The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-09-01
THURSDAY,.... SEPTEMBEk i, As'o
The French Empire.

III
nrescnt European war chat the Empire Il
ended, and that LOUIS NAroLEoN's roht'
cal career may now be written. Unless NJ
were to display capacity for recover!
from adversely greater than his incompara
BILE uncle exhibited, he is beyond the hope
of resuscitalion. The Prussian army Is II
possession of the highways of France II
undiminished numbers. The great gap
made in its ranks by the sanguinary cohli'e''
that have taken place have been prol'i'!
filed by reInforcemcntS, and the colu1n
that marches upon Paris Is prolcc''u -!
armies more than equal to MI 'he 'o.''1
force of France. These armies are ','''t"
with skill, and all the confidence ""' -,
tice of victory, upon the fue''l'e ram
M.cM.EoS. while BAzAISE Is iso'''''
CLOSELY watched in Me'|. from,
Row NAPOLEON can possibly recover from
-, a;sao,crs-how he can relnsplre troops
-,.t;o, have lost confidence III hlln-ho" liz
con nossiblv revive in the hcarI I" ff"ne,
resnect enough for himself, ana enough Oh
devotion to his interests, to prompt 4 @rea'
effort in his favor--we cannot see. III nus
recovery is not impossible. we may say tna'
the event that sends him back Conqueror
md Emperor to Paris will be to the world
the most astonishing occurrence that ha>
happened within a century. 1t will be tar
more surprising than his elevation to the
imperial throne of France. The recover!
OF the nation, indeed, and the expulsion o.
the Prussians, are events far more likely than
the prolougation of NAroLEoN's reign. HIS
reverse is double-it is defeat by the Prus-
slams and abandonment by his own people.
To hold his position he must by his own
resolution and force whip the pruSslans
and conquer the French.
That grand action which may rindicate
France and clear her soil Of hostile feet
will be the action Of France independent OF
the Emperor. That indeed would be
almost miracle but the recovery of LOUIS
NAPOLEON would be a greater wonder than
that. Probably we shall next hear of the
escape Of the Emperor and his son to Bel
GUM. France being thus eliminated from
complications on his account. she may con-
centrate her whole force under the impulse
of the patriotic feeling Of the nation, and
yet accomplish what is almost impossible
under the GOODNESS. and indifference. apd
hostility, to NAPOLEON.
Louis NAPOLEON has gone too far. He
should have stood upon his successful in
terdiction of the placing of lloHENzoLLERS
on the throne of Spain. That showed hi
power and increased his prestige. Had he
rested there all would have been welawith
him. But he made the mistake his uncle
did. and tried one step too many. Great in
council, he sought the fame of his uncle in
war, and has only met his fatc-the loss of
his empire. 1t is impossible to separate in
our minds the fate of such man from some
great error or wrong by which he lost favor
with the rods, and fortune was turned
against him. The elder NAPOLEON was re-
garded as having brought his evil destiny
upon himself by his separation from 10
sEPHINE, his guardian angel upon earth.
LOUIS NAPOLEON will be set down a.
having invoked the wrath of the good
genii, who direct mems fortunes, by his cruel
desertion Of the sainted MAMMALIAN. In
the history of mankind there are few Of
mans wrongs which touch the heart more
tenderly than his, and few cases OF create
treachery than that Of his abandonment by
the Powers which placed him in Mexico.
Should LOUIS NAPOLEON become power
less exile, he will doubtless think much OF
MAMMALIAN.
We can see no hope for the perpetuation
Of the NAPOLEON dynasty. France may
save herself, or intervention when NAro-
LEON is set aside may restore peace and keep
France intact. but the CISarism of the
BoNAPARTEs is, in all human probability,
ended.
p. S.-Last night the telegraph brought
the news that IMAGINATION had been dis
astrously routed by the Prus>ians and
driven upon the Belgian frontier. Pursuit
was arrested, it is reported, by the dchii,
of the French army, which INSTRUCTED the
roads.
We do not see now any recourse but in
tervention, the abdication or deposition oil
NAPOLEON, and the arrest of the war. France
has no army Of any consequence to take the
field, and unless the nation is to be given up
to the fate Of conquest Intervention must
take place.