Year: 1871

| 1t is unjust to hold the people of France re-
| sponsible for the intrgues Of the BOnapartists.


On every occasion since the war when vote


could be taken, the result has shown that the
| braying in the mortar of experience to which
! they have been of late subjected has at least
| caused this folly to depart from them. Even


in Corsica, where every inch of territory is
saturated with the glory of the greatest of her
children, the late elections for the Council
General resulted so unfavOrably to the Impe-
rialists, that Prince Napoleon Jerome resigned
his seat in that body, and sailed away in dis
gust to the court of his father-in-law. 1t is
now proposed to annul the election of Mr..
Cont for no reason assigned except that he


was the Private Secretary Of the late En-
peror. Of course there are among the poorer
classes those who feel the pinching of hard
times, and have not logic or memory enough
to ascribe it to the man who made the war
and ruined France. 1t is easier and more
direct to say that while the Empire lasted
they had good times, and since the Republic
came the times are as bad as they can well
be. The hungry office-hOlding partisans of the
Exile of Chiselhurst make what use they can
of these mere animal instincts of discomfort,
and so gain a certain quantity of sympathy
and votes. But the army support of Napoleon
is more decided and intelligent. The profess
sional soldiers know that the Empire is not
peace and they fear that the Republic is, and
the most promising field for imperiaist in
trigue is therefore among the regular officers
Still, even in the army, there seems to be
enough of self-rCspect and sense of honor to
frown down any public demonstration in favor
of the dull charlatan who has dishOnOred not
only the French nation but the French army


At a meeting of veterans the other day at lie
Bourget, some one had the temerity to indulge
in language eulogistic of the Bonapartes, and
scandalous disturbance was the consequence,
which broke up the meeting and put a sum-
mary stop to the proceedings.


1t is not impossible to understand how a
Belevlle workman, hungry and half-clad,
might be led to charge his misery to tho
peace which now is instead of the war which
Bonaparte made. There are men in this coun-
try who think the national debt is the fault
of the Republicans who are paying it, rather
than of the Democrats who made it necessary.
But when we find officers of the French army
ready to conspire and to work for the restOra-
ton of such q creature as Louis BOnaparte to
the control of their destinies. it only proves
how thoroughly degrading and demoralizing
the influence of this man has been for the
last twenty years upon class of persons
formerly distinguished for a certain measure
of honor and manliness. Whatever others
may think about him, the officers of the army
at least know what a swindling adventurer he
IS; what weak, vacillating, nerveless pre-
tender. He never touched plan without
marring it. He had not energy enough to
lead himself, nor candOr enough to surrender
the lead to others. He destroyed the army
with timid meddling. Of late, he has seemed
bent on publishing his own incapacity to the
world. The pamphlets he has dictated in re-
gard to his campaigns have hurt him more
than the fercest attacks Of his enemies. But
nothing has ever been written 80 mercilessly
destructive of his pretensions az the recently
published letter to Sir John Burgoyne.
1t was written from Wilhelmsh6he, a
year ago, at time when he had re-
covered from the physical fatigues and
frights of the campaign. and WIS beginning to