New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1871-05-04
Dark Prospects.

y
The most distressing and heart sickening
spectacle 10 the world is the bloody drama that
is being enacted 10 France just now. For weeks
q struggle is carried on in which the Insured
tionists evince as much bitterness and animos-
| ity against the regular Government as they did
against the victorious Germans. The end seems
yet remote for, though we read every day Of
great successes obtained by the Government
troops, the whole situation is not materially
changed and no marked progress is perceptible.
This is not strange, for it will be remembered
| how unreliable were all the French war reports,
official as well as unofficial how signal defeats
were represented as victories, Insignificant lit
tie skirmishes magnifed to great, successful
battles and decisive events, which did not al
low of but one Interpretation, like the capitula
ton of Metz, we're withheld from the public
longer than there was any possibility of deceiving
even the most uniformed Such inaccuracies
are after all, of little account, and only serve to
illustrate sad lack of veracity, strongly re-
mindingone of the reports and proclsmations by
which the leaders of the defunct Confederacy
endeavored to fire the Southern heart" La
mentally evident is the state Of dem ALI alton,
OF corruption, and mutual distrust. which lead
the unfortunate people to rage more furiously
and destructively against each other than any
foreign enemy could do, and hardly leaves room
for the hope that elements sufficiently healthy
and vigorous are left to lift the nation from its
present prostration and to build up prosper
Gus future on the ruins of the past.
The rapdity is indeed startling with which
| the French nation has been deteriorating under
the second empire Other nations, too, had
been subjected to long years of misrule and
despotism of the most odous kind, and yet had
vitality and strength to rise united and to re-
The Italians and Spaniards were thought to be
hopelessy declining and deteriorating, and yet
how nobly they have redeemed themselves in the
opinion of the world Indeed, there can be no
more striking contrast between the spirit of
moderation and Cancellation evinced by both
nations when they achieved their revolutions,
almost without any bloodshed, and the ferocious
hatred with which the French are raging against
each other, while boasting all the time of
their superior civilization and refinement, and
looking down on the rest of the world with
almost unparalleled arrogance. 1t is true that
thus far the troubles have been almost entirely
| confined to Paris; but since. from old times,
Paris has been the representative Of the intel
lect, the knowledge, and enlightenment of the
country, and has always laid down the law for
all France, we have to take the present mani
festatons for the expression of the spirit OF the
people generally. In the whole situation there
is not point to dwell! upon with anything like
qualification or hope for the future. All is
dark, distressing, and discouragng, and thus
far no young men have become prominent, fiji
to Inspire confidence in the present generation
The demand of the Commune to elect its own
municipal officers is reasonable enough; in
deed, 1t seems monstrous, utterly incompatible
with republican institutions that it should be
otherwise There is, however, no cause in the
world so good that would not become bad
when pressed by such outrages and excuses
as are the order of the day when political
assasslnatlons are openly advocated and prac-
ticed and despotism is exercised in the name
OF liberty hardly less oppressive and odious
than the yoke Of the Emperor. For the pres
ent there seems to be no foundation in the
accusation set forth by the Commune that the
| Government intends to turn traitor to the Re-
public and to erect another monarchy on its
ruins. In fact, the cry of treason has been
raised so often-it has been directed against
every general who had to succumb before the
superior military skill and bravery of the Ger
mans-that it does not go any further than to
illustrate the spirit of distrust pervading the
minds of the people NJ. THEIRS, it is true,
is not genuine Republican, and never pre-
tended to be. He always was a steadfast sup.
porter of LOUIS PHILIPPE, and, as We are in
formed, is still in close relation to his family
yet there is nothing in his past to justify the
suspicion that he would break his solemn and
repeated promise to stand faithfully by the
Republic. The real danger to the Republic
seems rather to threaten from the Reds, who,
if successful, would establish reign of terror,
bring disgrace on the very name of the Repub-
lie, and republican institutions generally, and
finally open the path for another line of mon
archs, either "by the grace of God or by the
right of usurpation.
From present appearances, however, there
| is little doubt that the Government will finally
come out victorious, and that order will be
restored for while; yet the elements of
trouble and discord are too powerful to hope that
an era Of quiet and prosperity is to follow.
The only safeguard against monarchism on
the one side, and the tyranny of political fanati-
cism aud mobocracy on the other, is in that
truly republican spirit which, while securing
fair play, equal rights, equal liberty, and pro-
lection to all, leaves everything else to free
development, and abstains entirely from med
ding with particular social and religious
theories or systems, and from the attempt to
force them on people. 1t is largely owing to
this spirit that the Republic has been preserved
among us, and it is just the one in which the
French seem SO sadly deficient.