Year: 1869




manner. The following extract from tho comnu-
nicaton referred to pictures the situation In very
strong colors:--


The vote Of Paris, OF Lyons, OF Bordeaux ana or
almost every great town In the empire Is not vote
OF opposition, but rather an open, undisguised and
unqualified declaration OF war. l told you much
before as to the importance OF the struggle engaged
III in Paris In the name OF N. Olivier; bnt while
that the government won,.. help him Openly by
ordering the oacls candidate, M. Louvet, to stand
sSias %E"s ana S::e up his chance to mis- old riva.
with many others. that the election OF NJ OlIivier
was safe, because he ought then to reckon In his
favor all the governmental voices OF the circun
my calculation was founded upon this eiror-that
the government had party still alive In Paris. The
man features Of the Parlsian elections are on one
side, the annihilatioh OF the governmental interest
IN that great CITY, and. on the other side, the cold
bOOded and successful resolution OF the electors to
send to the House not only decided opponents but
said here, the most 'irreconcilable'' Of opponents
MN. Garnier Pages and Carn9t are eliminated not
as suspected, but as not efficient enough for the
deadly war; NJ. Gueroult Is swept away for parieyy
Ing with Prince Napoleon, as Olivier did with the
Emperor; NJ Jules Favre is IN danger for having
having asserted In the House that habit Of compli-
mentary exordlum which is rule and an ornament
% The % ARS II yod WY s
you will find in the end that they are blamed and
dismissed for having sat six years in the House
event, and for having confronted the government
during six years without having been able TO over.
on S It. sy %C q Sr to


their task and must 60 to the rear and give way Tor
fresh assailants. Thai ia the sense OF the Parisan
clearly and SO strongly that even our semi-oficiai
press does not attempt TO dlstort or misintsrpret


But the Parisian elections are but the edge OF the
sword and the blade and the handle OF 1t have been
worked out by the whole country II you reckon
erroneous way OF reckoning is in Its favor for we
have already about nfty-dve independent members
be taken next Sunday cannot but double the num-
Der. However, that method OF reckoning by seats
won or lost Is unfair for the opposition especially In
France, where the m1norties are not only unrepre-
sented as formerly In England, but what Is worse,
wilfully and ceverly crushed down by the web OF
once Explained to You before Therefore the only
sure method OF calculating the progress OF the
opposition since 1853 Is to reckon the votes
didates by their opponents OF ali hues, and the
results Of that calculation are such as TO surpass the
hopes Of the most sangune adversares OF the present
government In 1858 about 530O,0 900 electors voted
for Official candidates and 1.S0o,00o against them
This year we have about Ooe 600 electors @ true 70
them-that Is to say, only majority OF about 100000
voices is left IN France to the existing government
To appreciate fully the meaning OF these figures you
must bear In mind that our functi0naries OF all
kinds, high and low are obliged to vote, aud even
ordered TO canvass, for the government; and you
community in France, where 1t may be called ma
ton in the nation Now that number once deducted,
what remains Dut o flock Of country voters, OF
whom no one can have q true idea who has
not canvassed them? Any one who knows by
experience, and not by report, what the French
peasant is in political sense and for electoral duty
Is now wondering that such number Of them has
been, by superhuman effort, detached from the
Official candidates. Not only the vast majority or
peasants cannot read, but ninety out OF 100 or
them believe that II they do not bring back to the
ballot the very ticket sent to them by the Mayor
they are committing an offence and exposing them
selves to q fine or some other punishment. To that
is to be attributed the great number OF voters, and
the rareness OF non-voting In the rural districts.
Tne truth is that the French peasant does not dare
not to vote and this explains the curious fact
that very often, II the husband s absent from the
country or at work, his wife comes with the ticket,
bringing back the ticket is the only means
of Keeping out OF harms way. You could every
where In our villages hear the official ticket called
the good ticket, te bon buletin-which does not
mean at all that they like 1t better than any other;
1t means only that It is the safe ticket the ticket
which any man can take and bring TO the ballot
without mourning trouble or coming to grief Such
Is the state Of universal suffrage and the notions
prevalent upon 1t among our rural voters.


Well, just as told you, that cold and quiet mass
Is beginning to move under the increasing excite
ment OF the middle classes ana The unceastng ap-
peas OF the press, as an iceberg may begin to split
and slide under the piercing rays OF the sun, But
even we take that fact into account, Is It not
dreadful to see government stand by Its own
weight without any active supporter and voted
against. with different degree OF hatred, but with
unanimity OF disappr0bation and dislike by almost
every one OF its subjects who can be considered as
having miad and VIII OF his own.