The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1871-07-09
The Republic of France.

The overwhelming majority of the mod
crate Republicans in France shows prett,
fairly the spirit of the people. The poll
were really free for the first time in the his
tory of that nation. There have been oc
easionally absurd parodies of voting, il
which a usurping Government made use o
it's power and influence to poll a vote al
one way. 1t was very easy for Napoleon
for instance, to get nearly all the votes in
France in favor of his dynasty, when the
choice was between the Empire and anar-
chy-when it was we'll known that, nc
matter how the votes went, he would not
60 out. or course prudent men took the
view that 1T was better to let things stay
us they were than to encourage the spirit
oil revolution by Il strong vote of meaning
less opposition. Nothing can more clearly
demonstrate the farcical hypocrisy of pro-
claiming an election when you have no
thought eff permitting it to be free than
these recent events. Now, Napoleon scarcely
gets an adherent into the assem- bly,, and
but an unnoticeable proportion of the
popular vote, when at one of his mock
elections he could easily play the whole
pack himself. Now tue election is reality:
then it was an impudent lie.
France has voted, and France has the
glory of being the first grand Republic of
Europe. From the very dust and mire of
defeat and humiliation she thus springs
erect, holding aloft the beauteous flower
which shall be her glory forever, the en-
blem of victory beside which that of
Prussia is a mere war-dance of savages
In this peaceful battle Monarchy and Inn
periaIism on the one hand have marshaled
their full force, and have proved to be i'm
posters. Henceforth their claims would be
either ridiculous. or criminal. On the other
hand Radicalism has tried its strength on a
fair field, and has proved to be as pitifully
weak in popular strength as it was bold
opportunity.
The Radical incendiaries pretended that
the rural populations could not be trusted
to vote, that they were priest-ridden,
bigoted and thoroughly hostile to tho Re-
public. The result shows that while this
city scum of Radicalism threw away its
strength on q Red Republican ticket, the
element of the cities to give an overwhelm-
ing endorsement of the Republic: But of
what Republicf The Republic of Theirs,
not that Of Gambetta-a real Republic,
not q pandemonium where passion should
stand in place of reason and violence in
place Of law.
We may now we'll hope that France is
s.
reality is q great blessing. 1t is an advance
in the march of humanity. As humanity
cannot march of itself, as it never gees for
ward in good of it's own strength, but al
ways retrogrades when left to itself, and
gradually falls away from the excellence
given to tive must conclude
that genuine Republication is result of
and is impossible in durable
form without the sustaining influence of
Now the enemy of mankind,
seeing, even at the close of the last CEN
fury, that France was rapidly approach
ing the point where Republic would be
possible, strove to Illustrate such q move
ment by getting up the vile masquerade of
q false Republic, one that, by its orgies of
SeSVooOo
name Of liberty, should forever disgust
honest men with the very word. How sue.
cessful his atrategies were We all know.
But the march Of Christianity is steadily
Beaten back hero, it goes forward
there. Mountains may DO piled in lea way,
but after while the steady march sur
mounts them ALL and the glorious line of
advance 10 seen swarming over the crest.
We are, therefore, inclined to think that
the hosts Of the true Republis have ap-
.peared on the fields of France this time in
earnest, that the imposter cohorts Of the
demon Republic are scattered forever, and
that the grand problem OF establishing Re-
publicanism in an old country has been
solved at last.