The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-11-13
The French situation.

NlNlOh illtfO ntN H''h VII - 49,
lished in Franco small work which he tells
US In his preface was written while the
events which it records were still fresh In
his memory, but which circumstances have
prevented him from giving to the world UNI
oil now. 1t is called "Ihc History OF n
Crime" and il q most minute and graphic
account Of the exciting scenes which took
place in the first week of December, 1851,
when TO use the words Of KrSGbAKE," u kuot
of middlo-aged men were pushing their for
tunes in Paris" and succeeded IN stran-
CLING the liberties Of the nation in night.
Twenty-six years have elapsed since then,
and events have succeeded each other with
such rapdity that the impression which
was produced upon mems minds by the coup
defdf of LOUIS NAPOLEON BONApARTE, then
President OF the Republic. has almost faded
away, while the glitter Of the empire re-
mains to remind us that success Will CON
done the greatest crimes, and that their
commission will boalways justified 10y those
who have prOtited by them. We are not
without fragrant example OF this in Our
own country, but the celebrated French
novelist shows us that Providence has
always it's Nemesis III store for the crimi-
nails.
Thuc Mt tho moment when the narlsans
Of the empire most desire that the disgrace
full episode which gave birth to it should be
forgotten, VICrOR lIUGO calls his country
men to listen to the thrilling story he has
10 tell, and with that power Of word paint
ing in which he is urrivalled, exposes IN all
it's hideous details the bloody tragedy Of
the 2d of December. We learn that 10000
copies OF the work were sold as fast as they
could be supplied and that the demand
continues. No one who has read 1.-THE
History Of Crime" can wonder at its
popularity. Apart from it's political slgnifl-
cancc, its sensational interest SURPRISES
that Of an ordinary work Of fiction in that
It is true; while the belief which is upper
most in many minds that a similar occur
renee is even now impending. invests IL with
an importance which it would not have
possessed at any other time.
During the autumn Of 1851 men were
specializing as they are now as to whether
the President Of the Republic was "A man who
could be suspected of secretly harbOring the
design Of coup detat and then, rs now,
these who had most reason to dread il came
10 the conclusion that it was altogether for
eign to the character Of the chief Of the
State, and were lullcd into security by cal
culations based upon the personal impress
eions which he had created Among those
who had been most suspicious Of the real
intentions of NAPOLEON was Gen. CHARRAs,
but even he at last thought he had mis-
judged the man, and VICTOR HUGO begins
his book with the following characteristic
sentence: "On the lst of December, 1851,
CHARRAs shrugged his shoulders and dis
charged his pistols" He had kept then
loaded, expecting that he might any night
be arrested for his political opinions. but he
came to the conclusion upon that day that
his approhcnsions were grounllcss. The
same night he WAS arrested In hi, bed, Will
hftcen other representatives, OF the natior
and seventy-eight Of its prominent politlca
characters.
If Marshal MACM ANON now desires TO mako
acoup deidt, he will have TO adopt a different
plan from that pursued by the conspirator'
Of the III Of December; for, with the history
Of the crime and the revelation III the mean
then employed, it will be- their own fault il
the Assembly at Versailles allow themselves
tObo caught in the same trap. Not only mus
the President be sure OF the army, but of th'
Project Of Police and his subordinates; h'
must devise n plan by which 60 obtain pos
session OF the Government printing Ollie
during the night so as 10 have the nccossar.
Proclamation appear in the morning in tin
official 4MonueU without any suspicion beini
excited the day before; and ho must hay
the streets placarded before dawn with tn
announcement OF tho dissolution of tn
Chamber, and the new programme q
the Government. Tho whole opcratlo
a., q, La, pnrf,.,,oI lat Nopn tho bnlrg 4.
two and six in the morning Such men n
GAMBETTA, GREvY, and other prominent Re
publican leaders must be arrested in thci
beds; the principal Judges must either b
made prisoners or cOerced into signing tn
necessary legal documents; the Chamber
at Versailles must be occupied 10y soldiers
and all the strategic points of Paris must b
in the possession of the army before tn
people have had time to understand the sit
uation, to throw up barbados and to arr
themselves for defence. 1t is impossible NJ
10 wonder Mt and even admire the eXtraol
binary skill and secrecy with which all TIL
WIS accomplished during few hours {
darkness by the knot Of middc-aged men,
whom the leading spirits were MoRN'
MAUPAs. PERsIGNY and others whose name
are well known to history. 1t is safe TO sa
that neither IMAGINATION nor any Of the me
by whom he IS surrounded, are compctel
10 carry out a coup dGtat of this kind
But the important question for FrenchmC
toconsidor is, whether there may not be oth'
ways Of accomplishing the same end. III
trainers Of the existing French Constitution
taking warning by the past, have provide
rs far a. possible against trcachcry on Il
part Of the President. If the members