The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-07-14
THE EMPERoRs NEW PROGRAMME

THE EMPERORS NEW PROGRAMME.
From the NJ Y World.
Thu Emperor Napoleon's promised reforms
have come in the shape of message which is
itself reform, yet which may very well de-
feat altogether the reforms it proposes. If
this sentence has slightly enigmatical sound,
that is no fault of ours. Enigmas are the
delight of the imperial mind, and they may
fifty be used in describing its work
But our enigma is only in appearance an
enigma. Instead of establishing by an i'm
perial decree a new order of things in the
relations between the ministry of the French
crown and the representatives of the French
people, the Emperor has thrown upon the
latter the responsibility of establishing that
new order themselves. He recently caused
M. Rouher to submit to the Legislative Body
programme which, if it be adopted by that
body, will practically amount to making the
ministerial tenure of Office dependent in
France as it is in England though clearly
not to the same extent as in England-upon
the will of the Legislative Body Whether
the actual majority of the French Legislative
b Ody will be favorably inclined to such a
magnifying of their functions, and, with their
functions, of their responsibility, may, how
ever, be doubted. 1t is general rule of his
tory that Legislative bodies are disposed to
enlarge their own power. But it is
one OF the general rules which are
illustrated by notable exceptions; and no
one can have carefully considered the
actual state of things in France, it seems to
u.s. without convincing himself that the
French Legislature of the day may very we'll
prove to be one of these same EXCEPTIONS A
very large proportion of the members of the
working majority in that body are men who
have avowedly little faith in parliamentary
government. Many of them are we'll aware
that, in such revival of real political life in
France as must follow the delivering over of
questions of the public finance to free discus
sion and to effective decision by the Legisla-
tive Body, their own chances of retaining
their places in public life would be small in
deed. Some of them probably will doubt the
sincerity of the Emperors desire for the
adoption Of this new system, and, on that
account, will oppose it; while others, and, we
suspect, a still larger number, will do the
same thing for precisely the opposite reason,
and because they fear to see the Emperor
commit himself frankly to a genuine and pro-
gressive liberal policy.
The fact that this new programme is laid
before the Legislature and the empire by Nj.
Rouher, and that no changes have yet taken
place in the French Cabinet, pretty plainly
indicates that the Minister of State, at least,
by no means regards its adoption as fore
gone conclusion. 1t is not easy to believe
that Nj. Rouher can be seriously expected by
the Emperor, even if he were for his own
part disposed, to carry on the Government of
France under conditions such as would be
made for him by the establishment of genu-
inc ministerial responsibility.
The presentation of the programme, how
ever, and the discussions to which it must
lead, both in the Legislature and in the press,
will undoubtedly evoke the true political feel
ings and wishes of the French people as they
have NOT for wars baen evoked This at
least, should be real and an unmixed good,
if any good in human affairs ever can be UNI
mixed; and the 10Th of July, 1869, bids fair
to be chronicled in the French history of oui
times as one of its most significant, interest
ing and decisive days.