The New York herald., 1870-05-19
Tho riebisc'tnm and the Corp. Lesssln,,f.

Tu0 rIeDiscstum anu tuc SOrpo Le8ssiaufs
The Corps L gslatif of France sterday
counted the votes on the plebiscitum and pro-
claimed the result Their counting of the
votes did not in the least degree alter the
facts which are before the world. The result
has been declared, rs already reported in our
cable kilograms. The announcement was re-
ceived with cheers for the Emperor, ard
slight opposition In the Legislature. But 1t
was considerate on the part Of the Emperor to
make such provision for the action of the lower
house. With as little delay as possible depu-
ta,ion from the Corps Lsgislatif will now wait on
the Emperor and formally announce che result
of their scrutiny. The Emperor's address to
the deputies will command the attention Of
Europe and the world Is well as of France.
The pIebiscite, from its repeated success in
France, Is likely to become ON institution.
Under Napoleon's management 1t has
worked so well that it is safs to presume that
1t will be used in other lands and by other
men. Although not new name 1t is a new
thing. The pIebiscitum as 1t Is known in
France has never been known to any other
people, not even to the Romans, from whom
the word is borrowed. In the early days Of
the Roman republic, after the fall of the kings,
the ple6iscitum was . resolution of the Tribes
as distinguished from the acts Of the Centuries,
which were called leges, and from the decrees
of the Senate, which were called senatas con-
sulta. In those days the Senate was purely
patrician assembly, in which the people found
no place. But decrees of the Senate applied
to the whole commonwealth. A sen0trs
consultum was, therefore, in no sense
the voice of the people, although the
people vera bound to submit to it.
The Tribes, on the other hand, represented the
people and the peopls only, and as the people
rapidly increased in numbers and in force the
Tribes began to rival the Senate, so much so
that their resolutions or plebiscita applied also
to the whole commonwealth. But a plebiscituns,
it will thus be seen, was not the expression Of
the mind Of the whole Roman people any more
than was senatas consultwm. In later
times dictators, decemvrs, triumvirs and
other masters Of the hour did not make much
of ple6iscsta. In fact, the word ceases to be
used as we follow the stream Of Roman
history. The French piebisctte has thus no
connection but the name with the old Roman
rls5iscHuna, the resolution Of the ConaStsa
Tribute.
new thing with an old name, 1t has
nevertheless worked well for Napoleon the
Third. 1t is, besides, as we think, a
something peculiarly adapted to modern
times AS government instrument it is sim
pie, direct and effective. 1t brings the chief
of the State into immediate relations with the
whole nation. With the agents now at his
command man like Napoleon can dis
pense with intermediary agents and speak
to every elector and to every man
in France. In the growing future, and
especially in old monarchical countries, the
ple5isctte may grow in favor. Whatever
may be the future use Of the ple5iscite, it is
undeniable that it has done Napoleon good
service. We question whether any other
European sovereign, excepting perhaps the
Emperor of Russia, could have veatured on a
similar appeal to the whole body Of the people.
Napoleon knows how to rule the masses In the
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