The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1871-07-26

The late elections to fill the vacancies in
the French Assembly have awakened once
more lively hope that at last France is to be
blessed with permanent form OF replbi-
can government. The most discourag;ng fea-
ture of the situation has been the assumed
attitude of the rural districts. The millions
OF small landholders were the great support
OF Napoleons imperial throne. They were
very ignorant little given to looking at the
principle and ultimate consequences of things
and the Bonapartes gave them kind OF Sc
curity. This was all they wanted apparently,
and while the more thoughtful and more en-
lightened workingmen of Paris were praying
and plotting for the downfall of "BadiDguet,"
as they called the last Napoleon, the peasant
ry were ever ready to roll up an immense
majority for despotism whenever plebiscitum
was ordered by the government. Only few
months before the beginning of the Prussian
war it will be remembered that the Emperor
appealed once more to the people in behalf CT
his dynasty, and though the negative vote in
Paris, and ever in the army, was ominously
large, the rural districts once more affirmed
their faith in the usurper and his family. 1t
was to be feared that the predictions of the
peasantry for "strong government had not
been conquered in so short time, and that
decided imperial, legitimist or Orleans pref
erences would be disclosed by the late cleo
tions. But happily there has been a change.
Not only in Paris but to some extent in the
country the republicans have prevailed
There is some hope, therefore, that Theirs,
who has shown unexpected firmness in main
tanning the present provisional arrangements,
may become genuine democrat from policy
If not from principle, and that the Orleans
princes may have leave to disport themselves
IN Algiers as long as they please, "Henry v,
as the Bourbon pretender calls himself, to en-
joy the elegant retirement for which his race
is so well fitted, and poor old Louis Bonaparte
to haunt the London clubs and renew his
former life of dissipation if there is vitality
enough left in his worthless carcass. We
should then see very soon whether the poprl-
lar impression that the French people are not
bit for liberty is correct. Our impression is
decidedly that there is virtue enough in the
people to maintain republic it it were not
for the tremendous disadvantages under
which they labor. Not only must they
provide against the intrigues of the
various royal harpies and their aristocratic ad-
herents who are necessarily plotting the over
throw Of popular government, but also
against the hostility of the neigh boring des-
potisms. The spectacle of a frst-class
continental power, becoming republic and
establishing through the agency of popular
institutions the peace and prosperity thai
ambitious, selfish, extravagant and idiotie
monarchs could never give, is too appalling to
the Gro wned despots of Europe to permit indif
rence or lnactvety on Une1r part. 1t may be
predicted with great confidence that the Re.
public of 1871, if it can establish itself, will
sooner or later become the object of hos
tile combination as formidable as that against
which the Republic of 1902 so CALAMITY
struggled. The conditions of self.govern-
ment are by no means so easy in France as
they are in America, and the people are to be
judged accordingly.