The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-08 00:00:00

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1871

M. GAMBETTA has consulted his own future
and the prosperity of his nation by at once resigning
office. He has done his best ; but there is no longer
any place for him until the country begins to recover
from its sufferings, and fresh political scenes offer new
careers to men who, like himself, are young and
highly gifted. His recent ill-advised decree respect-
ing election incompatibilities placed him in
hopeless antagonism to the majority of
his colleagues, and to the majority of the nation.
He was not willing to withdraw from his
resolve ; his retirement, therefore, was the only
proper course. Decidedly he was in the wrong in
issuing this decree. To checkmate the conspirators
at Brussels and elsewhere would have been
no great harm ; it might rather be con-
sidered a positive merit ; but M. GAMBETTA'S
exclusion applied to the Orleanist Princes, and to all
who have held office or been otficial candidates under
the Empire—that is to say, seven-eighths of the
men in France who have acquired the least adminis-
trative or parliamentary experience. To exclude
such politicians as M. BUFFET and Count Dartu,
such warriors as the Duo D'AIJMALE and Prince
JOINVILLE, would be monstrous. Nor was the
the nation with M. GAMBETTA. His acts imply
a war policy; and so far as signs reveal themselves,
the French people are becoming convinced of the ne-
cessity of peace, whilst they are certainly not prepared
for these despotic expedients as a prelude to war.
One has only to take up a French newspaper to per-
ceive writing of a tone that would never have been
ventured upon whilst the issue of the strife
seemed doubtful. In several of the Bordeaux
newspapers no secret is made of the
desire for a cessation of the war. The
Charentais, of Angouleme, says that it would be use-
less for Frenchmen to buoy themselves up with the
hope of " maintaining in their integrity two
provinces which were so closeiy united to us."
This is but one declaration amongst many.
We do not say that a majority of votes is in
favour of peace—that is a question to be tried. But
it is clear that M. GAMBETTA has done this arbitrary
act without that general concurrence which may in
times of pressure justify a departure from strict

rules.
DI G AMBEITA'S retireraent will benefit himself
By resigning he dissociates himself from the unhappy
peace that has to be signed, and in a very brief space
he will be able to come forward as the one Republi-
can who did not despair of the Republic. To the
impartial observer it will seem clear that
M. GAMBETTA could not have mended
matters by fighting on, and, moreover, that
the Government which commenced a foolish war, not
• the Government which continued it in sell-defence,
is responsible for a dishonourable peace. But peoples
are not guided by these lolical considerations. In
-politics the appearance of things has great, often
overpowering, weight. It will do much for I.
GAMBETTA'S chances of becoming President of the
French Republic, should he be afterwards able to
come forward and urge that he never consented to
the dismemberment of La Patrie, and that he would
have fought to the last rather than consent to it.
But how much worse would be his position
if ho maintained a measure obnoxious to
the vast majority of his countrymen, and
brought about another revolution rather than aban-
don an erroneous resolve ! He is young ; he has a
large following in the country ; he has displayed
greater capacity than any other Frenchman of his
time. There is no reason why he should despair of
the future.
M. GAMBETTA'S resignation will profit the country,
for much the same reasons which make it certain