New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-05

| the people" Although the publc shows certain
sensitiyencss to having old memories awakened,
and past Of which it is to say the least not proud.
recalled too distinctly, l, for humble bystander
and listener cannot but think it poor sign that any
apology for the acts of 1852 however fantastic or
farfetched that apology may be, is better than no
apology at all. 1t shows that men of the moral
caber of Persigny have little grain of conscience
| We are not concerned much, however, with what
81 the pillar of the coup d ea" says about that old
villainy what ~ of more Importance IL his estimate
! of the new one in hand. This is the reason, be
saws, why praise the new Constitution. The Soy
eregn has retained all his powers in creating the
liberal empire he has preserved all the Instruments
of real power all the means by which the empire of
authority is supported finally, he has armed liberty,
without disarming the Government The types
tell that when these words were pronounced there
was movement" in the assembly. There was a
movement IN the country when they were read,
next morning! "We knew this before" says lie
Temps but we are annoyed that the confdant, the
intimate friend of the Sovereign should say 1t 80
| frankly" .
| For frank speaking, however, commend rs to M.
lie Come S6gur d Agnesseau, who followed Perslgny,
and who had at least the courage of his opinions no
matter what we may think of those opinions. HIS
speech well worth the listening to- because It's
so seldom of his ideas heard to speak at all
You would not grudge hour, would you, If one OF
| the mummies in the Abbot collection should pla-
giarize brain, and answer with voiceP No more,
| think would YOU grudge French Senatorihe loan
| of your ears under similar circumstances. But us
not the speech itself that am DESTROYS of calling
your attention TO- as q little discussion on
Alter if declaring iSS "i hs firm belief that the
plCbiscitum Will be success for the Government,
NJ S6gur went on to say that his trouble was not on
that scOre-the Government would come out of the
trial victorious; but his anxiety was TO know how
it would use its victory. There is no general
| worthy of the name who does not know how to
profit by his victory and to push it to slegitmate
consequences lMovement There ought to BE no
sentm6atdam in politics, especially when we hnd
ourselves face 10 face with men who themselves cali
| themselves 'implacables' and 'rreconcllables.'
These are real enemies, and enemies who, once con;
ad 9 d%3eyg mo gG S hat
! the law in France had always been on the side
of the vanquShed. But NJ S6gur insisted that
the Government ought not to lose the fruits of its
| victory. Yes" said NJ. Northumberland, but 1t
ought always act with generosity" at is not re-
action ask for" resumed NJ. Segur, Otis only action
and energy. This French people which Is so often
spoken OF as being yernable Is on the contrary
very easy to govern In fact there IS no people that
bears all burdens more willingly. whether they are
| asked TO give their money or Their blood But ihey
iron in a velvet eloye@--Mnrnurs. lond protesta-
tionsl-" provided that the hand of iron is always
hand of justice. , In treating them thus, you
can do with the French people what
yon will OF course, IT is nothing new to hear such
talk as this but il shows that change has come
over even the antQuatcd body of the Senate, when
words like these are no longer heard with passive
assent or greeted with unmiXed applause Not that
| suppose the Holy Ghost to have descended on this
august body and changed their hearts, far from III
but as an Illustration of the changes that are work
ing here the fact that these creatures and servants
personal power think ii necessary to protest with
their tongues, even against too extreme statement
of the doctrines Of despoism, will serve as well as If
their hearts or their heads were the movers OF their
tongues.
When we find the Senate showing even such faint
signs of life us that have indicated, you may well
believe that the world Of living men is showing itself
alive! Although still some days of from the
time when the public meetings rGan?ns for the dis
cusson of the ptebiscitHm to begin hardly any
thing else is talked about when people are talking
seriously, and all discussion of all other topics is put
OIL in the principal newspapers until the vote mas
been taken. The political parties are il,moon, and
even the Right has come into the field and looked
about for good place from which to fight those ter
rible enemies to the peace of society, reform, and
progress. A Central Committee has been formed
to organize the action of all those who
are in favor of the pIebscitam, matter what par
ticular shade their adhesion TO the dogma may
take. Those who think they an intention to re-
turn to 1852, to take back personal power, to put
brakes on the engine of Parliamentary Government,
are equally welcome to the Central Committee with
those who like Emile de GiraIdin, profess TO believe
that personal power is dead and that affirmative
answer to the plebScum will be understood by the
Emperor to mean, that the people approve of the
establishment of a Parliamentary regime. The Cen
trail Committee will no dOubt draw III large num-
Der of adheTents; they have the Government on their
side, and all the enginery of Government, devour,
ing activity of projects included They have issued
a circular to the COunselorGenerals frankly asking
their aid and their calls for money to pay the ex
penses of the campaign, are being generously an
sWered. Each of the Barons de ROthschd has sent
i'm no. 900 francs and other bankers have paid from
1000 5000 francs each. Nearly all the Government
deputies have paid sums varying from sou francs TO
1000 francs although they originally agreed TO pay
only 200 francs The heads of commercial and man
ufacturing establishment also sending in money,
and the Constitutional, which gives these facts
looming from that source they may OF may not DC
facts says that it has 10 names of men belonging
to the class of manufacturers and wholesale dealers
who have contributed to the fund.
suppose in fact it would be sheer folly to hope
that the plebscitam, whatever may be the form It
will take-and nobody yet knows what is the actual
h sh ns P3SP' sf be
hoped is that the minority voting" No" will be large
enough to represent fairly the dissatisfaction that
actually does exist. wish that the opposition were
united whether in their judgment Of the measure IT.
self OF in their opinion as to the best action to be
| not united on either point. The Left Center az
| political party Is announced to have departed this
life the Left is dividedOn what seems to outsiders,
trivial deta-a question as towhether IN the mani
festO that is to be issued the of the journalists
(whO were formally invited TO take part Ill the pre-
! limnary meeting shall be given to those of the
deputies who called the meeting, and this, after
| very angry and excited debate having been an
swered in the affirmative by small majority,
trouble next the question as TO whether the
journalists should be announced as being with the
deputies the coauthOrs of the manifesto merely
| signing it in token of approval. Looked at super
| fcially this quarrel seems rather contemplate; but
it probably rests on deeper grounds, and, indeed It,
is evident that the opposition has too Important di
nit of harmonious action in such q crisis
as this They are beside, at loggerheads about the
way of voting, itself; whether TO put on their ballot
No simply or Ho With additions ,n and n1 wbaasr
! to put anything at all on their ballots The alb
stentiOnist' method is not, on the whole III much
favor, and those who say they know the French
peasant declare that he never can be brought to put
| into the urn piece Of paper with nothing ON IT.
And am afraid that not many of them can be
brought to put pieces of paper into the urn with any
! life, however, that all the parties are acting
freely, without, yet, any sign OF Govern