The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1871-06-02
What Next

over the whole of France. This government
however, is only provisional, and unfortu
nately does not appear to have confidence il
itself, as it certainly does not enjoy the con
fdence Of the nation. There is, therefore, {
feeling of unrest and distrust, most fatal t.
permanent order or prosperity. France
wants peace, but the condition OF things
seems specially to invite every species o.
political plotting for the mastery. There
are no less than four parties, all bat openly
at work, bending every energy to the adj
vancemsnt Of their individual interests,
rather than for the good OF France, though
as a matter Of course all the intrigues pro
,fess to have that aim in view.
We cannot, OF course, at this distance,
aad with the insufficient lights at our com
mand, form an opinion az 10 the chances oil
the respective claimants for the supremacy
in France. The Count de Chambord, the
last scion. of the old L%egitimist line, the
true Bourbon, within the last few days issued
an address to the people of France, to in-
form them that he had not reaounced his
right to the throne OF his ancestors, as had
been stated in the public. prints. He, how
ever, has but slender claimsto fitness forthe
onesous and responsible position he covets.
The people il some of the renoter provin-
ces, it is thought, will he in his favor, and
perhaps, also, the U%ltramontane clergy, or a
| considerable part OF them. This is, how
ever, very uncertain, as Louis Napoleon,
through the entire period Of his brilliant
| reign, stood well with the priesthood OF the
Gallo Church.
The Orleans princes, sons and granasous
of Louis Philippe, are sauguihe that this is
the period for a restoration Of the Constitu-
tiopal Monarchy, endeavoring to draw a
parallel between the Revolution OF July, in
| 1880, which seated the founder OF their line
on the throne, and the present time, when
the troubled waters certainly appear to be
waiting for some one to pour oil upon them.
But the chances of the Orleans princes are
hardly better than those'of their Legitimlst
cousin. They have been so long removed
from the public view, and evidently are deti-
Gent also, il not in kingly fruits certainly
in those characteristics which are SO impor-
tant for the governing hand of q nation like
France ct this period. Otherwise they
would not have remained so long in the
background.
II the French people must go back and
choose q ruler from their discarded dynas-
ties, it seems much more probable that Louis
Napoleon will be their choice; for, however
little real cause the French may have for re-
garding him with love or favor, considering
the dire calamities that have 80 recently
passed over them-all OF which, directly OF
indirectly, were the fruits OF lis government;
considering moreover, how the French wor-
ship success, and are 10th to forgive failure;
still the reign OF Louis Napoleon was bril-
liant beyond anything since the days OF
Louis the Fourteenth. Trade tlourished.
The country prospered, or seemed 80 to do.
France under his rule had reached the acme
OF her glory. It is but natural that. when
there is q choice. OF evils, as it were, when
the throne goes begging, there should be
many who imagine that with the return OF
Napoleon they would also have a return OF
the prosperity that marked his reign. The
army, certainly a large part OF it, may still
be considered favorable to his dynasty; so
with many Of the clergy, and, perhaps, q
majority OF the farmers and peasants.
Lastly comes the Republic, under the di-
rection of lawyers and statesmen, who served
their apprenticeship in the Corps Legislatif,
iu opposition to the government o! Louis
Napoleon. In the days Of the late Empire
the ~sympathies OF Americans were strongly
with these gentlemen, and we admired the
eloquent harangues OF Theirs, Olivier, Pre-
vest-Paradol, Jules Favre, Glaise-Bezoin,
and the rest, when they stool up boldly for
the liberties of France: but our ardor has
cooled. Such of them as have since been en-
trusted with positions of responsibility, re-
curing nerve and decision OF character,
have not succeeded in winning for them
selves the admiration OF the world, nor, we
fear, the confidence o. their people. First,
upon the fall OF Napoleon, we had the grand
Eloquent dictatorship of Gambetta, who GER
tainly gave US no stint OF brave words; next
came the Theirs government, hesitating and
dilalory: and in a large measure responsible
for the frightful condition of affairs thai Gull
minated in the destruction of Paris, and the
slaughter OF myriads Of Frenchmen by
Frenchmen. 1t is impossible for foreigners
and outsiders to speculate with any approach
to correctness upon the condition OF things
thai, may arise from this conglomerate OF
parry intrigue. But, ere long, either the
force. OF public opinion, or some coup-ae-
main from without, must effect q change.
L. will be noticed that we left the extreme
Reds out in our enumeration of parties. The
excuses OF the Commune have endangered
the very lives of the ultra R;.dicals-of such,
we mean, as have not persisted in The gene
raj massacre of the last few days. France,
We think, is safe from u renewed outbreak
like this of the last few weeks, for at least
twenty years to come. The reaction, likely