Year: 1870

| Our cable news this morning shows tnat
the excitement in France continues, ana trat
although no serious consequences have re-
suited things are not exactly according to the
Emperor's liking All over the country meet
ings have been held in the matter OF the pSeoss-
cite. In some cases the meetings have been quiet
and orderly. In other cases they have been
turbulent and ominous of danger. Some of
Them certainly have gone beyond the bounds Of
propriety, and have, as was to be expected,
been dissolved. The Punishment of the Italian
banker who was foOlhardy enough to cOntri-
butte to the aasG-ple6iscite fund has given birth
to a new opposition, and according to our latest
news, a protest against the same, on the
ground of its being unconstitutional. has been
signed by some highly respectable names, and,
among others Of almost equal weight, by
son of the late philosopher Arago.


| 1t is not in any quarter questioned, so far as
facts have reached us, whether the plot against
the Emperor's life is a trick of the government
or q folly and mistake OF the malcontents. 1t
does seem as if the opponents of the empire,
or, if our readers will, the opponents of





some sense, directly or indirectly, they have
| given countenance to this conspiracy against
things as they are in France On the other
hand, there are grounds to suspect that the
whole affair is clever government dodge.
| That the discovery Of such conspiracy at this
particular juncture Is government gain all
men everywhere seem to be convinced 1t
c0nvinces France that within her own borders
dangerous men exist and dangerous games
are being played. 1t recalls to all thinking
Frenchmen the memory OF the reign OF terror,
and it frightens into sense Of propriety all
the men who under the empire have become
owners of property. The men who have made
| the second empire are not ignorant OF the con-
dition of France. They know what the en-
pire has been and what the empire has done.
They know that while many have won not
few have lost. They know that the empire
has made many and bitter foes. while 1t has
made many enthusiastic friends. They know
that while the foes plot against things AZ they
| are the friends dread revolution. The pie
Jiscite gives a chance to the foes, but it
| frightens the friends. The best way to make
| the friends trustworthy is to identify their
prosperity with the empire; and the best way
to multiply the friends is to make the bugbear
of revolution as hateful and as dreadful as pos
! sihle. IF this assassination plot has accom-
| plished this work--has identified existing
French prosperity with the empire and made
revolution horrible to contemplate-the plot,
| from the government point of view, will! prove
| an immense success.


But we have no evidence that the govern
ment has lent itself to any such project. We
have many reasons for coming to an opposite
| conclusion. Napoleon does not now think 80
| much of himself as of his son and the per-
petuation of the Bonaparte dynasty In pro-
portion as he forgets self SO may we rest
assured are his ways Of working clear and
| unimpeachable. No man knows better than
Napoleon the Third that facts cannot now be
varied, and that truth will rise again and be
| it's own avenger. Working as he does, less
for immediate success than for future victory,
conspiracy such as this does not-at least
ought MOTTO enter into his plans. If the
over-much zeal of his friends and supporters
has begotten this trouble the Emperor will
not be less willing than we to say that
they have erred. sAbove all things be not
over jealous" was a favorite phrase with
Talleyrand; and If this regicide plot has been
begotten of friendship Napoleon will not be
without good reason to study the sentiments
| of the best friend OF his uncle. 1t is well for
the Emperor to know that the world looks on,
questioning itself whether this thing is an i'm
| pelal dodge designed to battle foes and win
immediate success, or whether it is a fresh
outburst of radical and republican folly OF
one thing we cannot allow ourselves to doubt
whatever the origin and object of this So
called conspiracy, it must result to the i'm
mediate advantage of Napoleon and his
friends.


II it should be found that the conspirators
save France by numbering the Emperor, Ma
poleon and those who believe in him will fall
back on Providence, and give Providence
all the glory and all the praise. In
the next edition of the ''Life of julius
Caesar" we shall expect to find some i'm :
provements in the prefatorial paragraphs
which rank Caesar and Charlemagne and
Napoleon with the Messiah and which pro-
nounce the assassination Of Cesar and thu


''os.racsm" OF Napoleon as huge and unquali


fed blunders We do not for a moment doub


tina. Napoleon ranks himself with the Messiah


of The past; nor do we feel disposed at presen
| to question his right. We have as lttl
doubt--and we quote his own language-tha
be regards all his foes as "blind and culpable
blind, for they do not see the impotence 9
their efforts TO suspend the deinitive trump
of good culpable, for they only retard pro
gress, by impeding its prompt and fruitft