New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1848-07-31
THE POSITION Of PARTIES IN FRANCE.
The Rev olafion and Its Ideas-The Reaction
The Democratic Republicnns-The Social
i-t.-The Associationists-Tbc Communists
The Party OF the People-Their strength
IL. Z


In the Country.
Special Correspondence Of The Tribune
PARIS July 49, lsi-.
Messrs Greeiey 4 MeEirath
A succinct statement OF the principles and aims
OF tie various parties that now divide the public
in France will perhaps cast some light on her
present condition as well as on her future pros
poets. With your permission, will attempt 70
put the readers of Tie Trijvae briefly in pos
session Of the state Of things in this particular.
To get clear idea Of the subject, we must re-
cur to the Revolution OF February, FOR there the
whole Of the present movement takes It's date.
That Revolution was a surprise to all parties, an
accident apparently. The most radical men in
the Chamber of Deputies were only laboring for
electoral reform aud had no expectation of the
advent Of a Republic. Lamartine himself did not
look for a Revolution. Two days before 1t broke
out. gentleman in private life waited upon him
and told him that it must come, and that he ought
to be prepared to 60 boldly and strongly for Re
public based on the guaranty Of popular rights be-
yond those recognized by the old republicans or
by any existing Republican Government. New
times demanded new measures, he was told. He
was not at all sure that such Revolution was
about to take place nor c0uld he sac ks ray clear
If 1t shouid If he did not expect it, who Of all
the public leaders could have expected it
Well, it came and the first thing it did was to
shove the old party hacks and party leaders quite
aside The prominent men Of the Opposition in
the Chamber, such Theirs and Odilon- Barrot,
were dropped by it into unimportance and obscu
rity. 1t was a Revolution against them as well as
against Louis Philippe. When it struck, they
were endeavorng to repeat the old farce under
new name They were doing their best to put
the Count Of Paris on the Throne, which was only
another way to keep the power in the hands Of
Louis Philippe, when the mob from the Tulleries
came and drove them out-sent for that purpose
by one of those seeming chances that at such
crises to change the face of the world and give
new epochs to History. So the Republic was pro-
claimed its wotchwords were uttered Liberty,
Equality, Fraternity Education AID Employment
guaranteed to all Labor organized So that the
workman shall have his fair share of the profits,
aud not drudge out his life to make his employer
rich while he remains poor Justice aud Brother
food made the basis OF Society. New watch
words these, caught from the teachings and spirit
Of Christ-deas that have long struggled for foot
hold in the world but have not before found any
party, or any nation, TO take them for us own
Now France has adopted them and at great
moment which only Providence was prepared for
Can she ever forget or dlsown them
The Republic thus born in Paris, was received
as giit of destiny through all France. The old
Republicans welcomed it as the object Of hopes
long deferred and almost extinguished; the mass
of the population accepted 1t with enthusiasm, and
the party leaders Of every color could only give in
their adhesion soon as possible. What an inn
mense number Of sudden conversions to Repubh-
clnism followed. Thousands experienced the
change in the most surprising manner no matter
what their opinions the day before they woke up
in the morning jealous supporters Of the Republic
aud even against the new principles OF practical
fraternity which it had adopted, they had not sin
Gle word to say.
But no sooner was the first CONSERVATION OF the
change over than these gentlemen perceived that
they were in Office, and that in the prevailing
tendencies of public feeling they could not e't In
Moreover, the new principles they did not like
their triumph would be fatal to the designs OF al
those who so shortly before had occupied the most
prominent and profitable positions. They mus
then oppose them, react against them, and, if pos
sible, put them down. On this basis grew uI
what is called, in general terms, the party OF the
reaction, or the re-actonary party. 1t was anc
is composed OF men and parties who, before the
Revolution stood in various relations of hostility Oh
friendship to each other, but who are now united
for the common purpose of putting down the ideas
proclaimed at the beginning of the Republic. The
| Carlists the Phppsts, those devoted TO the rosto
ration OF the Empire, the sole means OF glory t
| France or OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENT TO themselves, the
political tricksters who fish best In troubled wa
| ters honest men doubtful oithe future tmd pro
prietors suspectlng this new doctrine OF traternl
| ~ would exhaust their money bags economists
| whose theories it contradicted; business men
whose traffic was ruined by the Revolution sin
cere Churchmon, fearing mischief IN this temporal
| lzng of the Christian dogma-all these, with many
others, were gradually brought together into the
| ranks of the Reaction They did not form the ma
| iority of the nation, but they had with them the
old politicians who know how 10 pull the wires
| aud To gain over the mass OF Indifferent men whI
20 with either side as the case may be.
| | do not mean that these elements were al
| fused together that there was regular organlza
ton OF the Reaction, and that each one OF It's mem
| bsrs reorganized himself as such. The old dis
| tlnCtions IN reality preserved themselves thcI'
was simply cooperation for the one common Pur
pose, the rejection OF the principles oil the he
public The majority of the party were and stil
are opposed to any Republic in their hearts the,
prefer the Monarchy, the Empire the Regency
| ANYTHING that is not the Government OF the PEG
pie But it was not safe 10 react directly agans
the Republic, which the instinct OF the nation ha'
embraced so decidedly they are Obliged TO be con
tent with opposing this new Democracy and -
calism. proclaimed and accepted indeed by tn
same instinct ut the very moment OF Us highes
inspiration but not yet so clear to the general un
ierstanding Having cleared these strange idea
out of the way, their chance of getting rid q
the Republic altogether would be very much IN
| creased.
Against the Provisional Government the Reac
ton proceeded cautiously. At first It scarcel
raised an opposing whisper; II waited TO Sc
what these men would do. Presently, seeing tina
they were talking instead OF acting, at the RICH
moment 1t opened upon them the batteries OF cal
umny and misrepres entation, and summoned tn
whole Conservative interest 10 stop the movement
which la already lost something OF its momentum
Against Louis Blanc especially they directed tn
attack, for he it was who most decidedly repre-
sented the hated ideas He, on the other han,
having the best opportunity in the world to
something TO show what power OF good for a
classes OF society there was in these ideas. mad
! Inc speeches at the Luxembourg. full OF the mo: