The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-12-24

quired enthusiasts or reformers to open their
eyes and the eyes of the public to the enor-
nifty of daily occurrences and if, as Parkers
enemies allege, he belongs to this trouble
some class, it is still quite possible that
his labors will rebound to the welfare
of the paupers and the taxpayers. He is en-
titled to fair hearing, even if he is in a
minority in the board: he will get it in the
newspapers, and from the Grand Jury,
if he does not get it at the regular
sessions of the Board of Guardians; and
the alleged attempts of some of the officials
of the institution to thwart his endeavors to
gain information which is due to his position
will go far to engender a conviction that
they have sinister motives for concealment.
THE DEFENSE OF NAPOLEON ILL.,
THE New York World yesterday published
long document which purported to be a de-
fense of the ex-Emperor Napoleon III, an
explanation of his policy, aud of the reason
for the sudden collapse of the military power
of France This defense assumes to have
been prepared by one of the ex Emperors
associates with his sanction, and the internal
evidences are in favor of its genuineness. 1t
with the history and character of NJ Bona
parte, as Victor Hugo always persisted in
calling him, would be likely to make, and it is
probably as strong a defense of the policy
that shaped the destines of the second Empire
as could be put forth. We pay that COM
phment to the writer, whoever he may be.
Assuming the document to be genuine mani
feste from Wilhelmshohe, its most marked
characteristic is the evidence it affords of the
total inability of the ex-Emperor to under
stand what the deficiencies of his govern
ment were, as the rest of the world un
derstands them. BY contrast between the
disorganized condition of France previous to
the Revolution of 1S4S, the only remedy for
which, according to their plea, was a revival
of the old Napoleonie policy, and the material
prosperity that France enjoyed during the
past eighteen years, an attempt is made to
overlook what was the real weakness of the
Imperial system which enabled a character
less adventurer to remain during that period
not merely the ruler of France but the arbiter
of Europe. The social and moral corruption
that wss engendered by the second empire,
so that all the principles of virtue and honor
were set aside as of no moment in order
that certain dynasty that had its origin
in fraud and corruption might be able to
perpetuate itself although a whole people
should disgrace their humanity, is entirely
overlooked; and the ex-Emperor attributes
the downfall of his government, and the ruin
of his country, to the opposition he encoun-
tered from men like Theirs, Provost -Paradol,
and others who endeavored to thwart him at
every point. Outside of France, and espe-
cially in the United States, it has long been
understood that the empire was nothing
more than gittering show, and although
| no one expected to see it collapse as suddenly
as lit did, there are few who did not believe
that its downfall would surely come, some
| time or other. The ex-Emperor seems not
to have comprehended the real power of
Prussia until it actually threatened him, and,
as is probably true, he contends that he was
forced into the present war
more by the necessity of maintaining his
prestige than because he desired to
engage in the conflict. On this as on other
occasions, however, he is entirely too anx-
ious to throw the blame upon the French
people, and to represent them as urging him
on against his own inclinstions. All the evi
|
very plainly that Napoleon was anxious to
engage in q war with Prussia, that he dill
gently excited popular enthusiasm on the
subject, and that he confidently expected to
win comparatively easy victory. Although
this document is more elaborate, and argues
from more remote causes, the gist of it il
essentially the same as that of the pamphlet
issued by the ex-Emperor some time ago
and there is nothing in it that will be likely
to increase the respect of mankind for him.
or to make any true friend of France regret
his sudden and disgraceful downfall.
The NEW STEAMSHIP COMPANY
THE entire stock of the American Steamship
Company was subscribed for with mos
gratifying rapidity, and the great enterprise
has started under most favorable auspices
1t only remains for the capitalists of Phila
delpbia to continue their support in the same
liberal manner that they have at the com
mencement, and the success of the new
steamship line may be considered as assured
beyond peradventure. The fact that the
entire capital stock has been eagerl.
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