Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-02-01

The text OF Prince Napoleons manifesto
is as follows
PARIS, Jan. Is, 1883.
To my Fellow -Citizens.-Francc is Ian
gushing. Some among those who are suffer-
ing have engaged in agitation. The great
I majority of the nation is disgusted-without
confidence. In the present it seems to be
waiting for" future that il can reach ONLY
by vc!llc resolution. The executive DOW
cr IS cn!eehled incapable and impotent.
The Chambers arc without guidance and
Without will Of their own. The party in
power repudiates its own principles and
seeks only the qualification of the least cred
iblc passions. The parliament is broken
up into an infnitudc of factions. Reac.
iionisis. modcratcs, radicals have followed
cach other Ill the government. All have
ialled. on have been promised q republic
OF rehabilitation and reform. You witness
continual crises. which strike at the chief
OF State, the ministers and the Chambers
The experiment Ola parliamentary repub-
lie. prosecuted Tor twelve years past, is now
complete. You have no government. The
evil Is embedded in the constitution itself
which places the country in the power OF
eight hundred senators and deputies Faults
have been committed in the past why make
them worse instead Of drawing from them
lessons? The army, which is the foundation
OF our greatness and security has been
abandoned to the wild folly of incompetent
managers For ten years they have been
! discussing methods of reorganization. and
after gropings which ruin the military spirit
they are still engaged in searching for the
right mode of recruitment. Administrative
functions are discrcdited. oilicc.holders arc
slaves OF the most petty political interests.
10 iarIn out the country is not TO admins
ter IT, The magistracy ~ in its indencn.
dcncc seems TO be losing every day. together
with the stability 10 which ii is entitled. the
perception of its mission. Our finances are
dlinpdated. Heavy and ill-dstributed
iaHcS are kept up in Il fatal spirit of rou-
Ilue, which forms an obstacle to every kind
OF progress. ltis, to be sure, easier to bor-
row than 10 reform. Expenditures are un-
tary conditions of public credit are disre-
sarded. habit OF stocl, gambling. which
owes It's impunity only to its mschievous
univcrsaity has invaded all classes Of soci-
city. The floating debt has been swollen to
figures thai threaten the public credit with
collapse Ut the first shock In spite Of enor-
nous taxes, IN equilibrium OF the budget
is unattainabie. Religion. assailed bv
athcistic prosecutions is unprotected. and
yet religion which is The great concern
Of every civilized society. might easily find |
Il safeguard in the loyal execution of the |
Concordat. which alone can assure TO us re-
ligiol's peace. Social questions of vital i'm
p"rt I" our democracy. wherein political |
equality oughs to entail iairer distribution |
OF public burdens 10 the benefit Of the most |
numerous and poorest class. are thrust aside. |
Even the study Of them is disdained, In !
presence Of these problems. which impose |
themselves on our attention. we 20 not for |
ward. Wc fall back. Our commerce has |
been impaired By The abandonment of the |
treaties of 1860 to which we owed prosperi- |
" and the interests of consumers and ira
,lcTa aTc sacrificed. Our foreign policy has
been conspicuous for bad faith toward the |
weak. 1t has slbscrvcd private speculations
III TuniS, whose costly occupation has |
brought 10 profit II has been stupid and |
cowardlE in Egypt, where the interests of
France deserved consideration No French |
man can traverse foreign countries without
deep sorrow. Our France. once so great, |
has now no friends, no dignity. Even
among its best wishers it meets with an in
difference more painful than hostility, yet
for all that France, if strong, would have
in the world her place well defined and in
dispensable. We shall recover our position
in foreign circles only by internal regcnera-
ton. The present situation comes from
The abandonment of the principle of
national sovereignty. So long as the peo-
pie have not spoken France will remain
unregenerate. Heir of Napoleon | and
of Napoleon III, | am the only man alive
whose name has brought together 100000
votes. Since the death of the Emperor's
son have kept silence touching all political
questions, unwilling to disturb the expert
ment which was making. / have waited in
sorrow until the right TO speak should be
given me by events. My silence was only
the patriotic expression Of my respect for
the country's tranquility. Ny conduct my
| opouions. my feelings have been systemati-
cally illuminated. Impcrvious to such
assaults replied only by contempt to those
who went so far rs to try to set my sons
against their father. Odious and fruitless
efforts. | have had to impose silence on
young hearts, that revoted at such sug-
gestions. desired to be alone in the pre-
sence Of our enemies. My sons are still
strangers to politics The order of nature
| has designated them TO follow me, and they
| will remain faithful to the true Napoleonic
tradition. There has been talk of abdica-
tion on my part, but no such thing shall
take place When man has more duties
than rights abdication is desertion. Such
agreements, such reciprocal recognitions may
suit princes who suppose themselves to have
rights superior to the country's will. The
! Napeleons, who are the elect of the people
and the peoples servants must act other
! wise.
Two principles divide the world: that
which acknowledges right superior to the
peoples will and that which deducts all
power from popular sovereignty, respect
the countries in which these two prn-
ciples are made to harmonize. In France
no such harmony is possible. The repre-
/ >f +1,o ,,o.i bora Jao,, opoa For III