The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-05-25
Ghe9RteItiqerreer.
THEOOMMUNE.
II, Theories Explained and Defended.

al rLr column of NendOme, II is impOssi
lI.fn roniound the proceedings OF the
p,rI, Commune with the unreasoning
madness Of mob. The protracted Tcsis
rnrroppOsed TO the Versailles government
i. pr0oi Of the powerful sway of some po'
ntIral theory, and the precise nature oil
Mn, theory we are coming by degrees to
Understand, Apprehcnded In its lruGa s.
meet the revolution clthe Commune must
10 regarded as the most significant tact
Iuihr great struggle which seems now SO
nearly closed. The government Of Yer.
,,fIIr,. under the form OF republic, Is in
ncta prolongation Of the Capitalization
which Tor SO many years has afflicted
France In NJ. Theirs, we behold res.
direction OF the First Consul. And il
NAV be reasonably doubted whether in
the hands Of the asLute adviser OF Louis
Philippe, the Republic Is meant to do
ANYTHING more than pave the way for the
restoration Of a monarchy. But the Com
munc has developed new idea; an idea
which may yet play most important
part in the regeneration OF the French
people
Stated in the Gewest words, the pro-
gmmme OF the Commune Is to secure for
the whole nation the right of local self.
government which is so essential part OF
or American system According 10 this
pan not Paris only, but every important
cts Of France would be restored to q pO-
,il.on analogous to that which they held
during the middle ages, before the i'm
mcnse growth of royal power had swept
away the last vGstige of local adj
mInIstration. In some respects, there
fore, the present defenders of Paris are
Ike the HuguenOts who held La ROCHELLE
against the forces Of Cardinal ltiChelieu
Yet ii would he wrong 10 infer that the
the Commune proposes TO wipe out the
history Of France for the past four cen.
turtles, and go back to the isolation and
anarchy Of the Free towns OF the four.
tenth century. While claiming larger
share Of local sGlf.gOvernment, they have
M desire that Paris should stand alone,
bul only that she should be "lhe elder
sister Of France" In other words, while
doing away with oppressive centraliza.
ton, they would do nothing to destroy
national unity. How far the placing Of
Paris, Lyons and Marseilles in the posi-.
ton NJ Frankfort could be made com.
pltible with that thorough national unity
which is the most characteristic fact Of
french civilization, may be Il question,
but to impair that unity Is no part Of the
ayowcd purpose Of the supporters of the
Commune. Their plans have been much
mkrcprCsCntcd, and It Is no moro than
ri!hl that it should be fairly stated. Their
project will not seem absurd nor impOssi.
be to those familiar with the adjustment
Of local rights with national supremacy
incur own American Constitution. The
plan ol the Commune Is one, indeed, that
has special claim to the sympathy of
this country. 1t is another application Of
principle which we have successfully
carried out On the 0thet hand, the Vef-
aCs Government represents an idea an.
lgUnistiC 10 our own system.
The views Of those who advocate the
Commune have been clearly and vigorous.
lysyt forth, There Is an obvious sincerity
and earnCstness in their declarations
which cannot fail to cOncilliatG respect
Claiming, ut the outset, the recognition
and consolidation of the Republic, and
the extension Of the principle of local self
government TO all parts OF France, they
assert rs the inherent rights of the Com.
munc, the power to vote the Communal
budget, the regulation of taxes, Organiza
ton Of the local magistracy, police and
education, administration Of Communal
property, the absolute guarantee of pers.
Onll liberty and rights Of conscience, the
free intervention OF the citizens in Com.
mnna affairs, and the control Oi the Ma.
tional Guard. Thus II appears that no
more power Is claimed for tho Commune
than il exercised by the local government
with u.s. Thus while seeking to over.
throw the unity imposed by the Empire,
tile Commune does not oppose II unity
resting on voluntary cooperation, and
having for It's object the national security
and ellbGing.
But while up to this point The Com.
munc advocates n system similar In Its
fundamental aspects to that which we
have adopted, in some other most impOr.
lant points Il departs from the prevailing
American theory. The Commune, while
sIfcnuousIy supporting the Republic, no
less strenuOusly repudiatcs the dogma OF
universal suffrage. 1t protests against the
'ocalled rule Of the majority. This
seeming inconsistency Is readily explain.
ed when we remember that for years pop.
tar suffrage has been in France the main
buwark OF absolute power. The empire
ol Louis Napoleon was established by an
overwhelming popular vote, and appeals
to the sulirages of the nation have, in
every instance, been the justification OF
assumption of despotism. There Is rea,
son To believe tint even now, could the
question be submitted TO Il popular vote
tue Ignorant and priGst.riddGn peasants
would recall the prisoner Of Sedan To tho
Tnilerics. 1t would simply be to make
'hipwreCk Of the dCstnies Of France Il
Coniide them tOa mere numerical ma.
jority. The attitude Of the Commune
with regard to the supposed right of Tho
majority to rule will Mt once suggest The
opinions so ably maintained by the late
John Z. Calhoun
A second feature In the programme o.
the Commune, In which Il widely depart
from our system, Is In the substitution o
direct for indirect government The no
ton that the English representation theor.
il the diyinely ordained method Of nd
minstCrihg the affairs Of u Tree countr.
they utterly reject. Their idea of q gov
eminent Is that II should be eXeCuliv
rather than deliberative. Government b.
representative system is, they claim,
government without responsibility ant
without efficiency. A representative Ms
%mbly is simply an arena for the practice
Of mllry political arts For delibera
live assembly they have, therefore, substi
llled simple executive council. In TN
election Of this council, consists the onl.
9ieCt popular Intervention. Wltlou
discussing the question here raised, II ma,
beaded that these opinions respecting
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