On the 2nd of November, 1852, Napoleon had himself named Emperor by an even greater majority: The horror which the generality of Frenchmen felt for demagogues and Socialists had restored the Empire.
In the first part of its existence it constituted an absolute Government, and during the latter half a liberal Government.
After eighteen years of rule the Emperor was overthrown by the revolution of the 4th of September, 1870, after the capitulation of Sedan.
Since that time revolutionary movements have been rare; the only one of importance was the revolution of March, 1871, which resulted in the burning of many of the monuments of Paris and the execution of about 20,000 insurgents.
After the war of 1870 the electors, who, amid so many disasters, did not know which way to turn, sent a great number of Orleanist and legitimist deputies to the Constituent Assembly.Unable to agree upon the establishment of a monarchy, they appointed M.
Thiers President of the Republic, later replacing him by Marshal MacMahon.In 1876 the new elections, like all those that have followed, sent a majority of republicans to the Chamber.
The various assemblies which have succeeded to this have always been divided into numerous parties, which have provoked innumerable changes of ministry.
However, thanks to the equilibrium resulting from this division of parties, we have for forty years enjoyed comparative quiet.
Four Presidents of the Republic have been overthrown without revolution, and the riots that have occurred, such as those of Champagne and the Midi, have not had serious consequences.
A great popular movement, in 1888, did nearly overthrow the Republic for the benefit of General Boulanger, but it has survived and triumphed over the attacks of all parties.
Various reasons contribute to the maintenance of the present Republic.In the first place, of the conflicting factions none is strong enough to crush the rest.In the second place, the head of the State being purely decorative, and possessing no power, it is impossible to attribute to him the evils from which the country may suffer, and to feel sure that matters would be different were he overthrown.Finally, as the supreme power is distributed among thousands of hands, responsibilities are so disseminated that it would be difficult to know where to begin.
A tyrant can be overthrown, but what can be done against a host of little anonymous tyrannies?
If we wished to sum up in a word the great transformations which have been effected in France by a century of riots and revolutions, we might say that individual tyranny, which was weak and therefore easily overthrown, has been replaced by collective tyrannies, which are very strong and difficult to destroy.To a people avid of equality and habituated to hold its Governments responsible for every event individual tyranny seemed insupportable, while a collective tyranny is readily endured, although generally much more severe.
The extension of the tyranny of the State has therefore been the final result of all our revolutions, and the common characteristic of all systems of government which we have known in France.This form of tyranny may be regarded as a racial ideal, since successive upheavals of France have only fortified it.Statism is the real political system of the Latin peoples, and the only system that receives all suffrages.The other forms of government--republic, monarchy, empire--represent empty labels, powerless shadows.
