Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1870-01-26

the reins of power. The Emperor confded
to Olivier the task of forming the ministry,
and he has executed il with signal indepen-
denco and ability. The first act Of the
premier was to remove Baron Hausmann,
who has exercised imperial authority in the
reconstruction Of Paris This eminent and
able man has made Paris a new city. He
has cut through and through its old revolu.
tionary quarters with straight wide and spcn.
did bouleyards. These magnificent streets
are lined with lofty stone buildings and paved
with asphaltite. They can be swept from
one end to the other by imperial cannon, and
furnish no material with which the ancient
barricade can be constructed Paris and the
Empire are no more at the mercy Of the
mob. To attempt revolution, is to tempt
certain destruction. Ilausmann has been the
obedient servant and the true friend of the
Emperor, and his removal must have been
matter of regret to him. The Empire is in
debted to his boldness and genius for its pres
ent security. If it had not been for him,
the flag of revolution would, ere this, have
been flung to the breeze, and the signal Of
bloodshtd aud anarchy would have been Civ
en-. But the boldest leaders of Paris reyolu-
tionists fear to give the signal Of insurrection
For they know well that it would be followed
by such blows as never fell before on those
who should engage in it, 1t was no idle
sentence when Mr.. Olivier said d" the gov
eminent is law and order; you may make it
power"
The change of the ministry, the removal
Of Hausmann, the admission of Rochefort, the
seli-constituted tribune of the democrats to
a seat in the Legislative body; these things
all showed the strength and the liberal ten
denotes of the government, its desire to con-
ciliate the people, and its purpose to fit them
for the political events which are sure to fol.
low on the death of the Emperor The En-
peror could have struck no severer blows at
revolutionary enthusiasm than he has done in
the last two months. He opened all the
sluices to the troubled waters of France, to
flow in freely that he might recover the allie
glance Of the people. He disarmed the reyo-
lutionists by putting the arms of liberty into
their hands. He permitted the demagogues
to become intoxicated, in the face of the coun-
try, with their own mad designs, for the same
purpose that Sparta caused drunken helot
to parade the streets in order to cure the peo-
pie of intemperance. He amazed France
with an exhibition of the bloated emptiness
of the programme of Rollin and Rochelort.
Rocheiort seized the opportunity of liberty
with the unerrng instinct of a proletaire jour
nalist, and filled Paris with his fierce and bit
ter epigrams, and carried into the very House
Of Deputies his wild and reckless ISLANDERS of
the imperial household No course could
have so strengthened the government or weak.
ened its antagonists.
But now occurs one of those unforeseen
events which seems to change the direction
of affairs aud put the throne in the utmost
danger. The cousin of the Emperor rashly
shoots an insulting editor and friend of
Rochefort. The report of the pistol rouses
again the elements that were sinking into re-
pose The radical deputy who had almost
found his occupation gone, whose speechers
and epigrams fell dead on the ear of Paris,
sews together the few shreds of the red flag
which had been torn to pieces in his hands
and waves them before the people. He enters
his carriage and heads the popuace aud with
) seditous cries stimulates their riotous pas
sions. The toga of Deputy saves him from
arrest and violence. The empire is still
strong enough, in face of an excite crowd
Of hundred thousand men, to respect its
own laws and the personal freedom of its law.
makers.
But after the demonstration is over and il
/ has been found impossible TO create reac.
ton the ministry ask the Legislative corp,
!. for the privilege of arresting Rochefort, one o.
!, its members. 1t is granted by an immense
}, majority He has violated every law of the
: order and security Of the nation. He has at
tempted to plunge the city into the flames O
!, revolution, into the horrors of massacre ant
= blood. If he has not succeeded Il was not be
/. cause of any failure in intention, or of any
, noglact Of tl,a n,aans All 4kat s,oaak m,
7. harangue and writing could do to excite tn,
N angry passions Of the mob, he did He avail
II cd himself of every advantage of his position
a 1t was in his heart and in his words to over
"a turn the very fabric Of the State, and delug,
n Paris with blood He dared everything Blu
to strike. His tongue was no coward, but hi
q hands were afraid of the sword. He woulC
, push others into the overt action of which h,
l. was afraid But at last the arm of the gov
n ernment, whose liberty, (not whose authority,
Il he has invaded, has laid its hand on him
Ie The very assembly whose honor he hat
G. wronged, votes him an arrest. The courts o
ID justice patiently hear his cause, and judg
him guilty. He is sentenced to a heavy fin
and six months Imprisonment. Thus, again
the Emperor preserves the order of his EN-
t. pire, and shows the futility of the anarch
p opposition. Even the unhappy ooatretemp
to of the murder of Victor Noir by the hand o
p :, a Bonaparte, which threatened so disastrou
4, results, is made to serve the imperial stability
r. From the nette Of danger he plucks the aowe
D. of safety The excuses of his enemies minis
70 ter to the strength of his throne,
,e We think good deal of popular sympa
thy is wasted upon ROchefort and his radica
., compeers. We have no doubt that as com
\ pared with the cause of the French radicals
lr the Empire ia peaee and lihertv and orda,