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Prance . We read that he has been styled " the Elect of God "— " the Man of Providence "— the Saviour of Prance ; " in short , the latest work of the French Deity , who , having evolved such a perfect creature , forthwith rested from his labours , and ceased to create Frenchmen . To us , looking fixedly , curiously , and with some amount of awe , these bewildering phenomena have danced for a long time before our eyes , like a dream , a nightmare , a phantasm of fever , or any other horrible delusion . But we are now convinced they are factual phenomena , and that they must have a meaning . We believe that our patient and trusting contemplation has been rewarded ; we believe we have found the " mot
d'Sniff me . " The fact is , M . Bonaparte has been enacting a grand and stately travestie for the benefit of Prance . Prom his earliest public appearance he has had one aim—to make his uncle ridiculous , and to cure the Prench people of their idolatrous worship of that towering name . All things have come about in his favour . He had determined to be the Eesurrection Man of the enrpire —it was his " star : " and lo ! Prance gave him the opportunity . He had determined to perform the most costly burlesque in history , and fortune made him a present of the " properties . " As an
antithesis to Napoleon the Great , he made himself Napoleon the Little . The other extreme in every respect , he substituted the calculation of effects for the spontaneity of genius , and his own obstinate fatalism for the far-reaching earnestness of his reputed ancestor . Proudhon enthroned Irony in the Void . That was the latest oracle of the century . What was pleasant theory in the terrible dialectician , the Nephew of his Uncle tried to reduce to practice . In a moment of inspiration , after one of those long intervals of silence for which he is famous , M . Bonaparte exclaimed , " There is but one Proudhon , and I am his Prophet !"
The dim truth of this , like an xinapprehended p rophecy , had long haunted his mind , shaped his actions , and governed his career . Henceforth all was plain . Irony was the deity of Proudhon , and Proudhon was the inspirer of Bonaparte . He would cure Prance of idol worship , and use up , once for all , the prestige of the empire . This was the " vraie idee Napoleonienne . " Was it not a grand conception ? What a height of patriotism and self-sacrifice—to make oneself a puppet and a scourge , in order that one ' s country might never again believe in either empire or filory !
We have not arrived at these views without serious thought ; we have not adopted them without some grounds upon which to rest our theory of Bonaparte . Did not Napoleon deify the Army ? and has not Bonaparte done the same ? . Did not the former persecute genius ? mid lias not the latter miserably iiped that persecution V Napoleon procured himself to be the elect of three millions ; Bonaparte has outdone him , he proclaims himself the elect of seven millions .
Napoleon had his Pouche ; . Ikmannrfe han Jus Maupas . Napoleon w . us in real clanger from an infernal machine ; Bonaparte has incurred an immense danger from the Marseilles invention without having run the risk ! Napoleon revived the violet robe of Charlemagne , bespangled with golden bees ; Bonaparte has bee-bespangled Notre Dame . Napoleon grape-shotted the sections one year , and expelled the Assembly another ; Bonaparte has again surpassed him ; the 2 nd of December was his J 8 t . li ]> runiaire ; and the 4 th , his
9 th Vendeniiare . Napoleon married an Austrian princesM ; Bonaparte would marry a { Swedish Princess , if he could . Napoleon had a , Canibaceres ; Bonaparte has a Baeciochi . Napoleon crushed tlio ideologists ; Bonaparte has gagged the press . if Napoleon won victories , and overrun Europe ! with the eagle and the tricolour , Bonaparte has distributed sausages and champagne at Satory ; eagles on the Cliainp de iVIurs ; assisted at sham lights , and crossed the Rhine in sport ! Napoleon captured Toulon ; Bonaparte executes u mock naval engagement in the
harbour I U ' thi . t ho not nil irony in Bonaparte , how can we style that earnestness in Napoleon P Bui there are Home acts committed by the sham Bonaparte which the real Napoleon could not have performed . Take an instance : — "M . Karda ( Jarriga got up u fc . to in ( iiiiann , in honour of tilt ! " Pi-inco President , by the tnin : -
Well , the corpse-Empire is fairly disentombed ; and , to complete all , General Hegnault St . Jean d'Angely , or General Cotte , now at Home , is said to be engaged in persuading Pius IX . to come to Paris , and perform the part of Pius " VII . in the ghastly coronation of the Emperor Napoleon the Third ! Irony to the last !
