To-day Mr.. Olivier poses himself for reelection as
the edemocratic-dynasticib candidate
Since the withdrawal of NJ. LOuyet, he is virtually
the Government candidate in Paris, in the depart
ment of the Var, where he is frankly patronized by
the administration. Two passages in his discourse
AZ the Chatelet Wednesday night are all that can
make room for comment on. IT, he said to those
who attempted to drown his voice, you now pre-
vent my speaking you assure me the greatest OF my
oratorical triumphs." The vanity the rhetorical
skill and the Just sense Of the man. are all in this
sentence 1t secured temporary silence. Mr. Olivier
forgot to improve it by adding that the gagglng OF
all free speech of all Frenchmen for years together
was the most eloquent condemnation of the personal
Government, of which he presents himself as the
anologst and is ambitious it is believed, of becom
ing the chief minister Yet it is not his theory that
the actual Government is the best but IS capable OF
being made good by acceptance Of It, lie deprecates
revolution, and exhorts to conclation. lie prac-
tically goes over to nearly the ground
occupied by the Emperor. If the party
Of freedom will only resign itself into the
hands of the personal Government then the personal
Government will join the Liberal party II you
will only ioin the Catholic Church the Pope will
trrn Protestant. The latter evolution will un-
donbtedly require time for its performance, but with
time and persistent urgenoe, and by the force of
things complete itself if it is let complete itself
Tins tbouOh we are still far from the desired goal
we cannot DENY that we have made large advance
toward freedom since 1851 Revolution will not
hasten the progress but interrupt the regularity,
ierkinO IL spasmodcally forward, and then proyok-
ing reactionary jerk backward. We were further
behind in 1851 than in 1S47. Mr.. Olivier forgets that
the Revolution of 1s4s gave universal suffrage, an
instrument of freedom inevitably lethal to personal
government sooner or lateT-a revolutionary conquest
that made him and makes his actual position, and
made his Wednesday nights speech 10 his electors
a possible phenomenon.
The key note of Mr. Oilivies defense OF his theory
and practice of conciation as opposed to uncompfo
missing protest and of himself against the charge Oh
treason to the party who sent him 70 the corps
Tocislat;f is the oath which, as candidate and