The New York herald., 1874-08-30

heart of hearts their local liberties. Every prov
ince was lree and had its own administration. So
with every city, SO with every hamlet or commune
Ia the Kingdom. Nor bishop, nor noble, nor king
was allowed to make one bylaw or levy one
penny, save with the consent OF the citizens. ac-
cordlng 10 the sacred forms OF customary law.
Ali that disappeared with the Capitalization ana
absolutism first introduced by Ferdinand ana lsa-
bella, perfected by Ximenes and confirmed by
that ruthless despot, Philip II. ~
This. too, Is the history OF France. we fancy
that the country was vast farm belonging 10 the
king. IL was not so even under Louis N.Y. , mmp
dared to say 81 am the state There was no!
In 1859, a single province OF France tnat nlu nos
its own judiciary, claiming 20 be sovereign anu
refusing when il pleased TO enreglster or eAeCuae
the DEGREES OF the monarch. IIese WI thew had
been under st. Louis, and even uhder Loul' AL
aud Louis XIII. A., oo, ,ord i,
holders were identified with those OF tueu ter .
ants; they protected each otner against tne hp T.
But the Ning did In France what the kiha nad
done in Spalp: the orders or the state were used
as instruments for the destruction OF tne .r own
privileges and no power # ha hrch The royal
The progress was from local liberty and the i'm
memorial enjoyment OF chartered fights to CEN
Did The Revolution OF 1889 break down this cen.
traization No, indeed. IT. destroyed by It's
blind rage for leveling all tpe Old provincial and
municipal rights and iberu es: blotted out from
the very map OF France tr.e old provincial names
associated with so many reroic struggles; blotted
out the old names or Month and week and day,
nay. the names OF the very weights and measures.
This was centrahzxtion with vengeance, and
popular despotism run mad
OF course, the French people, weary OF all these
foies, were glad TO accept In Bonaparte one mas
ter, instead OF the many-headed monster which
had preyed upon them during these frlghtiui
years. But Bonaparte did not undo the old CEN
trazation OF the monarchy or Of the National
The fatal mistake OF Frenchmen land be the
same SAID OF Spanlards) lay In utterly destroying
e9 Of Mna IA @ taf N they da a
relglous revolutions and OF what we did In ours.
Henry Vlll and Elizabeth kept up the old hier-
archical forms and for a long time the old liturgy
when they cast OF their allegiance to Rome. And
when William OF Orange was given the throne OF
James II. the constitution remained as it had
been. The English race, GOd-lnspred in this feel
instinctivey that to touch the constitution is to
move the foundations OF the earth"
Here, in the United States. have we not been
guided by the same divine instincts Was not our
first revolution conservative Did we not fight
the victory was won did we not keep. in instltu-
tons, laws and customs, as well as administrative
every single element nd 5 0 SOCIAL me 10 tpe race
rom the beginning
Nay, in the late cvll war, and on both sides,
brave men fought, not TO destroy their social IN
stitutions, but TO preserve them.
This the writer has time and again pointed out
to Frenchmen the distinctive feature OF the po-
litical and social conv usiOns in both countries.
Now, what does France want9 To be trained 10
selfgovernment. Ths-and the writer knows wen
the value OF every word that drops from his pen
this is not only the great need OF the country, but
the earnest wish OF every true Frenchman, states
government could only lead France to perma-
nent form in which this desired blessing could be
realized, VINO would not pray that no SUDDEN
change should happen to mar the Iesult2
The writer can only give expression TO what
long stay IN France, with uncommon faculties OF
observation has convinced him Of that Tie Revo-
luton OF 1S4s interrupted the happest and most
successful experiment OF seli-government ever
made in France since the days OF st. Louis.
The very men who were the most bitter political
opponents OF Louis Philippe could not but &C.
knowledge, amid the dangers which threatened
the country during Napoleon HIS corrupting
reign, that France had exchanged true liberty Tor
a centralized despotism, doomed to end IN
anarchy.
The most influential and eminent prelates in the
Kingdom were only anxious to secure the lull
measure OF constitutional liberty for all classes
and creedS which Is enjoyed in England and IN
our own country. The writings OF Bishop Dupan-
loup are there to bear witness TO this. And more
than one reader will recollect the censure passed
by the government just before the war OF 1870 on
that prelate, the Bishops OF Chartres, Beauvais
and others, for daring TO advise the French cleo
tors vote for the iriends Of such constitutional
liberty
Looking to France and Spain as we behold them
now, like ships without rudder or mast tossed
heiplessly In the trough Of tempestuous sea, 1T
may surely be allowable to turn Wlstlully TO the
good old Catholic times and to the local liberties
which the Church fostered and guarded so jealous
Capitalization increased everywhere, and with re-
ngion liberty declined. You have only to decen-
tralize and give rational liberty to the parish. the
city and the province, and religion Will ask no
other air out that OF freedom. The age OF prvi-
lege and protection has passed away, never to re-
turn. Whoever may regret 1t, assuredly II Is not