The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-11-26

HE 81
fury would rather bo left alone in my grief ;
! have strength enough to drink the cup. but
/ do not wish 10 be told that 1t is fllcd with
honey when 1 can sec in 1t the blood and the
tcnrs OF humanity"
We have said that George Sand showed her
self disposed to tolerate the empire because it
was based on universal suffrage. although in
Mny, 18is. she was willing enough to dissolve
the Constituent Assembly which was invested
with precisely tho same sanction. Before TAX
ing leave Of this volume. from which the stu
dent of an interesting epoch will derive much
enlightenment. we would direct attention to
some passages in a letter to AiaHzini wherein
u strenuous effort is made by the author to JUS
tify her attitude Of resignation. Listen to
me. my friend" she writes: what am going
to tell you Is very different from what you
probably hear from my friends in London and
in Belgium. We are vanquished as
regards tho fact but we triumph in
respect Of the idea. France il in tho
mud. you say2 1t is possible but she
will not stay in It, She is marching on. she
will emerge from II. There il no road without
its mud, Just rs there s none without rocks
and preci pices. France has conquered the ver-
table and sole legitimate sanction OF all
powers. to wit popular election and direct
tho infancy of liberty. Aye. 'tis truo that
France, in the discharge Of its electoral
function walks like a child; but IL walks
as no other nation has yet walked long
in the new path of popular election. France
will probably vote the empire for life this let
ter wns written in May 1851 az 1t has just vot-
cd the dictatorship for ten years and wager
it will be charmed to do so; it IL so sweet. so
nattering for workingman. for Il peasant to
ALL k... III,
his stupidity. II you please. Ills now who
make Emperorsr
You have boon told" continues George
Sand. that the people voted under the
pressure of fear and the influence OF calumny;
IL Is not true. There was terror. and there was
caiumny in excess. but without that tho people
would have voted Just the same In that 1852,
80 dreamed OF by republicans as tho goal Of
their desires and the signal of q revolution. the
deception would have been far more appalling
than 1t is to-day. The Ieorle would have
sisted tho law restricting the suffrage. it would
have voted against almost everybody-aad for
whom? Enthusiastically for Napoleon. who
had taken time by the forelock In demanding
the withdrawal OF that law. and who assuredly
would have made no such demand had he not
boon sure OF proliting by universal suffrage.
The people are ignorant. hide bound so far
MS regards political foresight and discernment:
Dul tncy are cunning ana OBSTINATE IN the rec
ignition OF their acquired rights. They had
chosen this President bv n huge majority: they
were proud of their work. they had tried their
strength. They would not have compromised
it by scattering their votes upon other canli-
dates. The nation had but one object. one wish
along its whole line. viz. to consolidate itself
in an immense iaSgot. in an imposing majority
to make good its will. 4 nation does not hing
aside in three or four years the object of its
favor: it does not promptly give itself tho
lie; for three years the majority OF tho people
of France has not bud.ed. / am not speaking
OF Paris. which forms a community apart in
the bosom OF the French nation. am speak
ing OF at least five millions of votes compacty
held together over the whole territory and all
ready to apply the representative principle in
favor of a single individual This Is all the
light the mass has gained; but this. ut all
events. is really and irrevocaby gained. 'Tis
its first tooth. so to speak. 1t is only one tooth.
to be sure. but it will cut others. and the people
who to-day are learning to make Emperors will
inevitably learn by the same law how to
make them.'
George Sand concludes the discussion Of this
question by insisting that the blunder which
we Socialists and politicians. each within the
limits OF his role committed. was in thinking
that we could. ut one and the same time. ini-
tiate and put in practice. We have all OF
done one great thing and it ought to console
us for everything: We have initiated the people
in the idea Of equality OF rights through uni
versal suffrage. This idea. the fruit OF eigh-
teen years OF struggle and cndeavor under
the constitutional regime. an idea already
brought forth under the first revolution was
now ripe; so completely ripe that it entered
into the flesh and blood of the French people
in lS4S: We could not. we should not. have
hoped for anything more. Between the pos.
session of a right and the rational and useful
exercise of 1t there Is gulf; we should have
needed ten years OF union. virtue. courage
patience, ten years Of power and force. in
word, to bridge that gulf We did not have the
that is different question" The present
French republic has had the ten years which
George Sand deemed sufficient but it remains
to BE- seen whether tho republican politicians
OF our day are superior to those OF 1913:
whether they. in turn. possess union and vr-
tue enough to complete the political education
OF the masses. Al. W. II.