Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-08-13
MEMPHIS, TENN: SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 13, 1870

against the people OF France, and tn
principles of political and religious free
dom. Napoleon, as Emperor was onl
a crowned democracy, crowned from tn
dire Necessity of the case, just as ancien
Rome often gave dictatorship to it
noblest citizens that with Imperial au
thority he might, as he did, break foreve
, the power of the monarchies of Europ
to deprive the people Of constitutions
government. 1t was that fact, and no
the ambition of Napoleon, that unite'
the hordes of Russian and Austrian des
potism to the rest of king and priest-rid
den Europe against the grand nation.
The coalition against Napoleon can b.
proven to have arisen mainly from tn,
fear entertained of the triumph of tn,
literature and politics of France, ant
the dread entertained by aristocraciel
and royal families of final overthrow.
As the event has proved, the defeat o
Napoleon at last only gave the feuda
tyrants short respite from the rising tide
Of reform and the only shadowed for
tunes of the Bonapartes.
Fox and other leading liberals of Eng
land sympathized strongly with the first
Napoleon. The after-throes of liberal
ism in France brought with them the
overthrow of Tory Cabinets everywhere.
/ The revolution of '48 reused to freedom
the entire world, and France, as ever,
sounded the tocsin.
The present Emperor first rescuing his
country from the followers Of Robespierre
and the Mariana who would annul mar
riage, abolish the church, destroy wealth
and restore primitive barbarism-pro-
ceeded to remodel the agricultural dis
tricts till the great mass of the people
should own and till their own land; set
up banking systems by which at low
rates of interest the Government money
surplus should always be lent out to the
/, people and kept in circulation; replaced
all the crowded portions of French cities,
once fostering with crime and disease,
by broad streets and ventilated blocks,
and raised the nation from bankruptcy
and ruin to wealth and an enormous and
remunerative commerce. To-day France
has a smaller national debt than Eng
land, and pays far less interest than the
United States. She had universal suf-
frage before it was adopted in America,
and although the licentious press of the
Jacobin is restricted, life and property
are safer in France than anywhere else
in the world, The satisfaction Of the
people is sufficiently attested by plebis-
cite of five to one in favor of a constitu-
tional Napoleonic regime.
Napoleon having consolidated his
power, and, by the arts of peace made
the Empire prosperous, in due time found
Russia ready to overwhelm Turkey, and,
from conquered Constantinople, prepar-
ing to dictate Tarlar terms to Europe.
AS Lord Clarendon and Kinglake, the
historian, have admitted, he fairly dragged
England into the war, rescued Turkey,
and the English army, although repulsed
at the Redan, followed the victorious
French through the Malakof into fallen
Sebastopol. The next grand event of
the Empire was the Italian war.
Italy, oppressed for ages was about to
be totally subdued by Austria. Southern
Italy under Francis (Bomba), suffered
Bourbon tyranny Lombardy and We
nitia were held by despotic Austrian
Viceroys, while Parma, Modena, Tuscany
and Lucca were held by Austrian Arch
dukes and Duchesses. Piedmont, alone
free, was now to be subdued. A vast
army marched to what seemed sure con-
quest. England and Prussia looked on,
the one Indifferent, the other sympathis-
ing with the Hapsburg. France alone
raised her mailed hand, hurried great
army into Italy, fought the victories of
Magenta and Solferino, and then pre-
sented the rescued country the priceless
boon of free Lombardy, with its splendid
Milan. The treaty of Villa-Franca was
so worded that all the rich duchies be-
tween Piedmont and the Roman States
in few months joined united Italy, and
the kingdom of the Two Sicilies, with
Napoleon's connivance, as necessary
sequence became Victor Emmanuels !
Again, through the diplomacy of France,
Italy joined hands with Prussia in the |
late war, and Austria was forced to yield |
Venitia also to Italy.
The French influence in Russia has
created there liberal party. The in
of France in Italy so de-
spoiled Austria that she was forced to
adopt free constitutional government,
and to restore the ancient privileges of
the Kingdom of Hungary. The occu-
patton of Rome by French troops pre-
vented the occupancy of the same city
by Austrian and Spanish troops, which
would have crushed liberty everywhere
with an iron hand. Bismarck under
took his war with Austria after confer
ences with Napoleon at Biarritz and
Benedict at Berlin, receiving the ooun-
tenance Of French diplomacy in Europe,
to his success, gained the vic
tory and then repudiated his share Of the
Consolidating Germany, the
Herr drives good blind George of Hano-
ves into exile, obliterates the kingdom
from the map, leyies a forced loan a Ia
Italian banditti, upon frankfort, despoil-
ing her of her ancient freedom and max
ing her mere Prussian provincial town,
ana then appropriates North Germany
to herself Germany seems united to-day
only because she Is overawed With a
military rigor no other country knows in
oil the conquered States, the entire able
Ned male population sfs forced into
he army. anu ample revenge is thus
taken for the fact that beioIrcc the last
Austro-Prussian war almost all Germany
for Austria and hated Prus-
,ia. Nations DO not forget their hates
Dr the humiliation of conquest and de-
feat in day, and the States Of South
Germany as yet unconquered, with dis
satisfied Schleswig Holstein, Hanover
and Saxony, will give Prussia trouble
when the presence Of French troops
rives the anii-Prussian party security in
he expression Of their sympaihies.
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