The New York herald., 1870-10-30
The Earopcan sisaasion-The spectre ~ th'
French Repablic Osce More.

Il
| French Repablic Osce Moro.
| II is not, we think unfair to say that the
French situation to-day is the European situa-
tion. In spite of all her sorrow and humila-
tion-in spite of the fact that Paris, the brain
Of France, Is no longer in communication with
the outside world, France is still, in certain
not unemphatic sense, Europe. In the days
of her pride France is in the habit Of saying,
''When we are contented Europe is arrest" II
| this be true In the days Of her pride and con-
tentment 1t Is not, we think, less true in the
days Of her sorrow and humiliation. Some three
months ago France was proud, imperially
proud, and Europe trembled. To-day France
is demoralized, spiritless, and Europe ID i'll at
ease. 1t Is impossible to praise too highly the
German armies. Opposed to what was believed
the mightiest military Power in Europe,
Germany has marched with compara-
tive ease over . blood-stained path
to the gates of Paris. W0erth and
Weissenburg and Sedan and Metz have been
unquestionably series Of surprises surprises
| all In favor of Germany and all to the dis
credit and discomHture Of France. As milf
tary Power France is now nowhere; but,
although mllitarily France has fallen, she
STILL in her humiliation and sorrow, represents
the dominant ideas of the age, and she Is
more the centre Of attraction than ever.
The difficulties which now beset and actually
environ France are great; but Frances diff
culties are. in reality, the difficulties Of
Enropo Eranco In hor doonair and o0nUv js
living lesson to Europe. Europe reads the
lesson and understands it. Once more, in her
checkered career, France has illustrated the
folly Of the One-man system Of government; |;
and once more the republican sentiment,
which finds feeble expr ssiou from the Rhine
10 the Pyrenees, is loudly echoed over the
whole European Continent. To the French
people the spectre of the republic has again
revealed itself. France sees il; and, in spite
of her much trouble, she rejoices. The
peoples of Europe see and rejoice; but
the monarchs, the princes and prince
ngs and the privileged classes gene
rally, Notwithstanding the victories and
defeats of the hour, gaze on the spectre with
fear and trembling. The United States, not
unnaturally, take deep interest in the French
people. In the days Of our infancy they were
our generous and helpful allies. For this rea-
son we think kindly Of France and the French
people. But not for this reason alene. We can
never forget that the French people were the
first 10 lay hold of our example and to body it
forth in fact Tho first French republic was,
no doubt, in many important particulars, q
failure; but it was failure so magnificent that
1t almost deserves to be spoken of as success.
During those ten years, from 1890 to 1900, the
peoples of Europe felt q po wer which they
never felt before, and privilege received q
blow from which it has never since recovered
Folly and weakness, in the first instance, and
! privilege and divine right, in the second in
stance, killed the republic; but the ghost Of
| the French repnblic-the terrible Nemesis of
l7S9-has haunted the palaces Of Europe up
to the present time. Ever as the spectre has
been seen ever have the monarchs trembled,
ever have the peoples rejoiced. Like the ghost
OF Hamlets father it has cried for revenge,
| and the cry, while 1t has smitten
| the wrongdoers with terror, has fired the
| spirits of the wronged and nerved their arms
with strength. Compelled to vanish in 1900,
when France allowed herself to be deceived
by an obsolete Roman title, it reappeared in
1912, in 1922, in 1880, in 1S4S; but French
Emperors and so-called Holy Alliances made
the voice and gestures of the spectre power
less. In 1870 the spectre is again revisiting
the glimpses Of the moon again the peoples
rejoice; again the monarchs tremble, and
again the presumption is that the pale shadow
will have to retire unavenged and unsatisfed.
| Not yet, we fear, can republic be success
fully established in France. Not yet has the
hour of popular triumph arrived. Yet once
more must the peoples fall back upon hope.
| But hope cannot be deferred forever. The
! spectre of the republic is the spectre of lib
| erty, and in spite Of all Powers and all comb-
nations Of Powers liberty must triumph in the
| end
The fall of Metz has bafflcd many hopes.
1t ia no longer permitted us to think that
France can repel the invading foe. The
situation, complicated before, has become more
complicated than ever. An armistice may be
considered certain; but an armistice, judging
from all present appearances will give birth
to congress of all the Powers; and on what
principle or principles the great Powers are
| to come to an agreement no man, however
| gifted with prescieuce, can foretell. Now
that Germansm has become a united force,
PansIavism and Latinism begin to feel the
necessities that are laid upon them. Latinism
is not likely to be an immediate trouble, but
Panslavism is. On the shores of the Baltic
Slavonians and Germans are strongly mixed.
So long as Germany was divided Germans
had free course in Russia, and notwith-