The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-09-13
{. C.tllI' !. !. U;Ml.. D y ! .BIA., S. c.
Tuesday Morning September Is, 1870.
The War.


Speoulation.as to the chances Of the con-
tinuance Of Republican Government in
France, muHt, at this time. be wild and
desperate. There is scarcely anything
upon which to found q theory or to
strengthen guess. We have facts from
history before us, which show that two
Republican experiments in France have
been failures. But in each instance, we
have the proof that the tendency of the
French people to Republican Govern
ment was subverted and turned aside by
q Bonaparte. After the tcrrors of the
French Revolution, the Government of
France, considering the stormy charac-
ter of the times. was judiciously con-
Quoted by the Directory. But the Dircc-
tory interfered with the ambitious plans
Of Napoleon Bonaparte, and with tho aid
of the army. he overthrow that deposi-
tory Of power, aud the three Consuls
were appointed. The First Consul soon
became Consul for life, and then Empe-
ror,; and so the fair fabric of liberty in
France was torn down by the man who
had been nurtured and strengthened and
placed in power by the opportunities af-
forded him by Republican Govern
ment. The Republic of 1S48 was csta-
blished with very little bloodshed, and
conducted with prudence by its origina-
tors, and with honesty by Gen. Cavaig-
mao. But France had not yet supped
her full cup of woes from the hands of
the Bonapartes. That true and honest
old Republican, Cavaignac, whose faith
had never been doubted, did not seem
to have the qualifications, in the tickle
minds of Frenchmen, necessary to secure
the national glory. He was put aside in
Difference to the supposed claims of
Bonaparte, and Charles Lonis Napoleon,
whose ambition had been always to carry
out the traditions of tho family, was
chosen in his stead. Napoleon III, like
Napoleon I, came into the possession OF
power under the Republic, with pledges
Of fidelity to the Republican cause. But
as soon as the last Bonaparto was fully
seated in authority, he began those in
trigues which were necessary to mako
him an autocrat. The coup d'ctat of De-
cember, 1851, led to the extension Of his
term as President for ten years The
pie6iscitun,, in which less than 5000, 600
votes were cast altogether, was the form
used to make him Emperor, and he as
sumed that title on December g. 1862.
Thus, it seems, that every effort in
France to establish Republic, however
honest the feelings of the people might
have been, has been rendered futile and
put aside by Bonaparte influence The
third endeavor may or may not have diff
ferent results. If France were free from
invasion, if the deposition of Napoleon
had been the result of popular move
ment in time of peace, no other nation
would have dared to interfere. But under
present circumstances. with foreign SOL
diers upon her soil, with the scions of
the houses of Orleans and Bourbon ba-
nished, there was really no method avail
able, for the time being, to maintain
order. but the establishment Of a govern
ment resting upon the will of the people
Whether Prussia will interfere aud en-
deavor to bring back some of the repre-
sentatives of past royalty, or whether
the Republic will have chance to csta-
blish itself permanently; whether foreign
nations will endeavor to take part in this
matter, are things which at present can
not be guessed.
The New York Times says:
The Empire must have been fraud,
or collapse so sudden and complete
had been impossible. Six weeks ago, it
was the bugbear of Europe. Two weeks
later, it menaccd the Germany which has
crushed it like an egg shell. In that
interval, it's hollowness has been proved.
It's hold upon the heart of France has
been shown to be rs mythical as the
armed hos ,s which figured for years on
the pay-rolls. The manufacture of
popular vote was easy while costly
organization was in the Imperial SER
vice, but there is no longer any necessity
to conceal the aversion and contempt
with which tho Tn n r rio1 non,n - rnO,r1