New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-05-14

TIP PI EPISCITUM-THE PLOT-TIIE BARRlCApEo'
IBY TRLRGRAPH TO TEB TRIBUNBl
PARIS Thursday. May 70, via LONDON May 10, is'o
The result of the plebiscitum dsapponts all par
tics. The Republicans and others of the opposition
are surprised 10y the number Of affirmative votes Ior
they expected not more than 100000 or 6OOooV'
h. though saddened they are not discouraged Ihey
have fought heroically for eighteen years against I'LL
pcrLd dcspotism and their warfare VIII never o0'0
until they are successful The large aHmati'c 'o',
IN Paris was also unexpected but on the o'hei manu-
the great number who voted mo" IN the army
EQUALLY surprises and alarms the Emperor ne oiy
man entirely content with the result Is oil'lci'
whose mcasurrlcss vanity pcrsuades nun 'ii"' .iio
majority for the plciscitun is ratlhcauoh Vi HIS
administration But the true meaning OF the 'o'e
is far different. The Elnperors proclamation uo-
mands "Yes" new proof OF France 5 cohnuehcc
in himself and means of facilitating the transmits
mission Of the crown to his son. The great afirma-
five majority so far as IL 'rGs not fraudulent, did I'M
doubleday mean that and nothing else. TWAS
vote for the Empire pure and simpe-l5eral or de-
spotic, as the Emperor chooses.
ANALYSIS or THE VOTE
or course a large fraction voted Eyes" under the
lead Of Moderate Liberals, who tired to believe tnat
She plcbiscitun meant only approval of the recent
reforms. Another large fraction voted ies" under
fesr of plots ard revolution. At least two millions
out of the seven must be credited to the army or
civilian officials 10 persons connected directly or IN
directly with the vast machinery of administration,
OF otherwise dependent upon the Government. Inc
rest say 100000 was made up partly by fraud and
coercion. rartIv by tho votes Of the bourgeois and
ptasantry-Napcleoui', no doubt by choice, but
ALWAYS for the powers that be in any case. The
pcasantry In he small towns and villages must vote
AZ they are ordered by the mayors and other rural
functionaries. OF actual force and coercion ON the
d,y of the vote there less than III 1882 but the
syetem remains unchanged.
PUTTING DOWN TIE OPPOSITION.
The Government during the whole pleblsctary pc
riod has Systematically applied every means OF ST.
encng the Opposition and driving affirmative voters
10 the polls. The Opposition press all over France
has been prosecuted and seized. Journals not seized
were refused Transmission through the poSt-ohice.
Subscription to the funds of the Opposition commit
tee was treated as a crime Printers were arrested
for printing negative ballots agents were arrested
for distributing them. The Opposition committee
rooms Were invaded 10y the police and searched, and
the papers found there seized. Since the publ
cation Of the official report the alleged plot no
journal has been allowed to publish evidence in dis
proof Of it. The Rdppel seized for printing
letter from FRANCOIS Hugo proving Beaury to be a
police spv The MarsellGise seized for publish
ing rs feuilloton the report of the PTocureur Cen
fral Grandperret. The R(reil was seized for doubt
inc the existence fany plot. The Steele and LArenT
were seized for the ofiense. From last Thurs
day to Sunday the day of the voting these papers
were seized every day. The provincial newspapers
suffered the same fate Five prosecutions were in
stituted in one day against the Rdppe alone and its
editor was sentenced to a years Imprisonment for
printing single article by Victor Hugo. So much
for freedom of the press i'll France under Liberal
ministry! The system Of official pressure by the
Projects which Olivier was pledged to abandon, was
never more theoretically unscrupulousy enforced.
The Projects were summoned weeks ago to Paris and
promised complete immunity for all the efforts they
should make in behalf of the plehiseitum.
TOWN AND COUNTRY VOTE.
Nevertheless the Affirmative majority is wholly
r1f,i majority, Fraud and coercoRRre equally diff
icut in great cities aud all the great cities, with
most of the larger towns throughout France, Have
given maiorites against the empire. Paris gives
nominally $1,000 negative majority, but counting
ahsenfions it is really 10000. Rochefors district
alone following his counsel to abstain, gives 5000
Yes 1900 No, 10000 absentOns. The next three
most important cities are Lyons Bordeaux, and
Marscilles and the returns from these are as fol-
lows: ,,...