New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-24
NAPOLEON III. AND BISMARCK,

| eacn one cnoSe 10 direct. The one the
chief of his nation and the other clothed
with unlimited authority by his sover-
eign master. For nearly fifteen years
Napoleon III. as the Emperor of the
French, was the handspring of continental
politics Every change upon the political
chess board was due in one way or another
to his influence. He planned this war OF
revolution; he prevented that from coming
to head. He reconstructed the map of
Europe. he gave new impulse to the
current of political opinion, even in coun-
tries where he exercised no direct power
Under his guidance France became
source of reactionary ideas as she had
once been OF revolutionary ideas. The
people became tractable and docile, as be-
fore his rule they had been turbulent and
ungoVernable. He brought order out of
confusion; confidence and credit to his
nation.
For the past ten years Prince Bismarck
has held much the same position. From
the time of the war between Prussia and
Denmark to the present he has been the
controlling spirit of every aggressive or
defensive movement of his nation, which
has brought it to its present commanding
position as one of the leading powers of
Europe. He has changed the map of
Europe as often as Napoleon III. He
has become the object of hate or admit
ration to surrounding nationalities, as he
has assumed 70 interfere in the political
events of his time. The principles which
are supposed to sustain his policy have
had as much currency as the maxims of
statecraft attributed to the late French
Emperor, Germany has for the time
taken the place of France, as the caldron
in which political revolutions have
their origin are always simmering
These two men appear to have had the
same political end in view The one, an
escaped adyenturer from his prison, be-
coming the head of a great nation, OBJ
tains his power through force and fraud,
and holds his place with an iron wall; the
other, ascending through, the customary
stages of political advancement to be-
come the first Minister of constitutional
empire; each proposed to himself the
same object viz: the supremacy of his
nation. There is very curious similarity
between the two careers in at least three
points-in the professed basis of their
power, In the measures resorted to to sus-
tain it, and in the purposes for which it is
used. The popular estimate of these two
men outside of their own country'is that
each in his own way was despotie. While
Napoleon III. ruled he submitted to no
dictation or criticism of his method of ad-
ministering the affairs of State His motto,
'P Fiat c'est mol" was sufficient to stop
all cavil or questioning from any of
his people. If the world outside talked of
his throne supported by bayonets, he re-
ferred to the eight millions of voters who
had elected him Emperor. In the same
way, Prince Bismarck never shows the
steel underneath the glove. He is only
the humble instrument of his imperial
master, who, in his turn, holds his power
to promote the welfare and carry out the
wishes of the great German Fatherland
1t is not Prince Bismarck that malcontents
at home or enemies abroad have to deal
with; it is with the united German peo-
pie. He is nothing except as theiF mouth
piece.
1t is said that the popularity of Ma
poleon rested on nothing better than fear,
while Bismarck claims his upon the OBJ
vious impress Of reality, and the love and
confidence of his countrymen. This is as
yet an unsolved question, which can not
be Immediately determined.
In the measures resorted to by these
two men TO sustain their power, in one
respect at least, is striingly similar
Both were afraid of the criticism of the
press. One would have liked to prevent an
opposition newspapers from finding its way
to any one Of the eight millions on whose
devotion he protested that his power was
/ NAc ONuCA LAD AuAA buNIgDA64 al
keeping opposition newspapers out Of the
reach Of German readers. The one under
his system Of censorship effectuaIly
muzzIed the press and silenced all opposi-
ton. In France there were q few semi.
official journals and others which used
extreme caution in giving publicity t.
opinions which the government wal
know 10 dislike; in Germany there Ii
scarcely q newspaper which does MOI
receive occasional communications from
the press bureau, and which i
not tongue-ded ct all events, 1t il
upon the questions 10 which these com
nannioations relate. Prince Bismarck Il
very sensitive 10 criticism upon the rost
ram OK through tbs press, and Is benz
upon silsneing every expression sf opin-
ion opposed 70 those which he claims h
represent That fLis is sfEeelually done
IS manifest from the tone Of some Of ths
German journals, notably the Cologns Ga
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