New-York tribune., 1873-01-10


EIGHTEEN FORTY EIGHT
Thereupon he left England reached Paris on the 'ith
Of September and on the 20h took his seat IN the Ma
ional Assembly He made short address, taxing
strong ground in favor OF the preservatonio order ana
the development OF democratic institutions his HAL
ner as a speaker stiff and unimpessVe his accent
was slightly foreign aud Gen. Cavsignac. then tempo
rary dictator and candidate for the Presidency seems TO
have greatly .mderestimatea both his ability ana the
chances OF his popularity Bu the Bonapartists through
out the country took sku advantage OF the dissensions
among the Republicans to unite the most heterogeneous
elements in his supports the millions OF the Ignorant
peasantry easily manipulated by dexterous agents
"a large number believed pey were voting for Napoleon
T. returned from St. HeleIa and even before the cleo
ton day arrived the increasing chances OF Louis Ma
poleons success carried over 10 his side multitude OF
wsverng, polite natures.
The election held on the 10th Of December. lss
Cayaignac received 100000 votes Louis Napoleon,
100000 and Lamartine comparatively.trtng number
PRESIDENT :BoSAPARTE.
His policy after obtaining power very Igradually
developed He only appeared to initiate Cayaignac in
putting down the disturbances of January 1Sss and the
Conservative and Catholic sentiment Of France was
certainly with him in sending Oudinot to Rome. This
in direct opposition to the decision OF the Assembly
yet the Assembly aferward confirmed the act Mean
while however, he made haste to quiet the socialsc
and communistic excitement among the people, by
system Of internal improvements planned and put
in executions industry Of all kinds revived and the
change from the depression produced the uncertainties
OF the previous year felt happy relief by the
whole population. All this time, the liberty secured by
the Constitution steadily contracted the Govern
became frmer and repressve in its character
the restless OF factions dealt with more
severely the Of the people became more con-
tented Although the point to which this policy tended
was now tolerably clear 1t still difficult to point to
any act as specially indicative Of it. Even the title OF
Prince Presdent" seemed to excite no dstrust except
among the extreme Republicsnsl
The Prince-President steadily followed two objects;
made himself popular with the soldiers and the labor
ing classes and crushed in every practicable way the IN
teigent bogeoiSe In October is49, the Ministry was
changed for inclined TO support his plans; the
dssenson in the National Assembly were secretly aud
skfully encouraged journeys Through the provinces
banques addresses the people, appointments of civil
officers, grand military reviews at which officers and
soldiers were feased s the plain OF satory-a were
employed to extend the PrincoPresidents personal in
huence aud gradually familiarze the people with the
Imperial idea While violating the spirit OF the Constr
tuition while advocating opposing universal suffrage
according the exgences Of his policy, his speeches
were so wOrded as make it appear that he was the
sole defender of the Constitution, concerned only to
shield it from the aggressions Of the National Assembly
In January, 1851, a completelyaBo ministry
appointed but the Assembly having voted It's lack OF
| confidence another ministry substituted An at
tempt then made to change the Constitution in such
that the Presidents term of office might be ex
tended SINCE immediate reelection was prohibited
but after very fierce and stormy discussion the propo
the requisite majority OF three
fOurths. The Assembly soon afterwards adjourned
until November which gave tho PrncePresident time
to mature his plans. His term would expire the follow
ing Spring; the Prince de Jonyille already named
as a candidate; the elements of opposition. although
viii
the temper of the French people anxious and un-
easy In this juneture, he called about him men who
were equally cunning, daring and unprncpled-Gen.
st. Arnaud, (whO made Minister of War in October
1851 Morny. Persigny, and Flery. All Of these APP
pear to have been made acquainted with his plans, and
two Of them-St Arnaud and De Morny-were his chief
instruments carrying them into execution. When, on
the 18th of November the proposition to restore uni
versa suffrage defeated in the Assembly the Prince
President and his accompces determined ttrue to Ma
poleonic traditiOnl to initiate the 18th Brumare.
THE COUP d ETAT,
But the Cd of December 1851. not imitation; IL
was original in its horror. Before daylight on that
morning 7s prominent men were seized, many of them
being dragged from their beds, the National Assembly
forcbly dissolved 22O of the Deputies having been ar
rested and imprisoned the same day. Paris declared
in state of siege, and the people called upon TO elect
President for years. with power to select his own
Ministry, and Government consisting Of two Chambers
with limited powers. AL legal opposition and protest
was crushed under foot Paris against the out
rage and until night Of December 4, its streets ran
with blood Entire quarters of the city were given up
to murder and plunder. Men, women, and Children
natives and foreigners, were shot and bayoneed ndis
crmlnately The greatest pains have been taken to sup
press the dreadful details but the number of persons
butchered cannot have been less than 5000 and may
have been twice as many. Within the next MONTH
according to the BoDapartst, Graner de Cassagnac,
26OO persons transported to the penal colonies OF
Cayenne and Africa where the greater number OF them
died
The blow was sudden and terrible that the spirit OF
the nation was utterly paralyzed even indignation was
lost in the deeper sense of horror and fear The mask
was removed. and the Empire iii nearly absolute form
already existed The people knew this when they were
called upon TO vote upon the questions proposed by
Louis Napoleon. Public opinion was equally suppressed
throughout the provinces the most alarmingocalistic
dangers were invented and threatened; every promi
nent man was ordered to declare himself instantly for
one side or the other the business classes kept
excited by rumors Of plots and outbreaks the press
everywhere was effectually muzzed; and when the
election was held, few days later, the result was
75OQ,OOO yeas, 650y00O nays.
THE EMPIRE ESTABLISHED.
In January 1852 he ordered the cOnscaton OF all the
property belonging to the Orleans family in February
the last yestige Of liberty taken from the press in
May the Napoleonic eagles distributed to the army
aud In December the Prnoe-Presdent Louis Napoleon
Bonaparte became Napoleon III. Emperor, "By the
Grace of God and the will of the French people" Hav-
ing assured himself that resistance was parayzedf
time his next objects were, first to aay the dstrust Of
the other European Powers by showing that the Empire
was Peace and secondly, TO bring about war in order
10 satisfy his army. At the time he did not neglect
10 provide for the foundation Of dynasty. His mis-
tress an English woman, set aside, and the ncna
tons Of various marrageabe princesses very delcstey
and secretly sounded He made strong efforts to obtain
the hand OF the Princess Wasa Of the depOsed royal fam
lily OF Sweden but when these finally failed suddenly
90 va nm all imitation of his uncle and estOnshed the