The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-11-14
THE MODERN MARK TAPLEY.

Prom the CitiEtn and Round Table.
France ought to adopt Mark Tapley as her
patron saint In spite Of her misfortunes,
she never loses pluck or spirits. Each sue
eessive defeat and each new surrender lind
her still confident of victory, and firmly re-
solved not to consider herself beaten Mark
Tapley who welcomed every blow of illfor-
tune as an additional incentive to jollity,
finally triumphed over adversely, and ulti-
mately saw q peaceful and prosperous life be-
fore him. Will the parallel hold good with
France? We fear not.
1t is true that France has got rid of her
despot, and has established free republic.
One, however, can have too much of good
thing, and France just now is having alto
gether too much republic. At Paris and
Tours there is the moderate republic, ever
which M. GamOetta reigns Al Lyons there
is the red republic with q flag and govern
ment of its own,
At Marseilles there is yet another style of
republic, still redder than that of Lyons aud
Ihirsting for the blood of the Tours republi-
cans in general, and that of Gambetta in par
ticular-for whose head the Marseilles repub-
lie has offered reward Here are three dis
tinct and independent French republics. Un-
doubtedly one republic within the boundaries
of single nationality is an excellent thing;
but three republics, hating each other rather
more bitterly than they hate the common
is desirable that a nation should present in
time of war.
That journalists are of ipcalculable service
to the public no writer, with proper sense
of what ne owes to his own reputation, will
venture to deny. And yet France does seem
to be enjoying rather surfeit of journalists
among her present rulers. M. Esquiros, who
manages the Marseilles republic, is Jour
nalist sufficiently bloodthirsty to conduct
with eminent success an Arkansas political
journal. NJ Cluseret, who the other day in
sisted upon setting up his own private republic
at Lyons, is better known as a journalist than
as a warrior, though he has failed in both
occupations. The republic of Paris, which
10 governed by the journalist Gambetta, has
TO maintain itself by force against those emil
nent sensation journalists, Rochefort, Flou-
rens and Victor Hugo. In fact everybody,
that is anybody in any of the French repub-
lies of to-day, is more or less of a journalist.
The success of these gentlemen in mis-
governing France hardly entities them to be
ranked as national benefactors. Their theory
of government seems to be founded upon the
principle that all things can be regulated by
proclamations. M. Hugo endeavors to drive
out the Germans by issuing manifestoes
written in his peculiarly unintelligible style;
but the Germans, with dullness that cannot
be too severely reprobated, fail to perceive
that it is their solemn duty to obey M.
Hugo's commands, and they persistently re-
main on that soil which the great Journalist
and poet declares is about to spurn them. M.
Gambetta, rightly conceiving that unity
and determination are vitality neces-
sary if the French people purpose to
save themselves leaves in q balloon, and
requests everybody, in the most rheto-
rical of proclamations, to be Immediately
united and determined. The rhetoric of M.
Gambetta does not, however, meet with any
response The French peasant fails to see
the advantages of being led to slaughter by
incompetent generals, in defense of several
republics, governed by a variety of rival Jour-
nalists. SO he stays at home, and lets the repub-
lies denounce each other and the Germauinva-
ders to their hearts content. Meanw the
Germans capture their daily town, and beat
their daily detachment of French troops, with
cheerful regularity. What with too many re-
publics, too many journalists, and far too
many Germans, France is in the worst posi-
tion that she could we'll be in. Aud yet, if
we are to judge by French proclamations,
newspapers, and speeches, she was never
more confident of victory than at present:
This is certainly creditable to the courage of
the French, but by no means creditable to
their good sense. Without armies, and with
organized anarchy in the place of govern
ment, France can offer only the shadow of
resistance to the invader. If the people were
wise they would Immediately make peace on
the best attainable terms. Every day that
they prolong foolish pretext of resistance,
they increase the price of their nations ran
som. Mark Tapley was jolly in adversity,
but he was not an absolute lunatic. France
does not seem able to initiate his courage
without carrying it to the extreme where the
sublime becomes the ridiculous.