The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-07-14


have sent to the Pope has been pronounced q
forgery. 1t was probably foistsd upon the
world by some tme-serving scribe, with .
Wow Of ministerlng to the general greed for
sensation. But the canard, like Its predeces-
sors Of the same feather, was exceedingly
short-lived. Retribution In the shape Of on
cial contradiction has followed close upon the
heels Of the offence. The improbabiity Of the
letter lay moro In the Pope's having expressed
. desire to leave Rome than in M. Theirs
offer Of hospitality. His Holiness, we hope,
has read history to better purpose than to
commit spiritual hari-kari by conserving to be
tho prostgS Of France country proverbial
for its instability Of institutions. To-day the
government Of France il nondescript; to-mor-
row 1t may bs republic or monarchy, and
the following day It may be q Commune.
under the rule Of Felix Pyat and his Petro-
lenses. What would become Of the Pope
then3 What became of the Archbishop of
Paris?
The party Of the right In the National As
sembly Is preparing an answer to the procla-
nation Of Count de Chambord, who aspires
to the honor Of Saving France" under the
appelIation Of Henry v. His outlooks are,
however, at present very small. France has
tried one self-styled savior already-tried
him and found him sadly wanting. The re-
cent republican trlumphs have snuffsd the
Count dc Chambord out Of existence, and the
party of the right, with all It's monarchical
tendencies, will probably tell him so. Placed
by the side Of Henry de Bourbon's manifesto
the less recent letter Of the Count de
Paris, which we published yesterday, is
strikingly modest and suggestive. The Or
leanist Prince now appears under the novel
euise Of republican. He scouts the idea
of being ''Pretender," says that he il
Infinitely more republican" than his friends,
and willing enough to serve the republic, but
wouldn't object, If the nation were minded to
make him Louis Philippe H., King of France.
The Minister of Marine has declared in the
National Assembly that the female incendia-
ries of Paris (nicknamed Petroleuses), one
thousand in number, who have been arrested,
will not be transported to Cayenne Sending
the Petroleuses to Cayenne would be adding
fuel to fire, as the hot climate would only
foster their incendiary tendencies. Better
send them to some Siberia, where they can
live and learn to be less wasteful of the COM
bustibles.
The first instalment of the German war in
demnity, amounting to q milliard, has been
paid. The Germans will consequently evacu-
ofo khr>n dorortcrnr<. Nood|>v Co. = cood
radiance! will be the parting salute of the
French Inhabitants. France has fairly aston
ished the world by the elasticity of her finan-
cial resources. Prince Bismarck has imposed
the seemingly fabulous fine of Eve milliards.
not alone with view of enriching German
pockets: the French people were to be cx-
hausted and made to forego, or at least to
postpone, their rerdnche for an indefinite length
of period. But herein Prince Bismarck has
been somewhat mistaken. The fact is that
France has not been exhausted at all. Ac-
cording to the present state OF things
mans out of France before the stipulated time.
A Paris despatch says that M. Theirs has
entered into negotiations with the German
government with view Of anticipating the
future payments Of the indemnity, and that
this step has been taken at the earnest request
of the Deputies from the departments still held
by the Germans. Well, the war indemnity
will be cleared off ere long. What then2 This
question must have presented itself to Prince
Bismarck, now at his Varzin summer retreat,
and probably watching-not without some
interchangeable events in France. There are
still about two hundred thousand French pris-
oners in Germany. and yet, according to our
cable despatch, the present effective strength
Of the French army is two hundred
and thirty thousand men-an alarm
ing remnant Of strength for crippled
enemy. No wonder that the German press
was so severe on the vanity of the recent
French review, presenting as it did q compact
mass Of 1901 900 fighting men. The recent
declaration OF N. Theirs that the vast military
establishment Of France 10 not to be reduced
will dispel all decisions, If any there were, as
to the durability Of the treaty Of peace. Nor
has the Emperor William any sauguine ex-
pectations on this score. During a recent
military review at Stettin he told the officers
who surrounded him :-'T believe that peace
is insured for the remainder of my existence
perhaps-at least let us hope so-even beyond
that time" At his time Of life-already four
years beyond the three score and ten allotted
to mamie can have but a brief span of exist
ence before him, and the doubt and hesitation
which lie In his words are an index to his
mind. He, too, has apparently strong mis-
givings that the treaty Of peace just concluded
will have short duration.
Our cable report has furthermore the i'm
portant announcement that France has re-
nuasfad ENGLAND To consent To n ttmodifica-