The New York herald., 1871-02-13

The Fresch Rlectiens-The New National
Asseubly-Ths Rspublic Voted Out
What Theas
! Upon her new National Assembly just
elected hangs the destiny Of France-king,
emperor or president-kingdom, empire or
republic. The armistice agreed upon at Yer
saillss between Count Bismarck and Jules
Favre, and which expires on the 10th instant
Sunday nexD at noon, had for its object
treaty of peace through an authorized repre-
sentation of the French people. No other OBJ
ject Is named in the armistice. The present
Government of the National Defence, though
recognized by Bismarck as de tacto the gov
ernment of France, has been and is regarded
by him as spurious usurpation, self-consti-
tuted body, the mere accident Of chapter OF
accidents, utterly Incompetent to enter into
any binding engagement beyond the necessi-
ties of state Of war. When it is considered,
too, that this election Of a National Assembly
was proposed by Count Bismarck as the condi-
ton Of an armistice early In the siege OF Paris,
and that Favre and his colleagues refused to
accept it, and that 1t was at length extorted
from the Partisan branch of this provisional
government as one Of the necessities Of
starving population, it becomes evident that
Favre, Gambetta and company have been
convinced from the beginning that their gov
ernment does not represent the will of the
French people and could not survive o pie
btscite.
The Jacobia Gambetta and his Jacobia COL
leagues In the national defence doubtless
overruled Favre and Trochu upon the FIRST
proposition Of Bismarck for q National Assem-
bly,; but, In the second case, without con-
sulting Gambetta, there was no alternative to
Favre but to assume the responsibility. We
have seen, in the next place, the unscrupu-
lous character Of this desperate demagogue,
Gambetta, in his proclamation from Bordeaux,
excluding from these Assembly elections the
Bourbons and the Bonapartists, and in the
face of the armistlce providing for "a free
election" A hint from Bismarck, how
ever, that there must be "a free election" or
that he wsuld recall the imperial Corps Legis-
latf dispersed in September last, promptly
brought about from the National Defence at
| Paris and Bordeaux the suppression of this
outrageous decree of this aforesaid desperate
denagogue. This checked the adventurer
whose foolish course since his fight from
Paris in balloon has made only bloody
mockery of this crude experimental French
government Of the people, and in q ''free cleo
tion" France, it appears, has voted the
dechfance of this fantastical republic.
From the reports so far received it appears
that In the cities-especially those in the
south, such as Bordeaux, Marseilles and
Lyons, which have escaped scorching
from this war-the republican ''reds" have
been successful, while the sufrages Of
the provinces, or ''rural districts" have
been divided between the Orleanists, the
moderate republicans and the imperialists in
the order named. The loose materials of the
great cities, which have nothing to lose and
much to gain from q republic of the communist
order, calling for a new division of all the
lands and property in France among all the
people, have gone for the Gambetta republi-
cans. On the other hand the property holders,
including the peasantry on their small estates,
prefer things as they are to any change which
threatens to dispossess them. And, again,
the Catholic clergy Of France see in Gambetta,
Garibaldi and Company only the enemies of
| their Church, aiming at its destruction, and so
| the influence Of the Church has been welded
against the republic. We infer from the
general results reported that the Orleanists,
headed by NJ. Thiers, who will represent four
constituencies, will be the strongest party in
the Assembly; that next will come the con-
servative republicans, next the imperialists
and lastly ''the reds" The chances thus
appear to be in favor Of the Count de Paris
the same who, in 154S, when little boy, was
proposed to the National Assembly as CON-
promise, with the flight of his grandfather.
Louis Philippe. The boy was brought in as
the last chance for the monarchy, but he came
''toe late" On the other hand, the disas-
trous blunders and alleged imperialist treach-
cries of the war seem to have operated in
these elections against the Bonapartes but
still, as the halfway house between the Bour-
bons and 'the reds, this new Assembly may
come to compromise on the empire
The object, however, named in this fast ex-
piring armistice, as the only object Of the
election of this National Assembly, Is a respon-
sible national body with which Germany can
treat for peace. Count Bismarck expects a
definite issue from this Assembly, peace or
war, by Sunday next at noon, and he is ready
for either alternative. If the French ask for
brief extension of the armistice, in view Of
treaty Of peace, IT will, we suppose, be granted.
We expect that the Assembly, within day or
two, will meet at Bordeaux, and that, as in
conjunction with the present Government Of