The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1875-10-21

THE FRENCH REVOLUTION.

CELEBRATION IN PARIS.
(paris Sept, 27) Correspondence London TlmcS,l
Yesterday, (Septembe! 2G) being the
anniversary of the proclamation of the
Republic in 1892, about five hundred rad
icals dined together in the Hall of theav-
enue de st. Mande, ut the eastern eX-
tremity of Paris, and heard speech by
NJ. Louis Blanc, which, nominally an eu'
logium on the Convention, was really an
attack on the Constitution. NJ. Blanc he
gan by depicting the apparently despcr'
ate position Of France ut the time when
the Convention unanimously proclaurd
the Republic, three wears before adroca-
ted by Robespierrc alone, there being in
1889, according to Desmouins, not more
than ten Republicans in France. This
rapid change of opinion he attributed 10
Royalty having hean found Incompatible
with Liberty. He then commended the
Convention for not giving to Presidents
elected for certain term the place Nara-
ted by Kings. With regard to the first
public tunctloaary, whether called lreS-
ident or King. tlesovereignty oIthe pee :
pie ought ne\ er To be put Ia sleep i"r II
fixed time, there being risk oft find
ing itself ft;tered on awakening, The
Executive should he subordlnatcd to The
Legislative power like the arm to the
head. The Convention did not, in iUun-
ding the Republic, raise II chair to the
level ola throne, and put a parvenil
King in the place of an hereditary King.
Here the report inserts the word sensa-
ton. Passing on tothe question, he used
the simie of II two. headed serpent stop
ped Oh its way to a brook by bush, one
Of its heads turning 10 the right, the
other to the left, and the serpent, Us
neither would give way, dying OF thirst.
He also cited Franklius metaphor Of II
carriage with two drivers at opposite
ends neutralizing each others efforts, 50
that the carriage was mUlioness. A. to
the danger of precipitation and lymnn!
with a simple Chamber he suggested that
as once proposed by Victor Hugo, every
bill before being admitted 70 discussion
might be elaborated bya National Couu-
ell If distinguished men, that lheJndgcs,
as in America, might oyerIu!c any law
contrary 10 the Constitution, thus afford
ing permanent control dbic 20 cheek
exreSses Of the Legislature without ava
kening its jealousy Orirritatng It's pride,
short ParIlament> would be SAFE
GU ,rd, and as in America, The COns'ltu'
uun might forbid inirlngeluents ON relIE-
GUS liberty, liberty of speech and Of The
press, and the right peltInnlng. Mod
Grating powers, he maintained, vi zen
once they had the character If rivalry.
moderated nothing. II strong, they
seized the direction OF the movement II
weak. they were Carrlei away by 1t. y
moderating authority 10 be capable OF
fulfilling its mission required To he III
vested with such great lOrre as itself TO
require control, just us at Carthage one
tribunal after another was created merely
with the effect Of shifting the tyranny.
The French people, however, respected
a Senate, hot through abstract theories,
but because they deemed it arefuge open
to the old nobility, thecradle ota threat
ening Olgarchy, the hypocrisy of the
colnler revolution. The Convention
could not consider compatible witia Re
public, u Senate held by the Constituent
Assembly, superAuous when in II Mon
arclIy. AS to the pattern Of England,
they knew that the House of Lords, hav-
ing exhausted its power Of Obstructing
progress, served for little more, us Chat
ham said, than to taire tGpiSSerie, and
would finish by being comparable to the
battle field of the NeibeIungen, where
the shades of great chiefs continue their
earthly Combats. As for the Unilec
States, there were two Chambers, be-
cause there were two sovereignties-the
Union and the States. But France WAS
not federation, and the Departments
had not their local life to be protected.
On this question the GirOndins agreed
with the Mountain; it being only after
the 8 ThermidOr, and as means of or
ganizng the counter revolution, that the
idea UftwO Chambers re-appeared, which
led France TO Is Brumairr. The precau-
ton then taken ofhaving both Chambers
elected by the people was vain one.
Thanks to the completely of the Council
Df Elders, Bpnaparle's dissolution Of the
Council OfFive Hundred was Il simple
affair OF grenadiers DaumUn had pre-
licled that the former would defend the
Constitution against the love of innOra'
lion. But the innovation which he had
not fOreseen was CG.ariSm. After II
glowing description Of The repul'e OF in
vaders and insurgents, and of the lcgls-
ati0n of the Convention, the institutions
il founded, and the principles it origlna-
ed, NJ. Blanc concluded thus:
"Let us bow with respect and love be-
fore the Republic ofOur fathers, and let
no recollection Of the evils which dar-
Ken its history, or any of the crimes
which sullied it, prevent us from tecun-
lity. Let us tell our enemies when they
ak of Terror that, far from being the re-
,ult of the ideas of the Revolution and
lie instrument of their triumph, lis effect
ras to obscure its significance and con-
zeal its sovereign grandeur from short.
lighted minds; that We deplOre it from
he bottom of Onr hearts; and wish al
he price of all the blood in our veins,
hat no such thing had been possible
nut that the Terror was the result of Il
ystem. Prepared 10y centuries of OPP
,rcssion, provoked by furious attacks,
by unexampled perils, it MAS
ho offspring, As it We're, Of the situation,
nd it is dead never to be reborn dead |
With the circumstances which beg0t it
circumstances terribly exceptional, the |
Ike Of which had not happened before,
nd will never happen again. Number
ess facts prove how humane Mt bottom
ias this Revolution, which the rage of I
IS enemies renders terrible. Witness
he foundations ofthe blind and deaf and
umb institutions, the indemnity recog-
lied as unjust, the adoption of orphans
y thecountry, the protection extended
Y the State to foundlings, the aged, in-
igent AMI bauished The cllumniators
the French Revolution will never ef-
ice all this from mems memories As
Or us, whom it has made what we are,
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