The New York herald., 1871-02-16
The French National Asscmbly--The House


or questions more acutely than the United
States of America. Since the days OF our
struggle for independence we have looked
with kindly eyes toward France. We re-
joiced in the glorious popular outburst Of
1889. The fall Of the Bastile was the death
blow of tyranny. The signing OF the new
constitution by Louis XVI. was triumph Tor
democracy which the young republic OF the
West could not help regarding as an endorse
ment of its own great struggle and victory by
the most thoughtful Of the nations or
Europe. All cur hopes were blasted. The re-
public disgraced itself. To the republic succeed
ed the empire; but the empire proved the
enemy, not the friend, of liberty. The years
1914, 1915, 1880, lS4S and 1870 have in this
country and among this people created doubts
and inspired hopes but doubts have so uni-
formly triumphed that it is not unfair to say
that this people has ceased to have any faith
in France. This day while we write she Ia no
longer the hope OF Europe. What is worse.
she is either the object Of pity or the object Of
contempt. Republicans as we are, we have
to confess it with sorrow that we can no
longer look to France as the possible regene-
rator OF Europe. She had glorious first op-
portunity. That first was lost or flung away.
The opportunity has been again and again
repeated, but always with the same result
| How can we longer hope or trust2
| We are now face to face with new facts.
After defeat which has no parallel in his
tory France has been, by the magnanimity Of
the conqueror, permitted to pronounce on her
own destiny. She has had, perhaps, the fair
est chance of speaking out the thoughts
that are within her that she ever had
in her whole history, a1d she has once again,
and most emphatically, spoken in manner
which is disappointing to all those who love
republican institutions. The results Of the
recent elections are clearly, as all our readers
must now be fully convinced, in favor OF
monarchy. 1t Is not yet time to say what is
the exact complexion of the Assembly, but if
| it be true that the house of Orleans has
! practically pooled four hundred votes as
against one hundred and fifty for the republic,
fifty for the old Bourbons or Legitimists, and
twenty for the Bonapartes, we have no choice
but say France is not yet ripe and ready for
citizen sovereignty. Look at the National
Assembly to-day from what point Of view we
may, we can come to no other conclusion than
| this-that France has heartily, and with not
little emphasis, condemned the empire and
( the Bonapartes, condemned the republic and
| the inGdels and the communists, con-
| demned divine right and the old Bour-
bons, and gone in, if not for Philip
| Egalite at least for the principles
represented by his son, the citizen King. No
more empire, no more republic, but the con-
stitution Of 1880 and citizen King-that is
| the result Of the elections which have Just
been finished in France, and which are repre-
sented in the National Assembly Of to-day.
Why is it sos Why are our republican
hopes once more blasted? Why is this fresh
French opportunity lost to France a0d the
world? The answer to these questions is not
far to seek. Under the bright sunshine of the
empire France INDUCED in proud memories,
was happy and gay, despised all shadow and
| dreamed of no sorrow. What had the empire
not done? 1t had made France the central,
| the pivotal Power of Europe. For twenty
years the word Of France, spoken by the
Emperor, was q word of authority which no
nation on the face Of the earth could afford to
despise. Did not the empire humble
Russia3 Did not the empire give Italy
unity9 Did not the empire compel
Prussia to halt at Sadowa? Was not
the empire the bulwark Of the Pa
pacy? Was 1t not the hope Of all struggling
nationalities? Was it not, as it once had
been, match for the world in arms? Was
the civilized world, even as Corinth was once
said to be the eye of Greece? This was the
feeling of the French people when, In July
last year, Napoleon took the field amid the
acclamations of his people, and, showman-like,
lea his helpless boy to his ''irst baptism o.
fre" With Sedan and all the preceding ani
succeeding events, who can blame the French
people for discarding the Bonapartes and fo
despising the empire Since Sedan the so
called republic, headed by men who dared no
appeal to the French people, because they
knew that French Catholics could not ant
would not trust infdels, and that French pro-
prietors could not and would not trust commun
ists has had its chances but the failure of the so
called republic has been more complete, more
disastrous, and, if possible, more ignominiou.
than that Of the empire. If France was hum.
bled by the surrender of Sedan, France is
squelched by the surrender and occupation o.
Paris. 1t is not for US to say whether France
has been just or unjust to the empire, just O,
unjust to the republic. We must accept facts.
The facts are represented in the National As
sembly, and the National Assembly is just a.
little imperialist or republican as it is legiti.
mist If the stars have any meaning, the star
| xrkich Eranna and Tho oR ho