The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-03-03
F r A N cE.
THE RISE OF NAPOLEONISM.
The Coming Fete Day OF
Napoleon Nv.
A PROB BILE RISIS

PARIS, Feb. /, 1874
| Americans will probably hear soon that another
| great change has come over French AFFAIRS and
there are symptoms that this change will consist In
| a restoration OF the Empire Next month. on the
10th, the Prince Imperial, called by the faithful
Napoleon w., win attain his eighteenth year. and
will consequently be OF age to govern. 1t is said
that the Empress Eugene is actually in Paris at
| this moment plotting Bonapartlst ''manifesta-
tion," and whether this be the case or not it is
! certain there will be Bonapartist dolngs OF i'm
portance on the 10th. For several months past the
Post once has been showerlng millions upon mill
lions OF B0napartist tracts, handbills and songs
over the country. Provincial electors, both In town
and country. nave received visiting cards bearing
the Prince Im2erial's photograph, and underneath
the words -"16 Mars, 1874, Appel au Peupte," and
one cannot travel twenty miles out OF Paris with
out hearing OF Bonapartlst agents at work in every
village. as patiently and tenacousIy as New World
pioneers Their efforts are partially visible in the
recent election OF the Department OF the
Pas de Calais, where q Bonapartist was
returned by 10000 electors, his republi-
can opponent being in minority OF 5000. In
the same day another election was taking place in
the Haute Saone, where royalist duke OF con-
siderable wealth, local influence and popularity
was arrayed against a republican comparatively
unknown; but here the republican trlumphed by q
crushing majority. These two elections point o
significant moral. 1t is impossible not to infer
from them, when taken with other elections OF the
past six months, that the French electorate Is vr
tually divided into no more than two parties-the
Bonapartists and republicans. The royalists
though influential In the aggregate. are an aristo
cratcal and middle class body. scattered over the
land and preponderant in no single constituency
As to Marshal MacMahon, his rule Is so little I'M
derstood or appreciated that although dozen
elections have been held since he came to ONCE
no candidate patronized by his government has
been returned. And yet he natters himself that he
can hold power for seven years
MACMAHON CANNOT LAST SEVEN YEARS;
and, however confident he may feel now, facts
must before long force him to change his opinion.
He will not be overthrewn by q revolution nor
even by vote Of the Assembly levelled personally
against him. as was that OF the Gath Of May, 1873
against M Theirs. He Will fall as an overrpe fruit
does from tree because it will be impossible for
him to hold on. From the first his situation was
false one, and 1t has been growing more equivocai
and precarious day by day. In very little time
ne Will find arrayed against him both rOyalists and
imperiafsts, and be supported only by those very
republicans whom he was commissioned to snub
and bully. The republicans will support him from
hostility to the monarchists; and II MacMahon
chooses to Join their party, his rule WILL no doubt,
continue to Its full time But he Is not the man to
DO this, He Is politician in the sense OF know.
ing how to shift his policy and even to recant his
opinions for the sake OF his personal
interests. He declared at starting that he
was conservative and would rule only
on conservative principles and by the
help OF conservatives. When his party deserts
HIM or becomes 30 split up BY internal dissensions
az to be powerless against the compact mass OF
republicans then MacMahon will grow tired and
Disguised. He win retire with show OF dignity
BY ordering pleotscitun and this will almost in
evitaby lead to the establishment of q third en-
pire. Let US see how MacMahon has come to
these straits after his election It must
months old. The fault is partly his own, .or he
was put up as temporary stop-gap by the Goa
lesced royalists and to their surprise and annoy.
anCe he has announced that he considers himself
permanency. This Is as II man dressed up IN
the kings clothes and seated for fun on the throne
were to insist on wearing the clothes and keeping
the seat when the fun was over, and when the
King was clamoring for his own. MacMahon has
CHOSEN to consider himself necessity when he
was only an expedient, and party leader when he
was but the tool OF party, and that most
divided one. After the Ia OF the Commune France
was nominally marshalled INTO Jour parties, Wncn,
by and by, on the reconciliation OF the BOURBON
and Orleans houses, became three-tne repunn,
cans, royallsts ana mperlalists. M. TnleTs as ene
leader OF the first actlon was the only statesmsn
VINO could be said to represent republican pflncl.
pies, and when q coalition OF monarcnists uIovc
him from once II was evident saa' Tne royai}sts
being majority In the Assembly, ssrovu nai n w
euthrone the Count of Chambord, ana Woulu nave
succeeded but for that Princes scfupies ABOUT the
trcolOr nag. Having failed, they were not strong
| enough to institute q royalty Win the Sount VI
p paks as 81 sas or nor the Prince 81 JonV
| thay mad recourse to NacMahon AZ a temporarv