120 



THE OKiVESEE FARMER 



April 16, 1881, 



LKTTR.iK FROM EUROPE. 



LETTER VIII. 



Paris, January 15, IS31. 



Mij dear H There is no doubt that King 



Louis Philipe is at the height of p puiar'ty 

 with the nation Ho seems to understand, 

 perhaps even better than Napoleon did, the 

 oharaclcr of the French, and lie is extremely 

 assiduous in addressing himself to their good 

 opinion. The stability of his Government 

 must, no doubt, to some extent, depend on 

 events beyond his own control. The French 

 are naturally a warlike people. They are fond 

 of the pomp and circumstance of war, and are 

 fascinated with the glory which results from 

 it. In the absence of almost every thins like 

 religious sentiment, they are brave, because 

 they have a perfect contempt ol death; and it 

 is only to beat the drum and sound the trum- 

 pet, to call around the standard of their court 

 try the best blood and muscle of a chivalrous 

 nation) Napoleon practised on this strung trait 

 of character too far — the people at length be- 

 oame tired, and even satiated with glory, and 

 they began to turn their attention to commerce 

 and to the useful arts and trades — a disposiiion, 

 by the way, which be did much to encourage, 

 while he left them but little leisure for the 

 pursuit. The policy of the present King is 

 wholly pacific, and it seems to me that the 

 danger is that he will not give his people a- 



lnusement enough in the way they desire. 



Whenever this suggestion is made here, the 

 reply is. that the character of the French is 

 ohanged, and they desire now nothing so much 

 as to bo permitted to pursue their useful or el- 

 egant occupations in peace and quiet. lam not 

 satisfied that this is strictly true There is, 

 doubtless, more love of mere comfort, and, in 

 deed, mere love of gain in France now. than 

 existed thiriy years ago. Both the English 

 and the Americans, who have come among 

 them, have taught them lesBonson this subject 

 by which they have profited ; and it is certain 

 that the great body of those who are engaged 

 in the accumulation of profits from trade" or 

 personal industry, do not like to be disturbed 

 in their employments — but it is to my mind 

 equally certain, that this taste for business is 

 far from being universal. The French aro 

 light-hearted and gay, and by this time, they 

 have forgotten the calamities they endured in 

 former conflicts ; they lovo to point lo the 

 monuments of their national glory, and thev 

 sigh for the opportunity of adding to the num- 

 ber of these monuments. Young men of birth, 

 education and fortune, and (he ambitious of all 

 classes, look to the army and the field, as the 

 source of distinction, and they hardly recognise 

 any other glory, than that which flows "from 

 military achievement. 



In this condition ot the French people, the 

 mighty preparations for war which the King 

 is now making from the necessity of the cas", 

 are to be iookod on as fortunate or otherwise! 

