Middletown transcript., 1869-07-31
Foreign Affairs.

Hrunce. IHe people demand OF Napoleon
a return from imperial absolutism to parla-
mentary rule, that his own absolute will
shall bend to that of their own as express
sed through the Corps Legislatif. 1t is
said that he will make concessions to these
demands, thus showing himself to be wiser
than the Bourbons, who conceded nothing
and lost all. The liberal spirit is active,
slowly but surely undermining the old
system OF things and making even the
Imperial throne insecure and tottering
Napoleon sees the situation perfectly, and
is not slow in acting. He has siguifed
an intention of granting many Of the
points made by the opposition, and in Or
der that matters may not be hurried to an
unseeming conclusion has prorogued the
Corps Legislatif, until near the end of
October. This is the present position of
the Emperor In the meantime, the op-
ponents to Imperial rule have resolved to
keep before the nation the principles ad-
vocated by them in their demand for the
right of resolution or Interpolation. Nj.
Thiers is outspoken in favor of immediate
action OF bold and aggressive character,
but Jules Favre advocates silence for the
present, but entire readiness to take ad-
vantage of any change in public opinion
or governmental situation which may oc-
cur during the suspension of the sittings
of the Corps Lcgislotif The New York
Tribune well remarks: "It is an evil
dence of emboldened liberalism, and equally
of imperial failing, that one hundred and
four members of the new Legislature, in
cluding men of the Conservative class,
demanded that the Legislative body should
be free to criticise the policy of the gov
ernment, and to put questions, to make
motions and amendments without subiec-
ting them previously to the veto of Ma
poleon's council The resolution of the
Third Party demanding responsible
Ministry, and the freedom of Parliament
from the trammels of official rules, rcck-
ons upon the unprecedented strength of
one hundred and ffty-fve votes, leaving
the government in minority of twenty
two" This is truly dilemma, from
which entire escape is difficult without re-
course to force. The Emperor must bow
to the blast He means to do so. But
when once down, can he regain his up
right position once more? Will not the
people clamor for a duplication of all
grants of power in their favor? Assur-
edly. This is the history of all popular
movements. King John yielded some
points to his Barons, and the current, then
started swept away many not thought of
at the inception of the movement. If the
result of an election is marked by radical
alterations in the government of France,
the people will soon make their voices
heard through that trumpet in still more
emphatic manner. And, when the goal of
resistance is reached, what can the EN-
peror do? He can use the army. But
by so doing he will leave his son to be
upheld by bayonets, not the love, devo-
ton and fidelity of the French people.
The present ruler of Russia is reform
er, and the improved condition of his king
dom testiies to the wisdom and benefcence
OF his acts. Following close upon the lib
Grafton of the serfs, the Gar has perfected
auG Put in operation another important re-
form in his realm. He has abolished the
hereditary character of the Kussieii priest
hood, and thus changed the condition of
numerous class of his subjects In speak
ing upon this subject the Moscow Gazette
remarks that it is seldom any great reform
has so carefully avoided the Infringement
OF justice in respect to vested rights. The
children of the clergy lose none of their
rights with the abolition of the hereditary
character of the clerical office They are
to continue to have the benefit of the char
table and educational establishments hith-
erto maintained for the clergy. Another
important feature in the new ukase is the
better provision which it makes for the
maintenance of the priesthood. Their
poverty has been principally due to the ex-
cessive number, both of parishes and
priests, the former having been created
for the latter. There is to be a new dis
tribution of cures, on the basis of popula-
ton, facility of communication between
villages and the moral condition of parish
toner's. Another important alteration in
the ecclesiastical laws of Russia is about
to be submitted to the Emperor. 1t ad-
mlts OF civil marriages in the case of Rus
sian dlssenters who do not acknowledge
the orthodox sacraments, and is calculated
to obviate great amount of immortality
among large and not unimportant class
OF the population.
Advices from Madrid to the 22d. bring
the important intelligence that Don Carlos
had entered Spain, in the Province of
Navarro. Some fighting has already ta-
ken place. This man is the son of Don
Carlos the Pretender and is now making
the last of several attempts to obtain
foothold on the soil of Spain. Since 1916
he has lived principally in London and
Naples, in which latter city he married the
sister of King Ferdinand, and has borne
the titles of Count de Montemolin and
Duke of Madrid. His political opinions
are Bourbonized to the last degree, and
his advent to power would be greater
curse than the peogle of Spain have yet
been called upon to bear. We doubt if
Spain will be at rest until her government
assumes the form of a republic