The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-02

phere being heavy with threats Of dismissals.
So that ] may any day go TO Client for
change of air The Government, loving
liberty ~ il does. will probably desire to
streng hen my virtue by removing iempia-
lions from me" Taine's resolute attitude
AT this time blighted for many years his
Prospect of advancement in the Depart inen'
of Pubic Educat ion. ali hough he held, as
we have said. that the out come Of the pl"b-
iScite rendered the government of Louis
Napoleon legitimate. Az early ar Dec, 20,
1851, he wrote to Prevos, -Parddol: Are
you 10 unfait hful To your own principles
that you do not now recognize NJ. Bona parte
for "A legitima sovereign His action re-
mains detostable But here he IL, he e. ect
of the nat ion. and what has partisan of
universal suffrage to say against the will
Of the nation The seven million votes 90
not JUST fy his perjury, but they give him
the right 10 be obeyed The middle class
have been towards and he peasants stupid,
Yes, but let us respect the nation, even when
il IL misled" Tame recurs TO the subject
ten days later in a letter to the same friend.
1t il not for "A philosopher to change his
doct rine with ciicumstan The chain Il
reasoning which jus, fled universal suff rage
il unbroken. and Truth has remained the
same. If there are, AZ YOU say, seven million
leasis Of burden in France, those seven
millions have right to dispose Of what
Lelongs to them. No matter if they choose
to- govern wrong The verest oaf has
RICH, to dispose of his field and private
property; and, similarly. n nation Of fools
has the right to dispose Of itself-that, is Of
public property. Either you must deny the
nf human "a i'll and the whole
nature of Right, or you must obey universal
sun age" Taine would not concede, never
thcless, that, even by a plebiscite could
the right Of individual property lie abolished.
Mote, however, that there are restrictions
to the application of the above principle.
rest riot ions which formerly invoked
against you when denied TO the majority
the absolute power which you allowed to
il. II is because there are things which are
outside the social contract, which are, there
fore, beyond public property, and upon
which, consequently, the decision Of the
public is not binding for inst ance, liberty
of conscience, and everything that we call
the rights and duties which were anterior
to society But, in the present quest ion,
TO Wit, the choice Of a form Of government,
he nat ional will is obviously a severe ign
one. ana we cannot better prove our lpNdHN
To- truth than by defending our principles.
even when the imbecile masses Use them
against us" 1aine recognized that should
We deny the sovereignty of the majority in
purely poll zeal concerns, we should march
straight 10 tyranny. The Emperor OF
Russia might say, | am the only Intelligent
man in nv realm (which i true. 10y the
way. Therefore, il IL my will which must
govern, and not that Of my subjects The
Catholics say. We alone know the true end
of man. and our adyersaries science blinds
them more than ignorance could do. There
fore, our will mus; govern Pasquae's
saving il decisive: Who is TO pass first
The most learnedf Bu, who isto Judge? He
has four lackcys. have but one: he must
pass before me. II is question OF num-
beers. and should be a fool o dispute il = Z"
Taine sees that the real solu' ion of the per-
picking problems, raised toy the application
of Ne principle that the ma jority must rule
in political matters, would toe the educat ion
Of the people. and he was confident that
they will have the needed educat ion hun
drcd wears hence. Meanwhile, for Gods
sake, he said lot us defend their rights, even
| against ourselves, while wishing and try
| ing TO enlighten them. VI. W, N.