New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-07-11

~~-~~--v 1900 ~
modern times. Struggling as the French
people have for years and almost CEN
turtles, to emerge from the letters of super
stition, ignorance and bondage, in which
they have been held by the crushing
weight of kingcraft, Imperialism, and
priestcraft, is it any wonder that they
should have despaired of a resurrection?
Down to the time of the French revolu-
ton and almost to the commencement of
the late war with Prussia, the life of the
peasant was the life of slave. He could
not laugh, he could not even smile, for
he had to struggle for bare existence
with exactions which strangled him. He
and his sons were like LAGOON and his
children in the coils of the serpent that
was laced around their limbs, that
breathed poison into their lungs, and
sucked the life-blood from their hearts;
and that serpent was the ancien regime.
The king and nobility had their taille or
tax, and the churchmen or priests their
from the peasantry and the trades-people
of the country. From both these bur
dens the mobiles and churchmen were ex-
empt. Of the condition of France at the
beginning of the present century it is
written:
Famine reigned, for the resources of the
ntpu Il Tn StaiD q
luxury and vice. Taxes innumerable were
paid. But there was not money enough.
Hundreds persisted that the beasts of EsOp's
fables might squirt water in the duck ponds
of Versailles. The royal mstresses sparkled
with jewels, and each jewel cost a human
life. One hundred millions of francs went
in pensions the Red Book told on whom.
Exemption from taxes was given literally;
the king created mobiles; the revenue created
employees; all these were exempt. Thus,
while the sum required of the people in
creased every year, every year the number
of payers decreased. The load weighed on
fewer shoulders and became more and more
oppressive.
That this state of things was not much
improved by the statement that, of the nine
millions of families in France only one
million are said to be in comfortable
circumstances On the first of Jan
uary, 1867, the funded debt of France
was 50, 7O0,O00,00 which has been
greatly increased by the expenses and
indemnity occasioned by the late
war. With all these incessant accumula-
tons upon toiling people, was it sur
prising that in the agony of their despair
that excuses should be committed which
shocked the sensibihties of people more
favored than they? Was it to be expected
that from the abyss of moral corruption
into which they had been sunk by the
grinding oppression and example Of their
rulers that they would arise from it with
out a terrible retribution? 1t is source OF
congratulation that matters are no worse
then, and that the scenes of 1889 and 1871
were not re-enacted. That generous and
noble people are coming up from their
smoking ruins, trampled fields, and
stricken households to the work of rehab-
ilitation and restoration. They are now
eminent and destiny, and are not to be
ruled as heretofore. The recent elections
to the Legislative Assembly is another
evidence that the people are beginning to
understand their duties as citizens of a
great republic. Of the 140 vacancies
which existed in that representative body
100 of those now sent by the people are
republicans. Monarchy and imperialism,
with their vices, tinsel and tyranny will
be trampled under the feet of a olsen
thralled nation, and the bright star of
peace and liberty will lead them to that
goal of true glory and greatness, free
thought, free speech, free press, and free
knowledge, which will make them happy
and prosperous people.