Year: 1868

AS promised in our last issue we con


tinuo "Keynote'' in his correspondence,


with the New York Examiner d. Chronicle


We will have more to say on the inside O.


this issue. . -ar r.. .. ..r.
i Here are some thoughts that come tc


me in Paris:


! Paris is the focus point of all European
questions. All roads used to lead to


Rome every train of thought fetches up


at Paris. Always the world has had its


capitol. The mantle of the city of the


C@sers has fallen upon the metropolis of


the Bonapartes. -.


Think of any question that now agitates


the ContiEent-polit cal, ethical, ma :erial,


social or religious-and you at once think


of Paris. There is no problem of govern


ment or of civilization that does not bring
| you to Paris before you are done with it.


It is said that Psris is France, but Paris is


Europe. Here you come to take your


reckoning in the voyage Of discovery, in
quiry, or invention Before you make up
your mind about how to govern a nation,
how to regulate a city, how to deal with
the people, how to dispose of pauperism,
how to treat vice, how to promote sanitary
reform-you must needs inquire of Paris.
And consult Paris you must, before you
know whether peace or war is to be the
lot of Europe. For if Paris is France,
| Napoleon is Paris. He can say. Behold
| the, Babylon-if not that have builded
at least-that have completed, capstOned,
crowned I!


Paris is the best that Imperialism has to
show for itself. And it is stunning
showing. Your United States Republican
will have to be alert and on his guard, or
he will be bewitched out of his people,
mania by this irresistible and stupendous
witch in the way of a monarchical capital.
However you may detest monarchies,
you will be fair enough to come and see
what Paris has to show for, as well as
against, this fashion Of government. And
when you come, you will he candid enough
to give Napoleon's capital its due, and say,
perchance II will at least own to q new
and brighter view of the case. l will not
grudge to monarchy what it may Justly
plead in extenuation of its rigor, and
rightly lay claim to as virtue inherent in
it as system" You will see that mon
archy has its fascination. When the one
man power is a success. it is more fasci,
mating success than the success of the
many-men power. The great monarchi-
cal thinker, himself monarch among
thinkers, will chuckle as he asks you
whether universal suffrage can take ship
around Cape Horn. NJ, No, he growls
triumphantly in reply if you did, the
eternal laws would nudge your elbow, and
remind you of your folly.


Monarchy has its tap-root in the hero
| worshipper disposition, and the hero. wor>
shipper disposition is universal. The
Many are Unsuitable and fierce in alteration
of The One. The multitude are forever
in ferment of expectation for their Master.
Never did Jew desire Messiah with in
tenser eagerness, than the people the world
over have always desired Sovereign Mind.
Republicanism finds, its security in the
absence Of such Mind. Monarchy las
always found its stability in the peoples
recognition of such Mind. Providence
not providing such Mind is in favor of
Repu blicanism, as in the United States.
Providence providing such Mind is in
favor of Monarchy, as in France. The
Mind gone, all is gone, and Providence
lifts the people with one hand, and
squelches the throne with the other, as in
Spain. If there shall arise O man who
shall prove himself equal to the Rulership,
he will reign over Spain. Otherwise, the
people will reign over it, making dismal
fist of it by way of transition; until they
learn how, or some one of them learns
how and puts the crown on.


Paris then is a gorgeous, subtle, over
bearing argument for the one man power
An imperisus argument for Imperialism.
1t is specious, too, and sophistical, and
h,v I, Il
Of course. Nevertheless, here it stands,
an argument which distance may rail at,
but which the eye finds it anything but
easy to overthrow or resist.


Monarchy has the best governed, if not
indeed the only well governed city in
Christendom. Paris is clean frQm one
end of the year to the other, and from one
end of itself to the other. Its streets are
free from beggar, pauper, imbecile and
drunkard. A similar law is on our stat
ute-book, too, you say. And only on the
statute book, We reply. Here it is on the
street, and at the counter. Here law can
be executed. The mouths Of the gainsay-
ers will not be stopped until "the people,
show the same facility in obeying laws
they do in passing them.


Here honesty is compulsory. Redress
in Paris is as easy as swindling is difficult
The Law is omniprescnt. The penalty for
deception in merchandise is precipitate,
merciless, irremediable. just round the
corner crowd are staring on the inscrip-
ton over the door of closed shop, which
is to the effect, 'Imprisoned six months
for diluting wine." For deception in Jew
elry there is six months Imprisonment, the
closing of the shop for certain time. and
a heavy fine. Sush risk who will run?
The convicted shopkeeper is ruined man.
AS in these. things, so in all things. If
you have been imposed upon. inform the
/ commissioner of Police. The Paris police
Cegulations are consummate. The Paris
detectives are the most expert in the
world.


Long after you are redressed and gone,
the culprit groans under the terrors of the
law. That law has long since forgotten
you. 1t remembers only ITSELF 1t is
selfdefensive. The State is more bent
upOp its own than upon yonr redress. 1t
is monarchy looking after itself, and so
its retribution is all punitive, not at all
reformatory, which is wrong, inhuman,
unchristian.


So everything here in the way Of super
intendence and regulation is reduced to an
absolute science. And the explanation is
to be found in the one word Monarchy, or
the two words One Man.


Such city is an impossibility with us,
just as much Of an impossibility as New
York is here. Who ever heard of "The
People, doing anything but cravenly SUBJ
hitting to crowded Omnibusses, mock auc.
tious, filthy streets and monopolies in
public enterprise too oppressive to be toll
Grated in any country but a free one. New
York is hog-pen and anarchy in
comparison with Paris. 1t is the difference
between government which minds
4 l..