 according as tho conflict shall come or not. A 

 successful war would consolidate and strength- 

 en his Government more than Rny event which 

 could happen, by giving employment to the 

 restless spirits of the day, and especially, by 

 giving the King in person, an opportunity to 

 illustrate his name and character Louis Phil 

 ipo has nothing more to dread, at present, than 

 the gratification of his desiro to lead a quiet 

 life, on account of tho impression which would 

 follow thai his character is made up of nothing 

 better than negative qualities. The French 

 are proud of their country, and thoy must have 

 occasion too, to be proud of their King, or Lhey 

 will not be satisfied with him. It is certainly 

 oreditable to the King thai feelings of human 

 ity lead bim to revolt at tho prospect of war, 

 and to use his best exertions to prevont it, even 

 while he does not entertain a doubt, as I have 

 reason to think, that a war would do more to 

 render his reign permanent and secure, than 

 every thing else 



It is true, he may settlo down firmly in his 

 seat on the throne, without any such aid, and 

 the nruspoct is that ho will, ABlhaveBaid 



already he seems to understand the character 

 of his people, unless, indeed, be is in danger ol 

 relying too much on the change to which 1 

 have alluded. He certainly knows how to hu 

 mor their improved taste for simplicity, and 

 the tendency of their sentiments towards re- 

 publicanism The style of his court is made 

 to conform, as far as possible, to the existing 

 st ite of things, an . every member of his family 

 is taught how he may best address himself to 

 the partialities of the people. His sons, for 

 inst.ii.ee, appear in the racks of the National 

 Guards as common soldiers, undistinguished 

 in any particular from their fellows ; aud he 

 himself, wholiy unguarded und unattended, 

 often mingles with the people, and shakes the 

 commonest among them who desire it, cordial- 

 ly by the hand. 



It seems to me that the only internal causes 

 of disturbance to the Government to be appre- 

 hended, are those which may arise out of the 

 growing spirit of republicanism. I have more 

 thfcn once beard the opinion freely broached, 

 and that too, by men of talent and understand- 

 ing, (hat the existence ol hereditary power, in 

 any branch of the Government, was wholly 

 inconsistent with the genuine principles of ra- 

 tional liberty I have even heard it boldly said 

 that the present composition of the Govern- 

 ment was an anomaly, which could not con 

 tinue. These sentiments are aimed principally 

 at the Chamber of Peers, but they mean more 

 than that. These persons speak ot the present 

 order of things as a necessary evil, to exist 

 while the necessity lasts, and no longer. The 

 example of the United Stales is constantly be- 

 fore thern, and they 6ee nothing in the condi- 

 tion of this people which does not qualify them 

 for a free and elective Government, in all its 

 departments I am satisfied that ouch opin- 

 ions are held by great numbers, and in many 

 instances by very respectable and talented per- 

 sons. For my cif, I cannot regard the French 

 people so favorably, as to believe that they are 

 yet in a moral coadition to fit them for self- 

 government. If lhere were no other reason, 

 llieir infidelity would be enough. They are a 

 nation of atheists, however hard it may be to 

 say so. The French philosophers of the last 

 century have stamped their infidel principles 

 so strongly on the mind of the nation, that not 

 a ray of religious light can penetrate it. I 

 need not tell an American, that free lnstitu^ 

 tions cannot exist where the virtues of perso- 

 nal religion are wanting. 1 am compelled to 

 say therefore, though with deep regret, that in 

 my judgment, by just so much as the standard 

 of religion, virtue and morality in France fulls 

 below that of these qualities in the U. States, 

 by so much must the strength of the execu- 

 tive arm of the Government in this country, 

 exceed that of the chief magistrate in ours, and 

 by so much must the freedom of the people 

 here be abridged 



With a few of the more intelligent ropubli 

 cans of Paris, (his sentiment is understood and 

 ackuowledged, to a limited extent — to such an 

 extent I am apt to believe, as will forbid any 

 organized attempt against the Government, on 

 their part, at least for a considerable period ol 

 time. In the mean while, they will keep alive 

 the spirit of free institutions and gladly step in 

 to direct the destinies of their country, when- 

 ever thoy can be satisfied that it is ripe for fur- 

 ther reform. 



The classes of republicans below these, are 

 ready to try the experiment now, and are only 

 restrained by the military arm of the Govern- 

 ment — especially is ibis true of the lower or- 

 ders. Fortunaloly, they are comparatively 

 powerless. This very day, a mass of pop 

 ulation assembled near the Barriere de la 

 Glaciero, and, breathing out republicanism, 

 threatened to march on the Chamber of Dep- 

 uties. Tho sennncls wore immediately doub- 

 led, and a largo force of the National Guards 

 have been on duty. The mob is now disper 

 sed, and every thing is quiet again It is evi- 

 dent that the quiet of the country must be oft- 

 en dis.urbod in this way, and perhaps, in some 

 instances, much more seriously; but, on tho 



wuole, I do not believe ilia: 'here is. or will be 

 very soon, any general concert of the republi- 

 can party against the Government of the King. 