ported felons in that colony . The programme of the fete was published by the official journal . These unfortunate men were made to erect three triumphal arches , on one of which was this inscription , 'Au Prince President les iransportes reconnaissants' The other two arches were in ' honour' of M . Ducos and M . S . Garriga . A felon was appointed to make a complimentary speech , the Governor laid the first stone of a column to be erected \> y felons to the Prince President , and the dny concluded with private t heatricals , in which the actors were felons , followed by a felons' ball . " How dismally appropriate , this crowning irony of a felon ' s fete in honour of successful crime !
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THE AUTHORSHIP OP THE " AM 1 CUS " LETTERS . We have received the following letter from Mr . Newton in reference to the article which appeared under this head last week . The promptitude with which the explanation is tendered and the spirit it breathes are alike noticeable . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sik , —Being here in Manchester , I have no opportunity of consulting any members of the Council of the Amalgamated Society , on the subject of the authorship of the " Amicus" letters , to which you refer in your journal of last week . I believe , however , I speak the opinions of them all when I say that they do not believe Mr . W . J . Fox either wrote the letters in question , or had anything to do with them . The letters were much directed against myself personally , and I have been often asked whether I thought Mr . Fox was the author or not . I have always said that I felt certain he was not . I said so to Mr . Fielding when he first made the statement in public . The most careless observer might perceive that the tone , spirit , style , and composition of the letters were utterly at variance with the character of Mr . Fox ' s writings . It is a serious pity that an unfounded charge like this should be allowed to injure the character of an honourable-minded man . I know not what to think of a man who , liko " Amicus , " allows another and a worthy man ' s reputation to be traduced , his prospects of usefulness materially lessened , the country made to sutler by his absence from Parliament , and still preserves an iiicor / i / ii ' o which at the best is of questionable honour , and , where personalities are concerned , is truly disgraceful . You will perceive the impossibility ( however strong our belief ) of proving that Mr . Fox did not write the letter in question , but what can be done , to assure our friends at Oldham of our disbelief 1 am sure we would readily do . There are , however , two ways in which the public may be satisfied on tin ' s point . One is for the Times- to publish the fact plainly that ; Mr . Fox is not tin ; author ; the other is for the veritable author to honestly avow himself , and free Mr . Fox from the imputation . 11 ' he is not sufficiently independent or honourable' io do that , no doubt ; some friends of Mr . Fox will prevail on the Times to make the necessary statement , which 1 believe they would willingly tlo as mi act of j'lsfice . 1 am , Sir , your obedient servant , William Newton " . ftlonhlci ' is' ArniH , A 1 niK'heistor , Sept . 'J ' . ) , IM . V . S .
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Till : DOWNINO-HTHKKT C I ) 1 UIEUU S . IiOiii > Diokhv assumed ollico iih the ( tuple-champion of I Voice ! ion , I Vofe .-if . uiif . i . Hiti , ft m I l ' eople-eomprcHHion . Itwc . ro mi insult lo tho common neiine of our renders lo waste words on I lie chivalrous good faith which has Hold ( he limners : Lord John Russell Iiuh exploded the laighc . ur of democracy : there reniiiincd the haulier of Protestantism , around which parsoiiH of the porl .-wino Hchool of constitutional theology , and hI . iiI . o churchmen of l . hn lion and unicorn creed were fain lo ( lock in stern array lo IhoHiiniiiioiih of tlio " hint of Conservative Miiimtrics . " What , then is I > owiiiiifr-strcol > doing for the saered cuunc Y . Lot a voice from Koine reply . Assuring tho I ' opo of its cordial unxiH . y lo lie on good lermH with the . Holy Nee , Holicil . ing n ciuirorilitf , and proponing an imihasNit . dor to the Vatican , hin much I ' m- the I ' rolcHl . aiit . ism of our I ' rot cm ! mil . Cabinet , whirli him Ihe Hympiit . liy and support ) of lOxeler-hall , and of Ihe KhiLahliKhiiiciit . Verily , lhin Derliyito Ministry in a . Cerberuti ; throw it ollico lor a , sop , it will put . its Protectionist , tongue in i ( n chock , forgot its territorial tooth , and wag its tail at ( ho J ' ope hiuiHolf
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THE SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING WORKINGMEN'S ASSOCIATIONS , AND THE CO-OPERATIVE CONFERENCE . ( To the Editor of the Leader . ) Sib , —I have read Mr . Shorter ' s reply , as secretary to the Co-operative Conference , in answer to the questions put by me in your number of the 4 th instant . As those questions involved , also , some particulars regarding the " Society for Promoting Working-Men's Associations , " and Mr . Shorter answers them by distinctly stating , that the Co-operative Conference was called by the said " Society for Promoting Working-Men's Associations , " of which Mr . Shorter is also the Secretary , the information sought for may be considered as given by Mr . Thomas Shorter , in his two-fold capacity .
