The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1871-12-22
CHE Gmporia sgeips.
Friday. Desember 2e, 1871.
THEIRS.


Theirs is the ablest of Frenchmen,
and one of the ablest men of the age.
But he is not at all a great man.
Greatness is half q moral quality, and
on this side n. Theirs is weakest. He
has always been an astute statesman
and narrow politician. His political
creed Is selfish, his statesmanship has
not an iota of generous breadth to 1t.
1t is fortunate for the world that he did
not come into power until France was
thoroughly crippled, and he was old.
1t Is only fortunate for France that he
came into power at all, in that his
masters, the Bonapart;sts and the sans
cuLottes OF the commune.
The first article of his political creed
has always been TO secure and to main
tain the ascendency of Adolphe Theirs
in France ut all hazards. The second
was to maintain the ascendency of
France, tho country of Adolphe Theirs,
among the nations. No statesman so
able and so heartless has risen in France
in generation. Before the downfall
of Napoleon, he mores than any one
rendered the German war possible.
He stung the government perpetually
by his reproaches. They were permit
ting Germany to unite and to become
great, and the unity and greatness Of
Germany were fatal to the supremacy
OF France. He never blushed TO de-
clare that 1t was good policy for France
to weaken every other nation in order
to maintain her own control OF the des-
TIMES OF Europe. BE reproaehed Ma
poleon III for the only good fruit his
foreign policy ever brought forth, the
unity Of Italy. To the military great
ness and political supremacy OF France
he inhumanly proposed to sacrifice the
unity, progress, and liberty OF all
neighboring nations. The whole pro-
gross OF civilization, the advancement
of the human race, was to be sacrificed
to the Moloch of his national ambition
He, chiefly, goaded the government Of
Napoleon to the German war, adroitly
slipping gut of the responsibility at the
last moment. And whom q peace wal
to be made, peace more unpopular
than the war, he refused all response
bility for that too. BY this cold-blood
ed maneuvering in the hour of hi
country's calamity this veteran Orlean
list politician has attained the head OF |
republic which Is q republic withou
liberty of self-government. He is tn
destroyer of the empire, and yet is
sort OF emperor in q republic.
But not only Is N. Theirs withou
conscience. his reVengefnlness In pun
ishing with the most rigorous penaltie
young Communists who have scarcel
attained their majority, and men hk
Rochefort, whose crimes are purel
political, has proven him also withou
heart. He has almost made Napoleon
bloody coup Petdt seem less culpablC
There IL but one thing to be said in hi
favor-the Commune was worse
Perhaps the only other instance in his
tory of q man of literary taste and cul
ture proving himself revengeful ty
rant was DIR. Francia. M. Theirs is nc
quite so bad, but who knows what
might have been in the seclusion {
Paraguay If France were a countr
one could be certain of in any contir
gency, NJ. Thiers's white locks and &C
Vanced age would be cause for thanl
fulness. But n. Theirs is better pei
haps than NJ. Bonaparte or NJ. Cluser'
or NJ. Robespierre.--Hsdrth an
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