Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-09-14
r,isforv Reprodueing nseIf.

night, ana luut NuIuhN N"' "'S"NJ
erected on its ruins. Tho nation
gaped and wondered, and went to
sleep the next night still puzzled and
incredulous about the whole affair.
How was IL all doneY How was it
possible that Republic, embracing
so many scholars and intellectual
readers, could have gone ont like a
snufied candle in single mighty But
here was precisely the difficulty; The
Republic of France had not in its be-
half single great leader. 1t had
plenty of scholars, orators, poets, phi
losophers and dreamcrs, and rciormers
without number, but IL had no great
leader 1t had a host of such famous
men as Lamarlinc and Victor Codsid
Grant, but Lamartine was poet and
Victor Considerant was dreamer;
both grand in idea but excessively
small in action; giants ia thought but
pigmcs in poliIicalphysical momen-
tum. But this physical momentum is
precisely the only thing that that tells
at all in the hour of revolution.
If the world was startled over tho
extraordinary events of 1918 it was
amazed in 1870 to learn that in sin
gle moon an Emperor had offered bat
tic to ncighboriDg Kingdom, and ere
the end of that moon finds himself a
dethroned monarch, and this once
proud President of betrayed Repub-
lie seeking safety in the camp of the
enemy.
Let us look for a moment at the
history of the last years of the Empire
of France, which was nothing more
than a stock. gambling concern = a
joint stock company for working mp
the national wealth of France-the
dividends of which were shared among
the ministers and their more or less
numerous dependents Louis Napo-
Icon was tho George Hudson of the
company - Robert Macaire on the
throne taxing, expressing and i'm
poverishing the people to build up the
wealth Of his imperial supporters, the
ministry 1t was this that FASTENED
the great disaster. The masses, in
lameniable Ignorance of the true con
dilion Of the Empire, and suffering
under the oppressive drains of the
demands Of their rulers, clamored for
war; a clamor which Napoleon was
compelled to heed, although be knew
he was not in condition, financially
or otherwise, TO war with a great
nation like Prussia. This the French
people did not know; for, under the
deccpiions practiced on them, they
were constantly inflated and choercd
with the false reports Of the prosperity
of the Empire. But arrogant in his
false pretences, and hopeful in his
weakness, Napoleon yielded TO the
cry, trusting to his former good for.
tune, gave the declaration of war to
Prussia, and the disasters on the
Rhine revealed the whitening truth to
France that she was not ready, her
armies not equipped, her soldiers not
properly prepared, her forts not sulli-
GENTLY garrisoncd, her treasury almost
empty, the money, che sweat and toll
of the masses squandcred by the prodi-
gality of the ministry, and the results
disgrace and defeat.
The condition of the United States
today is not unlike that of France.
We have the same recklessnoss OF
expenditure, the same boundless infa.
ton, the same universal display of
means, the same financial rognery,
the same confidence and impudcnce
on the part of the rich, which France
profcssed before her recent tumble.
The laws that govern finance, the
laws Of initiation and collapse, are the
same in all time and in all lands
Our millionaire of to day, loaded with
grccnbacks, five twohtics and other
baseless bits Of paper, swims proudly
on the sea of pride and insolonce, in
idio;ic blindness TO the inevitable
storm that must soon drive him upon
the shore. If you quote history, he
gazcs ut you with a vacant stare. If
you tell him in plain words that the
collapse is near at hand, be answers
you with a sneer If you tell bin
that the same thing that is now going
en- here has swept away thousands OF
Kings before Napoleon came TO grief
he laughs outright. But the poor fool
will not be able to laugh away the
doom that will fall OF the day and
the hour whon it will come no man
can tell, but our own country is no
exception to a law that has been
hitherto unvarying, and if America is
wise she will not disregard the warn.
ings Of history.
LAM SALrs OF THE UNION Pacific
RAILROAD The sales of the Land
Department of tho Union Pacific Rail
road Company for hemonlh Of August
wore l4,5Ss,5l-1O0 acres, amounting
to sTS,765.9O 9Oayeraging s5.4Oporacre
The total laud sales of the Company
amount TO Sl0l2 1871