The report of the Conference contained in the Morning Advertiser , does not seem so correct as Mr . Shorter believed . But , as we are told that a full report of the Conference is in the press , and also that a report of the " Society for Promoting Working-Men's Associations , " will be shortly published , I postpone , until these publications appear , further remarks on the proceedings of a movement which I consider is , on public grounds , entitled to attention . Having referred me to the No . V . of the Tracts on
Christian Socialism , as regards the queries about the constitution of the working-menXassociations , and of the council of promoters , and to the Christian Socialist and the Journal of Association , as regards the transactions of the " Society for Promoting Working-Men ' s Associations , " Mr . Shorter takes the opportunity of expressing his belief that a revision of the constitution contained in Tract No . V ., is in contemplation , in consequence of the changes that will be effected in the " Working Associations by passing of the Industrial
and Provident Societies Act . " The constitution of the . society is to be revised- Such revision was wanted , quite independently of the passing of the Industrial and Provident Societies Act ; and it it happens that the reformed constitution be so framed iis to preclude the necessity of repenting my former queries , I shall be gratified . Tho Christian Socialist and Journal of Association having been discontinued , one is now at a loss where to look for the scanty information wo could formerly gather from the domestic papers of the society .
Certainly , Mr . Shorter , in the name of the society he represents , has somewhat slightingly answered tl " question put by me . Had I not perused over si »< l over again the constitution of the society ( Tract !><>• V . ) , iind the whole of the numbers of the C / rrisfMi n Socialist and of the dazullc of Association , I si "" " ' not have proposed those queries , which art ) nil the m <> timely and necessary after reading Mint const , il , uti <> ' > j I have sought for more particulars ( ban art ! to he fount in the Christian , Socialist and in tho Oazvl / n of ; ' - ™^ elation . There is much vagueness in the >< 'I ) 0 therein published , and many facts have conic to m . Y
knowledge uninenl . ioiied in those papers . nlit The first tract on Christian Socialism declared ' ¦ ^ in tho eyes of the society , the Association for W ° rk » j . Men was an experiment . I do not consider Unit , w a bond fide experiment ,, whose particulars iiikI ( 1 ditioiiH art ) not brought to bear for evil an wcH ngood . Neither is that , a well-organized ' »«>« i - V ^ ^ constitution is published without nniiicH append ' without any eontlitioiiM of membership sti pulate ! ¦ ^ Secret societies , and still more ho , mixed , hall p half secret , societies , are open to serious "'' J ^''"'"' ^ shall solicit the privilege of offering a low moro when tht ) aforesaid publication * arc issued . Yours , respectfully , A LoOKiM-OX-
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948 . THE LEADER . [ Saturda y ,
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There is no learned man but will confess he hath much profited by reading controversies , his senses awakened , and nis judgment sharpened . If , then , it be profitable for him to read , why should it not , at least , be tolerable for his adversary to write . —Milton .
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[ iN THIS DEPARTMENT , AS ALL OPINIONS , HOWEVER EXTREME ARE ALLOWED AN EXPRESSION , THE EDITOR NECESSARILY HOLDS HIMSELF RESPONSIBLE FOE NONE . ]
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 2, 1852, page 948, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1954/page/16/
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