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vailed . Hence the Prefects strained every nerve to influence t he zeal of the electors by a host of proclamations , more or less grotesque . But the man who has surpassed- them all , while he has surpassed himself , is the famous Chapuis M ontlaville , 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 ( ministere ) of the French people , "
M . Chapuis Montlaville has promised " to have engraved in bronze and in marble t he 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 arrondissement 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 , apprehe nsive 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 elect oral 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 tiiat of the Archbishop of that city . A summons from the Prefect was called in to the aid of his confrere the 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 ofNon , 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 array 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 avitiy 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 h'fe of Bonaparte , and accidents said to have befallen him . The most serious
rumour was of a military conspiracy reported to have been discovered at Strasbourg . The garrison of that town was to open the gates to ( Jeneral Lainoriciere , proclaim the Republic , and , rallying all the garrisons of Alsace and Lorraine , march on Lyons and the south , so as to isolate the army of Paris from the rest of Franco . This conspiracy was discovered . The ringleaders , who were captains and lieutenants , some say even colonels , were shot . Fifty officers are still under arrest . The Funds it'll two francs on receipt of these details , and have : since continued to fall in a . strange
manner . The- Ministry of Police lost no time in contradicting these rumours . But the angry denials only contributed to confirm the public impression . I give you the text of these two documents . We read in the Monitcur : — " For sonic time time past malevolence has actively propagated alarming news , All theses rumours an : false . It is not in I ' aris only , hut in the ( 1 'purtnienls , that , these attempts are made :. These last few days they have been renewed with more perseverance . Public opinion will not sull'er itself lo be misled by inanu'uvrcs , of which the object in easily conceived . "
Now for the caution of the Police : ¦ - " Divers evildesigncd persons having . spread abroad rumours calculated to disturb the pence and to re-act upon the public funds ' , thcyjirc : to be ; immediately prosecule-il and committed into the hands of justice , to be dealt with according to the rigour of the hiw . " All this week , indeed , a . certain political agitation has rei"ii « " ( L Tin * publication of the Dciiiocrnt . ic and Legitimist manifestos was the chief cause of this
resurrection of public spirit . Of the elections not a word is said , but of grave events which the fu ( ure bus in ntorc : lor us . The publication of those manifestos in considered by nil partie's ( o bet a great political foll y , inasmuch as it reveals to the world t lint everything is Htill in question , and that to siclopt the universal exclamation , "Tim revolution is en ' pcnuaveiHV . " Other manifestos , too , have been in circulation , one emanating from Barbes and the prisoners of Belleisle , the other from Felix Pyat and a committees of delcgntCH witling
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 not 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 theComte de Chambord ' s circular were found , as they would be in many other diateaux . What is more , a member of the superior clergy , the Bishop of Lu ? on , 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 maintained 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 effect 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 confidingncss . Now that the army begins to conspire , ( as at Fontainebleau and Strasbourg , ) Bonaparte ; has but one : game to play , to occupy all minds : to tnalec 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 , hut as it is the only one , lie must attempt it .
. Besides the ) decrees on the reduction of the army , Bonaparte has recently published two more , each de :-signeel to act on the Bourse : and to raise the Funds . He has credited a bank of credit , mohilier , to make advances to speculators on deposit , of public stocks . By this he : has only bestowed n ne'w name on an olel system . The : Bank of Krnnco was in the habit ot making these : advances . Add to this , he : has re-organized the : Land Hanks , whie-h do not work , notwithstanding the : magnificent elccre'cs which instituted them . Ho bus merged them all in the central land-bank of I ' aris , clcsl , inc : d to be for mortgage credit what the Bank e > t ' I ' aris , called Bank of France , in to coniinomal credit . This new organization would he : consielereel good anel
wcll-comhiuc : d , according to the old economical errors ; to my mind , it , is a mistake ' . Its general capital is laid at , two hunelrcd millions of l ' nincs . It , is hoped that by investing these : two hundred millions , nne'qiml sum now invc'ste : el on mortgage ' , but at , usurious interest , will be got in . It is expeclcel ne : xt , that the : two luinelred millions thus displaced will come : to the : Land Bank to be re-inve-ste'd in mortgage : ne curities . Then a new operation would be coinnu'iicrel with tbe ' . se : new two hundred millions . Butjill this / to my juelpiu'iit ) is a pure : illusion anel a false : eahilbuiem . Lcndcm on mortgage are : simply usurers , who lend first , thonmelves ; secondly , whe > only lemel at , seven , eight ,, and ten pe : r cent . These : mortgage : securities only paying tbive : per cent ., tho umiroi'M will prefer ( Jetvormncnt stock at
fourand-a-half per cent , to an investment at three per cent Remark besides , that instead of lending themselves 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 he swept" away . However it may be no one seems to have taken all these difficulties into * account , and the general impression is , that this re-organization of the Banguefoncibre is a sound institution .
