On this page
-
Text (2)
-
1130 THE LEADER. [Saturday , ¦ ¦: . -¦ ¦...
-
Till'] STARS AND STIMPKS AT ST. DOMINGO....
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
-
-
Transcript
-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
Letters From Paris. [From Our Own Corres...
vailed . Hence the Prefects strained every nerve to influence the zeal of the electors by a host of proclamations , more or less grotesque . But the man who lias surpassed them all , while he has surpassed himself , is the famous Chapuis Montlaville , that Prefect of Toulouse , already celebrated for his gasconading proclamations during the progress of Bonaparte in the South . To perpetuate the memory " of the acts of God accomplished in the year of grace 1852 , by the instrumentality ( oninistere ) of the French people , "
M . Chapuis Montlaville has promised " to have engraved in bronze and in marble the total of the votes for the Empire in the department of the Haute Garonne . The tablets of bronze bearing the total of votes recorded in the department will be reserved to the town of Toulouse ; the tablets of marble , transmitting to posterity the partial results , will be given to the chief polling place of each arrondisscment and canton . " M . Chapuis Montlaville forgets to add who is to pay for these interesting monuments .
Other Prefects have turned their heads to other inventions . One of them , apprehensive of finding the vote of the 21 st of November inferior to that of December 20 , has ordered that in every hospital the sick and the dying shall vote . To facilitate to them the accomplishment of " this electoral duty" ( to quote the prefectoral words ) , he orders that the electoral urn be brought to the bedside of each . I only hope this interesting class of voters may not mistake the nature of the vase !
Some Bishops have imitated the zeal of the Prefects . In default of proclamations , they have issued charges and pastoral letters . Not more than five , however , have indulged in this description of sport . All the rest have preserved absolute silence . Many of these pastoral letters have occasioned great scandal . The Catholic journal of Rennes , for instance , refused insertion to that of the Archbishop of that city . A summons from the Prefect was called in to the aid of his confrere tlie Bishop , to conquer resistance . The journal yielded—not without informing its readers of the compulsion under which it was placed .
By letters just received from Lille , we learn that the authorities refused licence to print bulletins of Won , and that the majority of the population had abstained from voting in consequence ! Another fact to be recorded is , that by Bonaparte ' s constitution the army was not to vote . Trusting to the terms of this worthy constitution , I innocently wrote you to that effect . It seems that the Elysee changed its mind : the army has been restored to its electoral privilege for the sake of its 400 , 000 votes , which were particularly wanted . All this past week we have heard of nothing but plots , conspiracies , attempts on the life of Bonaparte , and accidents said to have befallen him . The most , serious
rumour was of a military conspiracy reported to have baen discovered at Strasbourg . The garrison' of that t ) wn was to open the gates to General Lamoriciere , proclaim the Republic , and , rallying all the garrisons of Alsace and Lorraine , march on Lyons and the . south , 83 as to isolate ; the army of Paris from tho rest of France . This conspiracy was discovered . The ringleaders , who were captains and lieutenants , some say even colonels , were , . shot . "Fifty officers are still < . *( -der arrest . The Funds fell two francs on receipt of tl . ; details , and have since continued to fall in a stra manner . The Ministry of Police lost , no time in <¦ trndicting these rumours . Hut the angry den only contributed to confirm the public , impression . g ' . ve you the text of these two documents . We re : ' the Jlfoiii / . mtr : —" For sonic lime time ; p . isf , nialevo hi \ s sict . ivcly propagated alarming news . All rumours are false . It is not , in Paris only , hut departments , that , these attempts arc made , last , few days they have been renewed with more ])¦ verance . Public opinion will not . suffer itself ft . misled by manoeuvres , of which the object is on . c meoived . " Mow for tlit' caution of the Police : - " Divers ev designed persons having spread abroad rumours cal < luted to disturb 1 he peace and to re- ; ie ( , upon the pu ' funds , they an : to be immediately prosecuted and ct mitted into the bunds of justice , to be < le ; il (; with cording to the rigour of the . law . " All thin week , indeed , u certain political ngiliit . has reigned . The , publication of the Democratic ii : Legitimist , ninnifesloi : was the chief cause of ( his re . sn ruction of public spirit . Of the elections not , a woi in said , but of grave events which the future lias i ntore for us . The publication of thoso manifestos i considered by all parties to be ft groat , political folly inasmuch as it reveals to the world that , everything h still in question , and that , to mlopt the universal exclamation , "The revolution is en permanence . " Other manifestos , too , have been in eireulat ion , one emanating from llnrbeH and the prisoners of BelleiHle , tho other from Felix l ' yat and u committee , of delegates witting
