New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-20
LET US BE AMERICANS.


the prolonged paroxysms which have ex-
hausted and ensiaved her. Had the force
that fought Communism and the money
that bought of the invader been patriot
ically contributed to the defense OF France,
that people would have been invincible.
We extract from the Liverpool Mercury OF
June 4 the following description OF the
extraordinary scene in the French Repre-
sentative Assembly:
In his address to the Populations who
| waited upon him at Auxerre on Monday,
NJ. Gambetta said: To-day the republican
democracy finds itself in presence OF the
pseudo democracy-the Cesarian democ,
racy. The struggle is expected-the duel
is inevitable. Republican France WILL not
allow herself to be surprised
The following evening the representatives.
of the two democracies came as near strlk.
ing the first blow in the expected struggle
as to shake their fists in each others faces
The storm was raised by M. Brsson. re-
publican, who, in moving the rejection OF the
electoral bill, which would strike OFT several
millions from the electoral roll. SAID that
tampering with universal suffrage wouiu De
putting a weapon in the hands "of the 1atat
p6Tly WHICH leu EduOo AiOhA WV wv
December to Sedan" This compliment
raised terrific storm in the BOnapartlst
camp NJ Levert, one of the high handed
prefects of the empire, shouted, never
mind; the day is close at hand when we
shall put gag in your mouths! here
upon a fearful row arose. At this menace
there ensued one of the most violent scenes
ever witnessed. even in the French Assem-
bly,. A number of the ultra-radicai mem
J. <ha; faat oOH lnpn across
the arena as if to charge their Bonapartist
foes.
Meanwhile as many lmperIalsts, several
of them pale with rage, advanced to meet
the radicals. In this crisis serious Tray
was prevented by several deputies from
the right throwing themselves between the
excited members, and so preventing thelr
actually coming into collision.
NJ. Brisson's motion to sheiVe the OIL was
rejected by large majority.
This scandalous scene was repeated on
subsequent occasion by row between
Bonapartist and deputy of the lett.
NJ. Castellane, Sin long speech, delivered
amid ever increasing noise, demanded
that the intelligent representation OF In
terest, should be substituted for the
brutal representation of numbers" He at
tributed to universal suffrage all the evils
that had befallen France since the first
revolution. He was succeeded by Ledru-
Rollin, who defended universal suffrage.
We are surprised to see how little progress
seems to have been made by the French
in the true principles of popular gov
eminent. NJ Lsdru-Rollin explains that
the Assembly he addresses is incompetent
to regulate suffrage:
You are not competent to discuss this
bill, in spite of the constituent faculty you
have conferred upon yourselves. You may
be competent to 90 anything except TO vote
on universal suffrage. Who are you. You
are commissioned by universal suffrage,
and the commi ssiOn has its rules, Its limits.
its measures. Its rules have long been es
tablished. The commission must be special.
You have no special commission; you noid
a general one. You can not give your com-
mission u special character, not even by
seeking it in what you call public safety.
You may administrate, but you can not
ALLEVIATE right with which you have been
invested.
This is very much Chaldean to an
American. II this be fundamental con-
vention empowered to discuss the form
of constitution for France, then it may
regulate suffrage as it may fix the depart
mental powers of the government. Ii
the Chamber was only chosen for ordinary
legislation, then it had no right to en-
large the limits of executive power as 1t
has done, or to continue its sessions IN
permanence To an American mind it is
a revolutionary body, authorized, or, per-
haps, tolerated, to administer the repub-
lican government, but without the gen.
eral powers of constitutional convention.
The modern practice of America is to
submit to universal suffrage the work of
constitutional convention, though there
is no doubt that the ordinances of a body
to which all powers had been conceded
by the people would be binding upon the
people without submission to the popular
vote. The constitution of the United
States was adopted by convention, but
never submitted to popular vote, yet its
acceptance by the State Legislatures was
considered binding on the whole people.
But Ledru-Rollin continues to defend
universal suffrage:
And then, gentlemen. with what otfense
do YOU reproach universal suffrage! l
know very we'll there is an expression used
in the newspapers, in this tribune. and out
of doors" Purify universal suffrage The
Romans. too, of old Rome, OF which you
were told yesterday, purified universal
suffrage. and purified it in such manner
that from century to century, from curla to
curla nothing remained but the Whole peo-
pie Loud cheers from the left we en-
deavored by universal suffrage to eftace
classes, to establish political equality side
by side with equality before the law, and
YOU would undo that. You would reestab.
Iish classes and have as formerly great and
small. fat and lean. Laughter on the left.
[Crias of nonsense On the right. You are
going to have select and excluded citizens,
and both classes will be at daggers drawn.
In Rome also classes were created. The
Italians. the Christians, the slaves, were
excluded. and then, when the barbarians
reached tine gates of Rome, it was those who
had been disnherited of their fatherland
who opened the gates of Rome to the barba.
| rians. Prolonged cheers from the LETT
What you wish to do is dangerous Why not
drive straight a. what you are aiming at!
You wish to purify universal suffrage, to
give more force to the power you have
| founded. You wish to do so in order to re.
establish monarchy. What monarchy? ron
the left, Yes: which one!'l If it is mon
archy by divine right, you will never have
| it in France [Uproar on the right, aud
cries of There ia no monarchy by divine
| right You ask me why you will never
have it! ION the right, Not at all Who
has asked you anything OF the kind!''l IA
| general laugh, during which the speaker re-
L j