Year: 1870

Tho French Crisis--Tho Excitement In Paris


Our cable dispatches are numerous to-day,
as they were yesterday, touching the situa-
tion in Paris The excitement consequent
upon the vote Of the Chambers regarding the
arraignment Of Rochefort continued. The
mob, which had been strong during the day
in the neighborhood Of the legislative hall,
assumed later in the evening immense proper
tions in the Boulevard Montmartre. Up until
three in tho morning Of the 18th the crowd
surged and swelled In spite Of the police and
the military. Numerous arrests were made,
but there was no fighting. At the above men
toned hour the crowd had dispersed and the
military were in possession Of the boulevard
The intensity OF the excitement as well as the
vigilance and caution Of the government is
illustrated by the disposition which was made
of the police at various points. NJ. Rochefort
is more than ever the idol of the mob. Our
opinion Of the man remains unchanged, and
we are glad to know that the sensible and
order-loying citizens Of Paris are as much
opposed TO the man and his doings as is the
legislative body, which agreed to his prose-
cution by the overwhelming vote Of two hun
dred and twenty-six against thirty-four. M.
NJ. Olivier and Gambetta were In acrimo-
nious parliamentary conflict, and the neigh
boring cities of the empire were preparing to
do honor to the memory Of Raspail by namer-
GUS deputations in Paris.


That the situation in Paris, and indeed
throughout France, is critical we will not


deny; but is not our opinion that NJ. Rochefort,
even with the sympathy and encouragement
of the twenty thousand republicans Of Madrid,
Is able to defeat Napoleon or that by any chance,
so long as the Emperor lives and retains his
faculties, France can become q republic. 1t
is not at all impossible that the excitement
may spread over the country and take even
firm hold of the large cities If it does it will
have the effect Of distracting attention and of
dividing the Emperor's forces; but the French
| army is under perfect control and ready at any
| moment to make an end of revolution il any
| attempt at violence is made. It is almost
| safe, however, to conclude that the struggle,
whatever form it may assume, will be confined





mob will not learn from the moderation Of the
government, to dead certainty the streets Of
Paris will be swept with grapeshot, and Henri
Rochefort, in addition to his other crimes, will
have to answer for the blood of his fellow
citizens. The author Of the coup d'stat is not
the man to hesitate when he knows that de-
cisivs action is necessary. That indecision
and maudlin sentimentality which has been
characteristic Of some great men in great
crises, and which the First Napoleon was wont
to call mistaken humanity" does not belong
to the Bonaparte race. It certainly does not
belong to Napoleon III. When to act was
necessary we have never found him slow. It
is fearful, however, to contemplate that force
In action which established the one-man power
and which may again, not without the appro-
baton Of France herself, re-establish it more
firmly than ever.


1t is not our belief at present that such ac-
ton on the part Of the government will be
necessary. Rochefort will be tried and, no
doubt, convicted. Locked up securely in q
French prison his Narseiaasse, his Lanterne
and himself will soon be forgotten. His trial
and the trial of the Emperor's cousin will be
certain to create large amount Of
interest and even excitement But the
trials will be fairly conducted and both
will receive justice. Order will be main
tanned; caution on the part of the governments
will be exercised, and nothing but the most
wanton foolhardiness on the part Of the people
will provoke the authorities to shed blood.
Those who exaggerate the danger Of the crisis
forget that Paris ia not the mob. They over
look the fact that with almost all classes in
Paris above the very lowest Napoleon is
immensely POPULAR. He has made the shop
keepers rich he has increased the value Of
property; he has made Paris more than ever
the fashionable capital of the world. Paris
now breads revolution as much as London or
New York. To all except the lowest and
meanest and idlest Of the people revolution
would be ruin. 1t is not too much to say that
there are hundreds Of thousands of respect
able citizens who would turn out to preserve
the peace of the city If the Emperor saw ft to
make call upon them. No such call will be
made; but when these things are considered
there is the less reason to fear that the present
crisis will result in bloodshed or revolution.
What is true of Paris is more or less true of
all the large cities. 1t is the scum of the
great centres, not France, not the army, that
is opposed to the Emperor.


This crisis, which is not, after all, unnatural
in the circumstances, which the Emperor GER
tainly was not unprepared for, will pass by
like others we had to chronicle and comment
upon. The Emperor, with his hand still firm
on the reins, will 80 on with his reforms. If
one minister or one set Of ministers do not
succeed others will be tried with better results
The people win be humored, but taught to obey
the laws. One reform will succeed another,
ooa IA tho Oood work will oo o1, upfil tho