in London . That of Barbes ends with these words , — " People ! if you feel yourselves strong enough , rise up ; if not , vote , and vote against . " In the manifesto of Felix Pyat , the delegates remind us that " insurrection is the most sacred of duties . Insurrection was the right of June 13 th ; it was the duty of May 31 st ; it is at once a duty and a right since the 2 nd of December . Voting , then , is riot the question , but to rise up and fight . The voting-tickets should only serve as cartridges . In default of guns , every weapon is of service : pitchforks and paving-stones , scythes and ploughshares . "
Other Legitimist manifestos are also ^ in circulation . That party is very active just now , and it is the chief object of persecution for the moment . In every department arrests and domiciliary visits incessantly take place . The Chateau d'Aubigni ( Cher ) , belonging to M . de Vogue , ex-representative , was lately invaded by the police , and searched from turret to basement . Copies of the Comte de Chambord ' s circular were found , as they would be in many other chateaux . What is more , a member of the superior clergy , the Bishop of Lucon , has been subjected to a domiciliary visit , the first time , perhaps , that such a thing has occurred in France ; and at his house was found a correspondence of Henry V . At the very moment when the police arrived , he was writing a letter to the Pretender , in which he told him that " his faithful Vendee awaited
his return . " It was discussed in Council of Ministers whether the Bishop should be arrested , but as the clergy must be coaxed till the election and the coronation are over , the affair was adjourned to a more convenient season . Besides , it is important not to create any fresh scandal at present . This will give you an idea of the measure of stability which the existing powers enjoy . The clergy conspires , the army conspires , the Legitimists
conspire , the Orleanists conspire , the Republicans conspire , —everybody conspires ; such is the basis of our reigning institutions . Some day , it is feared , a pistolshot will burst the gigantic bubble . So great , indeed , has been the political agitation all the week , and especially on the day of the report of the military conspiracy at Strasbourg , that it was deemed necessary to make a demonstration of troops . Paris has been occupied militarily , and patrols have continued to scour the city and the faubourgs .
The Funds have fallen , and are still , as I write , depressed . In vain , Bonaparte has made every exertion to operate a rise . The holders are seriously alarmed : they have lost confidence , as they say . In vain Bonaparte , to show his assurance , published a decree reducing the army by 30 , 000 men . This colourable reduction produced no effect at all on the public . It only touches the infantry ; the cadres of officers are maintain ^! in full efficiency ; it is only the soldiers that are temporarily dismissed to their homes , on condition of
returning to the standards at the first appeal . Such is in eil ' ect the value of this reduction , which does not reduce the effective force by a single man . It is well that the foreigner should not trust this reduction ; he might have cause to repent his eonfidingness . Now that the army begins to conspire , ( us at Fontainebleau and Strasbourg , ) Bonaparte has but one game to play , to occupy all minds : to make war . For an Emperor who has never risen above the grade of a captain in the civic guard in Switzerland , it is a hard part to play , but as it is the only one , he must attempt it .
Besides the decree on the reduction of the army , Bomiparte has recently published two more , each designed to act ou the Bourse and to raise the Funds , lie has created a bunk of credit , mohilier , to make ad-A'ances to speculators on deposit of public- stocks . By this ho has only bestowed a new name on an old system . The Hank of France was in the habit of making these advances . Add to this , he has re-organized the Land Hanks , which do not , work , notwithstanding the magnificent ; decrees which instituted them . Ho has merged them all in the central hind-bank of Paris , lestined to bo for mortgage credit what tho Hank of . ' aris , called Hank of France , is to commercial credit . This new organization would be ; considered ^ ood and
well-combined , according to the old economical errors ; to my mind , it in a mistake . Its general capital is laid at two hundred millions of francs . It is hoped that by investing these two hundred millions , an equal sum now invested on niorlgapfn , but at usurious interest , will bo got in . It , in ox peeled next flint the two hundred millions thus displaced will come to the Land 15 a . nk to '>
fourand-a-half per cent , to an investment at three per cent Remark besides , that instead of lending tliemselves to private individuals , they will be obliged to lend to the Land Bank—a very different affair , and far less safe since private individuals , even in a revolution , cannot disappear , heirs and all , while a public establishment may very well be swept away . However it may le no one seems to have taken all these difficulties into account ^ and the general impression is , that this re-organization of the Banque fonciere is a sound institution .
