The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-10-01
wauted--A Leader.

Wnnted---A Leader.
The hour Of supreme necessity has
come for France, and the man is want
ing. There are takers enough, voluble,
eloquent and defiant. Takers OF the
first order, like Victor Hugo, with inter.
jectional appeals to the heart OF uni
versal humanity. and the infinite abys-
ses Of human consciousness generally;
or Jnles Favre, forensic and spirit-stir-
ring. though, diplomatioally, not per-
suasiye; of tho second order, like Roche
fort, acrid. epigrammatio, and uncom-
promising; or Of the third order, like
Girardin, ct hoe genus onane, whose elo-
quence may be most ftly compared to
the tones of the typical Gallo cock,
combining a maximum Of confidence
with minimum of intelligibility. Sol
diers there are. of no mean fame, such
as Trochu, of stainless reputation, and
great constructive ability, and Bazaine.
of reputation by no means stainless. but
Of undoubted military honor and talent.
Statesmen, too, are left to France, such
as might we'll guide the destinies of q
period less critical and exceptional; but
in this, as in every other of tho existing
departments of State, there is note
worthy lack of n central figure of suffi-
cicnt distinctness and power to become
the fit exponent of all that thero is of
self-reliance and patriotism among o
great and generous people. The real
centre of popular government is, of
course, the people itself. But the peo-
pie would forever remain on abstraction,
unless represented and embodied in the
wants man like Cromwell, and she can
only find Il Rochefort.
Frenchman have been delivered from
q personal Government which stifled in
dividual energy, and demoralized the
noblest impulses of the people, only to
fn1 themselves in the midst of crisis
which calls for the highest type of indi-
vidual ability, and which fails to yield
the man it ought to have called forth.
There is pentup energy throbbing in
the veins Of the new Republic, which
one who was ot once soldier, states
man, and natural ruler Of men might
bring together and direct with irresisti-
BILE force against the enemies of her
country. The men who fought like
lions in 1903, and WHO have since, MOI @
than once, stood to be moved down in
the streets of Paris, are not to be ground
down by the iron heel of invasion into
the position of nation existing on
sufferance. But they need man in
whom the aspirations Of free State
could centre, and who, like our own
Washington, could guide q people
through the darkest hour of danger,
only to stand as the foremost citizen of
o commonwealth in which. in the eyes of
the law, all were equal. Every day that
the war is protracted on the basis which
has been defined as the limit of Prussian
demands, it must become more savage
and moro pregnant with future evil.
Let the bitterest disasters that could
well befall nation be forced upon
France, and even when her power of re-
sistance is utterly broken, she will only
have become like freshly. Gagged tiger.
thirsting for the hour of delivcrence and
vengeance. It would be difficult to say
at what point the ability OF Prussia to
impose her demands upon France may
stop short; it is not difficult to assume
that there is q point beyond which
neither policy, humanity, nor the ina
lienable rights of man could warrant
them being pushed. This point, most
unprejudiced observers are agreed in
thinking. lies somewhat within the last
reported ultimatum OF King William.
Neo York Times.