talking of reorganization , the court costumes are to ' he reorganized . Ladies will no longer be received at the imperial court but with dresses bearing the traditional train . This feminine appendage of a queue I * the delight of all Paris , as I write . On en rit auar larmes . The folk of the Elysee are hotly disputing for the imperial dignities . M . Baroche , ex-Minisfcer of Justice and President of the Council of State , wants to be Arch-Chancellor . But M . Itouher , 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 Jer 6 me 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 Princes 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 a nd dotations to the house of Orleans , will concede these which are so unceremoniously apportioned without herconsent . 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 iw 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 be the last degree of irony that you , who are always- ; bellying- us that you would never have suffered such a master ; to bestride you as we now have , should after all help ten do his dirty work . It is impossible . The first step of a great revolution in French jour * nalism has taken place this week . M . Mirc-s the agent of M . de Morny , and who is only the dummy of MM . Bonaparte and Morny , after having purchased , three months since , the Fays , has just bought the Comtitutionnel for the sum of two millions of francs . Doctor Ve ' ron has received an indemnity of 800 , 000 francs in 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 Presse and the Siecle . M . de Girardin asks 300 , 000 francs indemnity . This is a sacrifice , but in all probability the sale will bo effected . Henceforth . MM . Bonaparte and Co . will be the solo newspaper proprietors in Paris . This is no lemger despotism in jackboots , a la Louis XIV ., or < l la Napoleon ; it ih */ yj despotism . The : journals will not he suppressed , as limit bum anticipated j they will be bought . This is inonx dear , but more refined . We : have , this week , learnt with sorrow ttur conelemnntiem to eleath of two of the insurgent * ; of the Var , and to bard labour for liOxxn and twenty ye-ars , of several othe : rs . This wsntwim w "" monstrosity ; inasmuch as it condemns as- uhhmsmubbrave men ' who had the courage : to combat ,, i » tli © <> 1 " ' field , the : troops of Honnpnrte . When the : reortfniiW tion of the : republican party shall be : comp lete , and " > * condition to take : up arms again , what would the soMm-W say if they we : re : Mint to the : scaflbhl for lighting in J" » Held against the : defenders of the : Republic anel tnei laws r
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TIIK STARS AND STIU 1 MW AT ST . 1 ) 0 iMINM > Rumour is as busy as ever with the projects ' '"' citizens of the : United States anioiif ? the islands <> 1 AVe'sl , Indies We are new told that St . 1 )<) "" \" .. to be taken by an independent expedition ol A' 1 "' 1 ' ( l emigrants , who are : to go there : well armed , < wtcix 3 for the purpose of pre > tee : tii > K the people ol St . I'o h ^ from the de-signs of flu : Louis Napole : on ot " » tf' , Kn . peror Soulouep . e . It , is suid that the »^ IH lllL " % . the State : of ( le'orgia have : already p assed an A < ; ce . rporntiem for a company of emigrants , wbose : ^ . j lure : cniuiot be : interfered with . Thin i « v (; ry ' jj taut ; but the stint * licH in what wo have to
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1130 THU LEADER . ^ [ Satxjrpay ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 27, 1852, page 1130, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1962/page/6/
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