New-York tribune., 1871-11-17

aeema difaouh 10 comprehend to-dny tnaS u
eyer swayed the destinies Of the nation.
Another wrong, which met with q strange
ana monstrous succees through term OF
vears. but AGAINST which we always bore m
ceaSinR testimony, was the Second Empire in
France. Louis Bonsperte throttled the Repub-
lie and imprisoned its representatives, unques"
TONED by the world and eondoned by the
neople of France. His stolen power seemed
positiycly growing stronger hour BY hour. He
was taken into good company. The kings and
queen born in tho purple gave him their bands
and called him Monsieur mon trersl The
cockney tourists wrote loyal rhapsodies about
him. American respectability performed it's
degrading koo-too on the parquet OF
the Tuileries. Sometimes the Emperor
amused himself BY the farce OF
plebiscitum, and was tiCkled by the
manufactured response OF unanimity. ne
called tho world about him to admire that
hollow and superficial show Of material pros
perity which prevailed In Franco in 1857, and
not sovereign that year entered the gates of
Paris who seemed so strong and so secure as
he. But even then his state was honeycombed.
His throne was Worm-ea 10 save the
prestige he saw fatally slipping away, he De-
Gan a madman's war, and the Empire when
it had taken twenty years to build erumbied
to dust in month.
A few months ago the despotism OF Tam
many Hall seemed also impregnable. Cynical
observers said it could not be oVerthrown, for
it was founded on the rock of vice and ignor-
ance. It began from sources 80 low and Vui-
gar that it's first encroachments were regarded
with contempt. 1t increased gradually, making
sure of every inch it gained, extending its
connections, heaping up its resources, banding
together its hirelings by the chains OF aVariee
and fear. Its first success 3 were won with
loafers and criminals. In its later exploits 1t
used in its coarse work Legislators end men
called statesmen. It hung its brazen badges
on the ermine of the judiciary. 1t con-
trolled every utterance of the great ana
defiant party it had shackled and muzzled.
Even the ablest journal of that connection,
which had for one moment boldly denounced
IT, said not long ago. with @ shameless pride
in its own degradation, "Tammany does know
chow to carry elections.n Robbing the treas
ury with one hand it stuffed the ballot-boxes
with the other, and year after year, with too
vulgar and insolent soorn of decency to at
the results of them in the eyes of the world.
It's dishonest splcndor poisoned the moral at
mosphere. All there was Of latent crime in
the breasts of wavering youth was warmed
into life by this gaudy parade Of success
full villainy Its chief thieves, at last
sincerely despising the town which al
lowed them such iDpunity, began to
think well of themselves. They became char
liable and pubhc-spirited. When they stole
million they would give a few thousand to
the poor. They encouraged art and science
in their ignorant and clumsy way and men OF
taste and culture were hopeless enough to ac-
cept their largess for these objects. The head
thief of the gang began to think of Statue,
and on the list of Committeeman to raise 1t
there were the namesvof several men claiming
to be gentlemen! Good people grew super
stitious about it, and, regarding it as an In
vincible and memorable fact, began to con-
slider whether IL might not be best to accept
It and mako tho best OF il.
But there never was Ring of thieves which
could endure. It is q silly proVerb which
ascribes honor to such. The press kept ham,
mering on for years without effect other than
that of seeming to weld this Ring of base
metal more firmly together. But at last the
hammer struck the weak place, where the
avarice of one rogue touched the avarice of
the others, and the Ring was broken, and the
strongest and fOulest despOtism of our times
came down in crumbling ruin at the first de-
termined assault of the honest citizens. The
lesson is worth all it has cost. No matter how
big and strong and insolent Lie and fraud
may be, it will surely give way sooner or
Later If honestly and persistently attacked.