The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-26
THE COMMITTEE OF DEFENSE.
Can a Stable Government Exist In France .

Gan a Stable Government Exist In France
From the London Economist.
The new Government of France was made accord
France has attained what may be called a routine in
revolutions. First, the old Government breaks
down, and every one sees 1t must fall: then the
sitting Assemby-the Corps Legisatif, the Cham
bre des Deputies, or whatever be the name at the
time-yotes that the Government shall go and be-
gins to occupy itself with the various substitutes it
entertains such and such motions, and hears this
that speech upon the subject when all at once the
mob of Paris rushes in-eXpels both speakers
and hearers, and namessa provisional government
such as suits it, or rather such suits the views
and wishes of the leaders who have, for the time
being the command OF it, This process has been
repeated 80 often that Paris expects it, and France
yields to it but unhappy, this is not the end Of the
series. After short interval the government,
thus nominated by the mob of Paris, quarrels with
that mob The government, as a government, wishes
TO keep law and order, and then becomes opposed
TO the mob which wants something else than law
and order The mob was urged to name the new
government by strong passions and vague hopes;
IN a few days it finds those hopes still distant,
and those passions still ungratided it soon
begins TO hate its own creature, in little while
after 1t is in arms against it. Every government
thus nominated by an insurrectOn is soon presented
with the inevitable problem-shall yield TO a
second tnsurIectlon which wants to put new rulers
In Cur place, or shall we resist 1t by force? The
mob.named government has to ask itself-shall we
yield to the mob or shall we resign? As long as
governments Yield TO the mob the revolution con.
the mob the reaction commences. Aud that reac-
tion, according to its strength. continues perhaps
months, perhaps years. till anewOppOrtunty comes,
anew mob succeeds and new revolution begins.
The empire which has now fallen but the end OF
a strong reaction caused by the terror OF long
revolution. Is there reason to hope that the new
republic will be more lasting than It's predecessors
that the French nation has reached the end of its
many changes, or is materially nearer to it?
The eOmmonest aid to stability-an ancient gov
ernment resting on recognized dignity and ineradi-
cable veneratiOn-it is plain the French have not
and cannot have. After eighty years OF change
their scene OF politics is still tGbula They
have had eleven governments in that time, with
their average duration OF years EACH and such
experience is fatal to hereditary veneration. The
mass OF the English people obey Queen Victoria with
out knowing why or wishing TO know why, and
England Is coherent because they do so. The only
approach to such feeling in France loyalty TO
the empire. Much, very much, may be said
against The first Napoleon, but after all this remains
that scarcely any character and scarcely any
career more lifted to awaken aud live In the
popular imagination. The French peasantry knew
OF nothing before and thought OF nothing after him.
The second Napoleon had no similar glorious quali-
ties; but he had more homely attractions. For
eighteen years he gave all Frenchmen-al peasants
and all workingmen-a greater amount OF happi-
ness than any one before him. Though not ut to
attract race, It seemed as If he was exactly fit to
riyet race before attracted. But now that Is over
the happiness of the Empire Is turned iat0 pain and
rs glory into ignominy.