Talking of reorganization , the court costumes are to be reorganized . Ladies will no longer be received at the imperial court but with dresses bearing the traditional train . This feminine appendage of a queue m the delight of all Paris , as I write . On en rit aux larmes . The folk of the Elysee are hotly disputing for the imperial dignities . M . Baroche , ex-Minister of Justice and President of the Council of State , wants to be Arch-Chancellor . But M . Rouher , the present Minister , disputes the claim . Colonel Vaudrey wants to be Grand Marshal of the Palace , but Colonel Fleury opposes his rival pretensions ; and so with all the places of honour .
The reconciliation of Bonaparte with old Jerome is complete . Bonaparte has fairly knuckled . down , as I told you he would ; and lately , before his whole court ,, declared that Napoleon Jerome was rightfully his legitimate heir . On the 3 rd of December will appear a decree to confirm this solemn promise . On the same day a Senatus-consultum will designate the Princes of the imperial family , and the Prinees tout court , as they are jokingly called at Paris . It will likewise regulate the dotations and apanages of each of them . We shall see how that France which refused the apanages and ' dotations to the house of Orleans , will concede these which are so unceremoniously apportioned without her consent . True , the vote of November 21 will be appealed to . I had forgotten it .
M . Walewski , ambassador of France to London , has , it is again rumoured here , received orders to demand explanations of the English Cabinet as to its tolerance of French refugees . A formal demand of expulsion is even mentioned . Do not imagine that we think the English Government capable of executing the orders of Bonaparte ' s police , or of being dragged , like an accomplice , into co-operation with his designs . It would he the last degree of irony that you , who are always telling us that you would never have suffered such a master to bestride you as we now have , should after all helpto < do his dirty work . It is impossible :
The first step of a great revolution in French journalism has taken place this week . M . Mires , the agent of M . de Moray , and who is only the dummy of MM . Bonaparte and , Moray , after having purchased , three months since , the Pays , has just bought the ConstUntionnel for the sum of two millions of francs . Doctor Veron has received an indemnity of 800 , 000 francs iu cash ; every shareholder will receive 5000 francs per share besides . It is , you see , a great step towards a
complete revolution in the French press . In fact , this new company of Mires and Co . is now engaged in bargaining for the JPresse and the Siecle . M . de Girardin asks 300 , 000 francs indemnity . This is a sacrilice , but in all probability the sale will be effected . Henceforth MM . Bonaparte and Co . will be the sole newspaper proprietors in Paris . This is no longer despotism in jackhoots , a la Louis XIV ., or ti la Napoleon ; it is sty despotism . The journals will not be suppressed , as hail been anticipated ) they will be . bought . This is more
dear , but more refined . We have , this week , learnt with sorrow tin ; condemnation to death of two of the insurgents of the Vur , and to hard labour for fifl «« " ; lI 1 ( l twenty years , of several others . This sentence is h monstrosity ; inasmuch as it condemns as assassins brave men who hud the courage to combat , in the opem iield , the troops of Bonaparte . When the reorgiunzation of the republican party shall be complete , and >» * condition to take up arms again , what would the soldici * wiy if they wenj sent to the scaffold for fighting •«> »»•¦ Hold against the defenders of tins Kepublic and tin : lnws r
1130 The Leader. [Saturday , ¦ ¦: . -¦ ¦...
1130 THE LEADER . [ Saturday , ¦ ¦ : . - ¦ ¦ - -- - '¦'¦'"¦ ¦ ¦ ' ¦ ' ¦ "'" ¦¦ "" ' ' " ' " " ¦ ¦ ' ^ ' ¦¦ '
Till'] Stars And Stimpks At St. Domingo....
Till' ] STARS AND STIMPKS AT ST . DOMINGO . Ku niou it is us busy as ever with the projects <> ¦ ^ citizens of the United States mnong the islands" ! West Indies . We are now told that St . V """"^ .,,, ' , to be taken by an independent , expedition of A '" ' ^^ ^ emigrants , who nre lo go there well armed , '' '"' ' , for the purpose of protecting the people of St . I " " ^ from tho designs of the Louis Napoleon of !' > ' '' , ()( - Kmperor Soulouque . It is mud that the Lorim ^ " ^ the Stale of Georgia have already passed an Aot ^ corporation for a company of emigrants , whose I ^ turo cannot ho interfered with . This in very ¦ " 1 ^ ^ taut : but the Hling lies iu what wo hav" I ( >
-
-
Citation
-
Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 27, 1852, page 6, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_27111852/page/6/
-