The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-11-04


Count Bismarck through channel and in
circumstances which make success more than
possibility. II has been known for some
days that NJ. Theirs was the one Frenohman
who was likely to bring about an armistice.
Observing men had begun to feel thatthe great
historian, statesman and orator had not visited
the various capitals and interviewed the various
governments of Europe wholly in vain. After
having visited London, Vienna and st. Peters,
burg, he sought out the government at Tours,
found his way subsequently to Versailles, and,
by consent of the Prussian authorities, he has
been permitted to visit Paris, see and talk
with the neu in power, and return TO the
Prussan headquarters at Versailles. The
cumulative result of the labors Of the old
man-for Theirs is now in his seventy fourth
years. that Bismarck offers an armistioe of
twenty-five days to allow the general elections
to be held throughout France, the armistice
to be based on the status quo existing on the
day Of signature. Later nows gives Great
Britain credit for the scheme which Theirs has
submitted to Bismarck and of which Bismarck
has approved. If all this turns out to be
| certain. nH ea
| What kind of an armistce2 Will it be an
armistice only between Paris and the investing
Prussians? Will Gambetta, who found Paris
TOO hot for him, and who went up in balloon,
happily succeedingi in reaching Tours-will he
and the Tours government consent to an
armistice? M. Theirs has been to Tours, and
Icxx L. H. 4. 2.
in complete harmony with the men who in that
city claim to represent the French nation.
We have no desire to raise difficulties but
| that the government in Paris and the govern
ment at Tours may differ is not to be regarded
as an impossibility. What relations M. Gam
beta sustains to General Trochu we have no
means of knowing. 1t is just as likely that
they differ as that they are agreed. Trochu
has evidently the confidence of the officers and
men properly belonging to the French army
and now inside the walls Of Paris. More than
that: he seems to have the confidence
of the members of the provisional government
who have preferred Paris 10 Tours Jules
Favre, who is, perhaps, as good man as
Gambetta and little BETTER, refuses to leave
| Paris, cli1gs to Trochu and runs all the risks
of the beeaguered city. 1t is possible, we
say again, that NJ. Theirs is in the confidence
Of the divided government Of France-of the
men who represent France at Tours and of
the men who represent France in Paris-but
if he is not what will be the value of an
armistice? The armistice spoken of Is condi-
tional it permits general election and insists
on the status quo. II General Troohu agrees
to an armistice, and all the prominent men
who are with him consent, that will be very
well for Paris. But if the Tours government,
headed by Gambetta, refuses to come to any
agreement, preferring, as they may say, death
1 to dishonor, how will general election be
possible? The difficulty we have raised con-
stitutes one of the great difficulties of the stua-
ton. II may prove to be the difficulty.
Taking it for granted, however, that Theirs
is the representative man, and that Jules
accept the Prussian proposal, and that
Gambetta and the Tours crowd will also
agree then, of course. an armistice must
be the result twenty-five days will be
granted France to elect her representatives
The elections, Of course, will take place; but
on what principle will they be conductedp For
twenty-five days France will have absolute
liberty within certain well defined limits and
under certain most unmistakable conditions.
France will speak her mind at the ballot box
but will the ballot box represent more intelli-
gence in November, 1870, than it did in May,
1870? Will the November elections be wiser or
more Independent than the May elections Will
the pss5iscite for peace or war do the French
people more or less justice than the plsbiscite
which has driven Bonapartism, the empire
and France to destruction? In Marseilles, at
Lyons and In all the southern cities red repub-
; licanism is rampant. In those centres moderate
. men have no chance. Marseilles and Lyons
are as liable to differ from Tours as Tours is to
differ from Paris or Gambetta from Trochu.
1t is manifest, from all the accounts which have
reached us, that republicanism is itself no
longer unit in France. During the twenty
five days divided republication will work,
Orleanism will work, Bonapartism will work,
and every elector coming to the ballot box more
or less prejudiced will vote as he feels. IF II
should happen that the government at Tours
seem to agree, then to a dead certainty the
mighty influence Of Trochu, who is VIGOROUSLY
| an Orleanst, and the almost more potent
> influence of Theirs, whose Oreanist proclivities
have never been concealed, will restore the
Count de Paris to the throne of France. We
leap to this conclusion because we have nc
idea that an armistice can be followed by 9
fresh outbreak of hostilities. An armistice
means peace, and peace means, for the present,
at least, restoration Of monarchy. 1t is pity
that it should be 80; but when we attempt to