The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-06-14
SPIRIT or THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToPIOs-OoMPILED EVERY
DAY FOR THE EVENING TELEGRAPH
THE CRISIS IN FRANCE-IMPERIALISNG
IN PERIL.
From the N. Y. Herald.


large crowds assembled in the Montmartre
district. charges of cavalry on the people,
attempts to erect barricades and their frus-
tration by the police. A number of news
paper editors were arrested, and several
press seizures made by order. Napoleon and
Eugene drove through the disturbed district
and were, we are informed, cheered enthusi-
astically by immense assemblages of people
The result of the elections, which has proved
a cause of rejoicing to lovers of liberty all
over the world, has been accepted generally
in France as a triumphant protest against i'm
perialism. We do not recollect any great
event in these last years which has been
commented upon with such una
nimity by French, German, English, and
American journals. As the details
reach us from different quarters it is made
the more manifest that the result of the Paris
elections called forth the same Judgment
everywhere-that the one-man government
was doomed This judgment was confirmed
when it gradually became known how matters
had gone in the other large cities and in the
departments. The International puts it
strongly, but not too strongly, when it saws
that Paris has declared that ''it is no longer
contented with government which is neither
personal government nor the government of
the country by the country nor despotism,
nor liberty" As proof that the feeling is in
Nantes were much more serious than at first
reported, and that they were suppressed with
difficulty. The dangerous character of the
situation, despite the cheers, is made mani
fest by the announcement that NJ Persigny
one of the stanchest friends and most trusted
advisers of the Emperor, has written to his
master recommending the introduction of
further liberal reforms
There are many, of course, who take mild
g "a I II
to explain away the alarming character of the
facts. According to such persons, France is
exercising a new-found privilege and rioting
somewhat in a new-found liberty. Opposition
is sweet in such circumstances; but from its
apparent strength large deductions must
always be made in order to arrive at a correct
measurement of it's actual force By some
it is argued that the Emperor has himself pro-
voked the disturbances, in order to create
pretext for withdrawing the reforms he has
granted or rather that, with view to catch
his friends and the lovers of order generally
throughout the empire, he has gone far
enough, and that further concessions would
be dangerous. BY others again it is argued
that the Emperor has been fully prepared for
all that has happened; that he is not at all
surprised; and that he will go on, in spite of
all appearances to the contrary, humorino the
French people, granting further reforms, and
gradually reconciling them, in spite of them
selves, to Bonapartism.
Our view of the situation is different It is
our opinion that Napoleon the Third desires.
above all things, to establish the Bonapartes
on the throne of France. He has never been
forgetful, since he became Emperor, at least
of the fate of the first Caesar. 1t has been his
ambition to initiate the role of the second
Augustus, without his weaknesses, has been
model. Rome was not sick of Caesar because
so-called patriots murdered him. Augustus
had great success; his name is associated
with the palmiest days of the empire he had
the honor of establishing the dynasty. and
the name of Caesar remained power until the
empire fell. If this view be correct, no one
must for a moment imagine that Napoleon
will give up the fight. OF all living men he
knows, perhaps, the most about the require
ments of the times. He has his plans and his
purposes, and, what is better, he knows the
standards and conditions according to which
these plans and purposes must be fashioned
He wishes to leave his son his successor, and
SO long as brain remains to him he will labor
at any cost and sacrifice to this end From
this point of view, and from no other, can the
situation in France at the present moment be
properly looked at or correctly understood.
What, then, is Napoleon most likely to do?
He may not refuse to grant further reform
Very probably he will not. But reform in
the shape of increased liberty, will not be
granted to the French people on any other
principle than that which we have mentioned.
1t must first of all have a relation to the secu-
rity of his own position, and secondly to the
welfare of his dynasty. 1t must admit the
necessity of Napoleon the Third, and it must
make plain the way to the succession of Napo-
leon the Fourth.
We are not, therefore, unwilling to believe
that the immediate result of the elections will
be gentle and agreeable humoring of French
feeling and desire. But concession will not
be allowed to wear about it the garb of timi-
dity. The Emperor must not seem to yield
TO compulsion. There may be allowed little
larger license to the press the right of public
meeting may be less restrained; but it will
not be permitted that these reforms be abused
Ii, however, these should not tell, and tell i'm
medlately, it may be taken for granted that
Napoleon will, without delay, give an out
ward direction to French discomfort. His
popularity OF late years has waned and he
knows 1t, largely, because he has not been
sufficiently willing to fight. He has shown
himself lover OF peace even in circum-
stances of great provocation. But he is not
the man to allow any desire, any opinion.
any theory to stand between him and tbe
object of his life. France is unquestionablv
sore because France has been taught to be-
heve that Prussia has become a powerful
and dangerous rival, chiefly through the mis-
taken policy of the Emperor. Prussia has
become somewhat arrogant. The humbling
of Prussia, especially if that humbling would
imply the restoration of the boundaries of
1914, would be a qualification to the entire
French people. war with Prussia is the
way of escape out of great difficulty. If no
other way of escape can be found, and no