Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1871-07-07
What is the Prospect for France


How comes it to pass asks the London
Quarterly Rerie,c, " that France allows Paris
to revolutionize her, once or twice every fifteen
or twenty years -
Two causes, the one remote, the other pro1im-
ate, are assigned The remote causes Of this
constantly securing evil are trscesble to the
times of absolute monarchy From the King
md his favorites at the capital went forth des-
potic DEGREES to the provinces which the ignorant
people, without power or influence, were long
accustomed to obey. Tradition and the long
usage Of eight hundred year,, had led the people
at large to look no further than the authority Of
the king and the priesthood, and the appointed
officers of government for the regulation Of their
duty The hereditary mobiles and the priesthood
were exempted from taxation, and the la5oring
people were obliged to bear the burthens Of the
State, both in peace and war. The King alone
made war at his pleasure and for the advance
ment Of his family interests-hs own power
From generation to generation the demand for
money for war, for building forts and cattles,
and the supply Of the boundess wants Of his
.ensl oourtiers and extravagant mistresses, went
on Increasing, and with every generation the
Liberties Of the people were curtailed more and
more. ln fact The lower classes were regarded
but little else than slaves, to labor for the plea
sure of their masters; and year by year their suf-
ferings from oppressive taxation became greater.
Under Louis XVI, a monarch far better than
many of his predecessors, the embarrassments
Of the finances had reached such point, that
eonvooation Of the States General was held.
This body was composed of men from
three classes, the MOBILES, the Clergy, and the
Commons Each OF these classes strove to make
the others bear the chief hurthens Of the State,
and in the contentious which arose, violent AID
fsctiout men soon gained the sscendsncy the
revolution was fairly under way the popusce
were frenzied with rage sgsinst all the privileged
orders the King was executed as sn enemy Of
the State partizsn clubs strove for the ascend
sncy, and the victcrs guillotined the conquered.
Though called republic, there wss in fact no
seniblsnce ola republic, except that there wss no
king. The power Of the nation was wholly re-
tanned at Paris as before One Directory gave
place to smother as arbitrary and tyrsnuical as
the one before it, till the last one (the Directory
Of FIVE hunirei,) WAS dispersed by the bsyone;s
Of Bonaparie's soldiers, and be was made Consul
for life, and finally lin 1900 Emperor. Yet
tbere-vas no substantial change in governmental
ideas Under Directory, Consul, Emperor.
k:lg, Emperor again for hundred days, ami
King again, till the insane effort Of Charls X
to crush out all free discussion, and to allow
none to hold public positions but those
devoted TO the Bourbon interests, caused
the old revolutionary spirit to burst fogth,
and the Boarbon family were banished, aud
Louis PHILIPPE, Of the Orleans family, was de
clAred King Of the French. with a sort Of
elective assembly, still the old principle remain
ed. Paris alone was to govern France IN
1915, Louis PHILIPPE had to fee, and Republic
was again declared by a constituent assembly Of
nine hundred, and voted for by the people
Louis Napoleon was elected SIS President for four
years, and, as all know, he overturned the [
government by aid Of the army in 1851, and be- |
came Emperor. The constitution Of the Re- /
public, so called, enacted by the constituent as
sembly Of lS4s, preserved intact" SAYS |
Eugene Tenet, all the despotic organism built |
up by the first Boasparte after the 18Th Of |
Brums1e L maintained absolute centralism,
which smothers ali independence, all local life. /
develops functional action in exorbitant proper |
ton, parsyzes the initiative freedom Of citizens,
entsngles all France in the meshes Of an i'm |
meme net, whose strongest cord is at the Minis
try Of the Interior. 1t confirmed for the |
Catholi; church the bastard regime of the Con- |
cOrd,t- The clergy, the enemy Of democratic |
liberty, thus received from the Republic. sub
sides oftenest destined 10 combat it. 1; pre-
served a mAgistrscy for life, chosen by the ex-
ecutive power, kept dependent by the hope of
Advancement AMI honorable distinctions, CON-
posed mainly of men deeply hostile to the
strengthening of republican democracy. Final
ly, the institution most incompatible with free
Republic, the permanent army, recruited by
transcription, was maintained. Five hundred
thousand soldiers, having but one dogma, pas-
sive obedience, knowing but one lsw-the CON-