Of the Carlists and Bonapartists, little need 

 be said It is utterly impossible that the Bour« 

 bona should ever return to France It is as- 

 tonishing that that family should have been tol- 

 erated so long, when the universality of sen» 

 timent against them is considered. The opin» 

 ion? of the people may be said to be unanim- 

 ous ua this point \ miserable remnant of the 

 ancient noblesse, for the most part impovem 

 ished and degraded, Is all that remains of the 

 power of CharleB in the kingdom. Indeed, so 

 low is this party fallen, that the most import- 

 ant personage in it at present, is a ci decant 

 valet de chambre of the Dutchess of Berri, who 

 has been in Paris for 6ome weeks, and has jost 

 now succeoded, after a course of labored eff ,,t, 

 in throwing into his behaviour so much impu- 

 dence as to cause his airest. 



The state of public sentiment here, towards 

 the family of Napoleon, and towards his mem- 

 ory, is highly interesting and curious They 

 love his name with as much enthusiasm ae 

 ev-r — they adore his memory for the glory 

 which he shed on France — and yet if he were 

 alive and in Paris 10-day, they would not trust 

 him with a modicum of power. The truth is, 

 that from the hour of his last abdication to tho 

 present time, France has been growing in re- 

 publican sentiment, and much as they love 

 glory, and most of all such glory as Napoleon 

 gave and would give them, yet they would not 

 purchase it at the expense of freedom. The 

 present King seems to be fully aware of this, 

 and so far from throwing obstacles in the v.ay, 

 he has, as yet, rather encouraged every thing 

 which has been done and is doing, to revive 

 and cherish the name and the glories of the 

 Bonapartean dynasty. All the monuments, 

 paintings and statues illustrative of the scenes 

 and exploits of that period, which the late 

 reigning family had taken so much pains to 

 remove and hide away from public observation, 

 are now in tho act of being brought back and 

 restored to their respective places. Even the 

 brazen statue of the Emperour, which was 

 made to descend from its proud elevation on 

 the triumphal column in the P'ace Vendome, 

 will resume its position there. Th > busts, en- 

 gravings and lithographs of Napoleon are even 

 more common in the shop windows than those 

 of Louis Philipe Besides this, there are no 

 less then three principal theatres of Paris, 

 where draraatie representations of the Emperor 

 and the principal eventB of his life, are exhib- 

 ited, night after night, to houses crowded to 

 excess. I nave myself witnessed one of them, 

 and nothing could be more imposing ilian the 

 spectacle You see him, the soldier of Corsica 

 and the adventurer ; the Lieutenant, the Gen- 

 eral, the Consul, and the Emperor — you see 

 him in battle, you see him erowner 1 . ; you sec 

 him in his adieus at Fontainbloau, you see him 

 die at St. Helena. It was curious to witness 

 all this, and to mirk tho intense interest of the 

 masses who had crowded to tho spectacle ; to 

 listen to the shouts of deafening applause when 

 the crown desconded on his head ; 'o see the 

 fast-flowing and undisguised tear falling from 

 every eye, and hear the audible sob from hun- 

 dreds and hundreds of bosoms, at the closing 

 scenes — an( j y e ( ( know, that, were he really 

 before them at that moment in lull life, per- 

 haps not one single voice in tha' vast assem- 

 blage would be heard to welcome him back to 

 his country. Napoleon lived at. precisely the 

 right period for hif q^n fame, and for the "lo- 

 ry of France. At the present day, lie could 

 not govern hero on any terms, and the exist- 

 ing government has nothing to apprehend 

 from the love and veneration with winch his 

 name and family are regarded by tho nation. 

 I am sorry that some of the King's ministers 

 are not of this opinion, and that they are pre- 

 paring a law project for the Chambers, by 

 which tho theatrical representations to which 

 I havo referred are to be suppressed. It would 

 not be surprising if some commotion should 

 grow out of this attempt. Adieu, B. 



