The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-08-30

by repulsing Prince Frederick Charles
But to do this he should have o
mind at eese and full liberty TO lay his plans
with no reservation TO meet contingencies of
q non-military kind. What chance has he Of
either? The news from Paris must sound as
ominous in his ears as the news from the
front. II the one may mean disas-
ter to his arms, the other may mean ruin to
his dynasty. The very means by which the
former may be averted are laden with danger
to the latter. II he chooses his generals witho ut
regard to the politics they profess, he runs
the risk Of their victories being won in other
interests than his. If he calls upon every
Frenchman to bear his part in the defense Of
the country, he cannot foresee the use to
which the arms he gives them will be turned.
The defeats of Saturday were in part owing
to the necessity of doing something to wipe
out the discredit of Wissemburg, but the
victory which shall wipe out the distr ,dit of
Woerth and Forbach may cost him more
than the defeats themselves 5lr.
The Emperor can now see enacted in his
own lifetime the events which would in any
case have followed upon his death. The 0b-
ject of his reign has been to build up a strong
government, under shelter of which the sue
cession should quietly pass to his son. In
some respects Paris seems agreed to act as
though the grave had already closed on him.
If he had died q month ago it is to the
Ministry which has just resigned that he
would have bequeathedth the care of his dynasty;
and, from their conduct under the depres-
sion of one or two lost battles, he may Judge
of their capacities for such a trust He must
sometimes have questioned with himself what
would be the fate of an heir committed to
such hands, and now his question is
answered as plainly as though he could have
revisited in spirit the scene he had left
in the flesh. He sees, while living, the autho-
rity he would have LEFT to govern France fall
to pieces in panic of incapacity His min
listers are such as he has made them. They
were as good as the exigencies of the Impe-
rial system would allow hi m to secure; and
as soon as the trial comes they show that they
have neither head to plan, nor hands to exc
cute, nor heart to rule. Where are the trusted
councillors to whom the empire would turn
for aid if the sovereign were suddenly re-
moved by death If there are none forth
coming when he is for the time removed by
military necessities, and discredited by mill
tary disasters, what chance is there that q
vacant throne and an incursion of republican
ism would bring them to light The collapse
which threatens the dynasty to-day would
ultimately have overtaken it under any cir
cumstances whatever. ,
M. Clement Duvernois' sudden appearance
as proposer of vote of want Of confidence
seems to show that the Emperor had deter
mined before the meeting OF the Corps Legis
latif to try what possibilities of mending his
position may lie in change of ministry
The revolutionary scenes in the Chamber and
in the streets of Paris are sufficient evidence
that General Montauban will not find his task
a light one But Montauban is very firm;
and he is not very scrupulous. iia -