The New York herald., 1870-05-02
Tho Conspiracy In Francc--PIot Asains'
ths Enperer's Life-The Prospect

When we said Few days ago tnas an"hs
would be lively In France at least until the
Tle6iscite had been voted upon we did not In
clude in our provision that kind OF hyeiiness
which comes Of conspiracies, regicide plots and
such like. We did expect violent speeches,
multitudes of negative voters and some street
rows. II appears, however, that the political
excitement which we expected to culminate on
the sth Of May is likely to yield to another
excitement, which, whatever its foundation,
will be more advantageous to the Emperor and
his ministers.
A plot against tho Emperor's life has been
discovered. From that hotbed of French
conspirators London, man named Beauri
had found his way some short time since to
the French capital. This mans steps had
been watched; his ways were mysterious
his associates, SO far as he was known to have
any, were of a dangerous sort. AT last, accord
ing to our cable news, the authorities felt
justified in arresting him, aud papers found on
| his person, taken In connection with his own
| confession, leave, it is said. no room for doubt
| that his special mission TO Paris was to assas-
sinate the Emperor and take part in other
! kindred work. Other arrests have since been
made; the International Workingmen's Asso-
citation has especially been spotted, and in the
Belleville quarter, the scene of the late barri-
cades, large quantities Of powder and number
Of explosive bombs have been found Ii the
reports already to hand be well founded it Is
not to be denied that the conspiracy has wide
ramiilcations and that the would-be assassin
has many associates both in and out OF France.
A special cable despatch which we print this
morning shows that the excitement is still
intense, and that although order has been
maintained the gravity Of the situation had
not been exaggerated in the first reports.
The assassination Of the Emperor was but one
of many purposes all Of which were directed
to the overthrow Of the empire and to the re-
establishment Of the republic. According to
some of the Paris papers it was intended to
blow up the Palace Of the Tuileries and the
Prefecture Of Police. We are not disposed to
ignore the fact that this conspiracy has hap
pened opportunely for the Emperor and his
friends. That 1t will materially assist them
in their plans and purposes we cannot deny.
| We know well, also, that since the days Of
Louis XIV. the French police have been
adopts in first of all getting up conspiracies
and then discovering them. We have no rea-
son to doubt that the present chief Of the
French police is a worthy successor ofthe cele-
brated Fouche, of the First Empire. AT the
same time We cannot say that We have any
good reason to connect this conspiracy with
any scheming or plotting on the part of the
| Emperor or his friends. Such a course could
only have beon resorted to in the direst ex-
tremity. The Emperor is in no such extremity.
| Everything is promising for the Sth of May.
1t is the ''reds, the ''irreconcilables who are
desperate They see that France is not
with them, and that their only opportunity
lies in some desperate effort. All lovers Of
order, in and out Of France, must rejoice
that this foul scheme has been discovered
and frustrated. Beauri has not been so sue
cegsfal as the Rayallacs, the Balthazar
Garards and the John Wilkes Booths of the
past; but it is now more than possible that,
elevated to the same platform of infamy, he
will share with them their unenviable no!o-
riey No good ever did come, no good ever
can come, from the assassin's stroke. Even
when it has rid the world Of tyrant its
results have aggravated not mitigated, the
crime.
II is impossible TO refuse TO admit that the
discovery Of this conspiracy has added some
what to the gravity of the situation in France.
It will not of course diminish the number of
| ~. ~ a
will have dsquieting effect on the public
mind, and 30 temporarily paralyze trade. In
the cad, however, good rather than evil will
be the result. France, already devoted TO the
| cause of order will rally around the Emperor
| as the representative Of that cause. The
words of NJ Olivier few days ago, when he
asked the French people to choose between
"peace and prosperity" on the one hand, and
revolution, anarchy, revenge" on the other,
| viii now be fully understood; and the oppo-
nents of the present ra95me, by whatever
name known, will be more impotent than ever.
We cannot permit ourselves TO think that any
section Of the parliamentary opposition is i'm
| plicated in this vile business We shall expect
! to find the respectable members Of the LEFT,
as well as the Orleaniss and the legitimists,
denouncing aud disowning the conspirators
Meanwhile, urged on by wholesome dread of
falling into the hands of assassins, led by her
most respected and most honored citizens,
encouraged by her priests and bishops and
commanded by his Holiness the Pope, France
will go to the ballot box and sustain tho EN-
peror by an almost unanimous vote. This
foolish and wicked conspiracy hos made the
Emperor's SUCCESS certain.
|
| TAKING THEM AS THEY CoNE.-.Iustice Dow