New-York tribune., 1870-05-07
cannot there be fairly beaten, and we VIII not
again be swindled
THE FRENCH VOTE TOMORROW


Fvon 10 tbere were doubt as to the side on
which the vast majority of French votes Will
be cast Tomorrow, the Emperor would have
no cause of uncasiness concerning the result.
He has arranged matters so that in any event
the victory must be on his side. In case the
majority were to vote against the Constltu-
tional Amendments, the result would merely
be the overthrow of the Liberal policy OF the
Olivier Ministry, and the reestablishment OF
the system of personal government which the
Emperor has upheld for twenty years. In
case of the ratification of these Amendments,
the Emperor is authorized, by the express
terms of the Fifth Article, to exercise special
mower by which he can, at his option, assert
his superiority over the Constitution and the
Legislature, and resume the absolute Dictator
shin of France. In effect, he does not even
temporarily give up any power which ne can
not take back at his pleasure. When the
proposition for q Senatus COnSultum was made
few week ago, he said that he did not intend
to allow his own authority or rights to be
called in question and he has succeeded IN con-
cocting a scheme by which, whether approved
or rejected, his imperial powers will be really
enlarged and strengthened. He has not only cir
cumvented the adversary on the direct issue
of imperialism, but he has relieved himself
from the dangers by which he was recently
encompassed through the growth OF the Lib
eral party. For it is by Ostensibly accepting
the terms of the Liberals that he obtains for
himself the extraordinary powers by which nc
can at any time nullify them.
The opponents of the Emperors programme
flop
ever were. OF the Liberal party proper, only
the Radical section has taken ground in
opposition. And even this section Is d.
vided rs to the policy that ought to be
adopted-some of its members urging the
people to vote against the scheme and
Others to refrain from voting. The Radicals
will not be strengthened by the action OF the
Orleanst party represented by NJ Thiers, who
is on their side. The Oreanists are of the old
fogy order of politicians, which seems to be
doomed everywhere in the nineteenth century;
and though, in some questions OF political
economy, NJ. Tniers is the most clear headed
statesman in France, he has been 80 often
shown to be in the wrong on fundamental
points of government and national policy, that
his influence on the present occasion is of
little account On the Government side,
everything is in the usual working order
The army exercises the right of
suffrage; and as there are reasons not few
why the officers and soldiers should vote for
the Emperor the Imperialst party is assured
of over million votes from this source alone.
The ecclesiastical authorities, who exercise
supreme influence in the provinces, are on the
same side. The French Bishops now attend
ing the Roman Council have asked permission
to cast their votes for the Emperor's scheme
and they have "invited" the clergy through
out France to vote in the same way
AS the Emperor has always supported the
rights of the Church, so the priests
have ever sustained the authority 6f
the Emperor; and they did not work
more untedly in his behalf in the plebiscitum
of 1862 than they are working for his success
in the plebiscitum of tomorrow. On the same
side, too will be the immense disciplined army
of civil functionaries-frOm the Projects, Mayors.
Bureau officers, Judges, and Police Chiefs,
down to the million petty subordinates in the
various branches of the public administration.
All these agencies will work together, and control,
to large extent, the thousand interests with
which they are directly or indirectly related. In
a country like France, where the population is
cOmpact-where the methods Of governmental
administration and supervision are so perfect
that the system works like neutrality-suspicious.
the Church, the State, and the Army are in CO.
Operation-where the people are not accus-
toned to act independently in politics, and
where the great majority are ignorant and
dOcile, it can never be very difficult for the
supreme executive power to control plebi-
scitum. In the skill required for this control,
and in the arts that make it effective, the
present Emperor has never had his equal
OF course, the story of the assassination plot
will greatly assist the Imperialist party,
whether true or false. One of the London pa
pers said the other day that the plot had been
gotten up at the most "opportune time" for
the Emperor's purposes; and he is certainly
using it to the best possible advantage. We
can imagine its effect upon the public feeling
and the popular vote by supposing that Wilkes
Booth, instead of assassnating Lincoln shortly
after his second election, had attempted the
assassination, and failed in it, short time
before the election. The public vengeance
against the culprit, and against the party with
which he was identified, would have been so
tremendous as to crush out all opposition to
LincOn's election. In like manner, if Napoleon
needed any adventitiOus assistance to carry
nearly the whole Of the eight million voters of
France Tomorrow, he has found it in the as
sassinatiOn plot.
CUT4NEOUS DISEASES AMONG THE Doc
TORS