The Portland daily press., 1869-06-10
The French Elee,ien,.... -.

Yer. - 49, 81 ,. VI
f.f4,s. The French Elections.
1t has already been said, that, as Russia is o
despotism tempered by assassination, SO is the
second French empire a despotism tempered
ly universal suffrage. Louis Napoleon has
found ont the secret Of ruling country abso-
lutely by the consent of its citizens admitted
20 nominal suffrage but to no real freedom
whatever. He has unbounded faith in the Gull
libilty of the masses and props his throne and
Ills dynasty upon the thick and solid ignorance
of the peasants \, geT..,;- 81 80 49,.
The same constituency that seventeen years
ego voted almost unanimously to enthrone over
its violated Constitution, and the banished and
Imprisoned Representatives, conspirator,
perjurer and murderer this year renews its al
iegaAce ito the same plausible usurper, But
although the official result of the election is ia
feinstate In the positonlegislato Legislators
with no real power ofmaking laws ! a majority
If the adherentsl Of the Napoieonic9 rdle, yet
the moral result Of the eiecfion is far from be-
ing assuring to the master of France.
TheAnumbera ofBopposifion deputies clected
to the last Assembly was twenty-three. Forty
three have already been declared elected to the
present House, and there are elections yet UNI
determined, But the maiorities by which the
republican members from Paris are elected IS
most remarkable: With all the prestige Of a
splendid coart with the patronage belonging
to unlimited power, with the multitude Of gov
ernrneEt employees that half make up the vot-
ing pspulatienI here sstae spregress6f thehop,-
position since 1852 :sdi 81 zoaioI is1fgud sy'1
in le52. Government 1a2 600 Oppositiop,. seOoo
1872 1922 :. 1II,0oo ..Iol, 900
u 51s69eq ssnos IDo..- 900 si5a .d5 ..2lo,OOO
THUS, : says the Rgppel, "tbe number, OF
electors since 1852 having increased SO 900, the
government has lost q, 900 votes, in Paris, and
the Opposition has gained LA, 000.' 'z''Si1
The opposition too is d nors intense opposi-
'tion than hitherto. It no longer represents
,nere parliamentary opposition, but prog nos
'ticates revolution. sach constitutional oppon-
ents Of thee Imperial policy as-Thiers,s Emile
soiiisier, andn JuIesIFarre are succeeded sby
isuchradicals as Bapeel Rasport and the terri
BILE Hechefort The large cities. Lyons Mar
sseiiles and several others fellow Paris in oppo-
sition, The intellect of France and it's highest
culture decide for the Republic. Onlv tbe
blind hero-worship Of an ignorant and priest.
ridden peasantry sustains the empire. But
the glory of the Napoleonic name wanes veat
by year. The uastefui heir Of his une,a,s fama
Steadily consumes his inheritance. 1t cannot
( eutiast the misgogernment of another decade.
and when 1T is gone 1.-THE Revolution returns az
ITSELF Paris hasobeeh France, and il will III
again, when it determines that the, liberties IL
great nation are worth the lives of a. few
tnousana heroes, and even chronic panic at
q I+rTRV
gus Donrse' q 9svs3ig sla1ibs eWul 81 r.
Meantime what influences are the thousands
OF educated and wealthy men and women from
tnis side of the Atlantic that have almost Amer
icanized Paris exerting in favor of republican
isme Once the magnetic presence of such a
i'hobleman of nature, such manly represepta
tiveof free labor, as Benjamin Franklin WIS
a walking piacard in the streets invoking in
surrection Now Americans, prouder of their
wealth, than of the industry, not their own,
that earned it, swarm to Paris to apeits ride
ulous fashions, to share in the enervas;,,,,-
pleasures with. which q tyrant paeifies the
high-spirited people that he opDresses. ana
tnink it more of anlhonor to touch the hand Of
the nsurper of December, than to sit at the
rect OF the confessors of liberty, who have sur
yived exile and the dungeon. -l
10 We do not undervalue the material nrosna,-
ifyfhat has accompanied withoutyb being causad
by the Napoleonc usurpation. We admit thu ID
Paris has been rebuilt and enriched and made
splendid beyond the traditions of oriental In
ltry and magnIhcence, that industry has been
aeVeioped, wealth increased, trade promote5
order secured, crime repressed and intellioenoe
advanced. Though all this had been oste5-
satiously and officially proclaimed ana
proved by statistics, it is in spite of. rathAr
anahi on account Of the, imperial sway. ! 4
Inns isast has been terrible incubas upon.
Ffa4oe' ana the enormous standing army by
which 1t has been maintained has diverted
power OF industry to astagnation and waste.
mat might have been expended in profitable
production The great prosperity of France Is
due to the magical effects of modern iuven-
tious and discoveries, the opening of new
markets and the remarkable skill and taste of
Enc people that make them the best mechanics
'sildo artisans in the world. France has not
prospered under tyranny so much as the Uri-
ted States has under liberty, and we should no |
sooner attribute the prosperity of France to its
military despotism and the vast ARMIES that |
maintain it., than the prosperity of the United |
states ITO slavery and the horrible war in |
which it persisted. Even if it were SO that,the |
material wealth and power of the. French had 1
heeA augmented BY Napoleon Iusurpation, we
should be false TO the, faith Of our hearts and Of
The hearts Of QUE fathers did we not maintain
snat ~ " better to be poor and free than to be
ale9 and wear a chaina .roaih e;st .esv Il
v bat afiiiets the proud spirit of ali cultiyas-
ed Erenehmen is, that while other peoples, i
evsHitbe Italians and Spaniards, are brsying 4
with The problems Of government 1
and society they fittest. Of ali 70 lead the
world, have q completed system d, control and |
repression dictated to and enforced upon them, II
concerning which they are not even allowed I
lhe privilege of free discussion, still less Of l
that deliberation which accompanies choice |
The anachronism Of middle age despotisn |
Clouds the light Of the nineteenth century in j
Its very focus. All the, promises of human
progress are delusive If this state Of things can
much longer continue, .'s'-%si's94ai 4
THE NEXT CExsus.-A Washington CORES
pondept says that the most exciting thing 90 /