Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1870-01-17
THE BONAhARfE MURDER.

The murder 3f Victor Noir by n Bona
parte is a deed which the Emperor Napo-
leon would give a generous bounty to have
andone. There is no justification for it
even by the code of the duelist 1t is SIM
ply outright assassination, and when
Rochefort calls it so France knows he is
right. The belief exists that Banaparte
was the assailant, gave the offence and
followed it up by shooting down the OBJ
iect of his wrath. The two men went
peacefully to the rooms of the Prince to
arrange for hostile meeting between the
Prince and their friend. They expected
no ruffian attack, gave occasion for none.
1t is not surprising that the deed has
aroused Paris to intense indignation, and
that troops are necessary to prevent in
surrection and disorder. At the very
time Napoleon is promising an enlarge
ment of and better care for the liberties of
the people, dastardly murder is perpe-
trated by one of his own family, as if in
mockery of his professions. The spoken
promise followed by such an act makes
the latter an outrage of the grossest kind.
There was hope, no doubt, that the fair
words given were honest, and that good
results would come from them. France
now sees how much she can trust Bona
parte, how far life is safe when the pas
sion of one of the family calls for blood.
To what acts the assassination may lead
no one can tell. That it has already deep
ened and intensified the hatred for the Bo-
napartes and increased the power of the
opposition among the people is evident by
the excitement and disorder since the muir
der. Force alone prevents revolution.
The army is all that sustains the Emper-
or. But the army may catch the popu-
lar sentiment and slacken in devotion to
the Emperor. Soldiers are men, and in
all popular excitements it has been found
that the feeling of the mass of the people
will be caught by the military, particular
" if soldiers and citizens are of the same
country. Tyrants seldom depend upon
their own countrymen to protect their
private persons and property, but put
themselves in the hands of foreign merce-
naries in preference, for the reason that
the latter are less liable, having no rela-
tves or friends in the mob, to be influ-
enced in its favor. Napoleon's army is
mostly French how far he can trust it to
aid in crushing the people underhis heel is
more than he or any one knows. If
Prince Bonaparte is tried for murder, as
he ought to be and it is said he will be,
the trial will be but farce, ending in the
acquittal of the criminal or some made
.quate punishment that will irritate the
public mind more than no trial He is a
Bonaparte, and that alone would save him.
But in addition to this he committed muir
der for the Emperors cause, upon the
friend of Rochefort, the Emperor's bitter
est enemy and the champion of the oppo-
sition, and he will go unwhipt of justice
though rebellion ensue.
The career of Louis Napoleon has been
checkered one, full of strange vicissi-
tudes, and connected with important
events. Whether his star will continue
to be in the ascendant is question ex-
citing much interest in the public mind.
He stands in the midst of perilous ele-
ments. Through exile and confinement in
prison he has reached the throne, but will
he hold and control it for his family, or
like his uncle will fortune turn against
him when the height of his ambition is al
most reachedp From holding potential
influence in European politics and threat
ening our American nationality through
his Mexican policy he has come to be a
terror to the people of France, and holds
his crown by feeble tenure. The time
may be at hand when his power to tyr
annie over his subjects will be tested to
its utmost, and settle the question wheth-
er he or they shall rule.