New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-11-01
FRENCH TOPICS.

RESULTS OF TIE ELECTIONS TO THE COUNCILS
GTNrRAL-HOw TIE NEWS or TIE CONFIA-
GRAFTON IN CHICAGO Is REGARDED-BENE-
DETTI'S NEW WORK.
IPROM THB REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIIE TRJBUNE.l
PARIS, Oct. ia BOnapartist telcgramma-
ran sent by very swift dispatch three days ago to The
London Times quite nguratve statement OF the results
Of the departmental elcctons Combining the probable
suits Of the second trials next Sunday of which he forgcts
to mention there will he 400 mOre) with the acquired
results last Sunday, (of which but himself had
crvcd nearly complete return he arrives at the follow
Ing cphers Successful candidates Of the Radicals 40
Lcgitimists 2sO ImpcrialitS, $40 ~; Republicans and
Liberal Conservatives, 1870 This is mixed mathematics
very. Hero 29iO councillors chosen to be chosen
whom the whole number Of cantons when France
whole but 2938; Of which 50 thoreabout now be-
long tO-are held by Germany. But the statement
Is misleading one because Of the needless arith-
mctca inaccuracy OF its Imaginative author.
Any strict classification by political party titles of
the ncw.madJ councillors will be necessarily
erroneous. Among many considerations not to be lost
sight q: in attempting estimate of the general political
significance OF the October elections, note these two
In the first place they had in many instances no, in
many others only sccondaTily political meaning at all
in the party In this and the other locality the
great landed proprietor, mill-Owncr or master-cm
plOyer military hero the canton was proud Of or the
like owed his nomination and choice solely or chiefly to
MS pIlVNle llDly VI Ol"I
sOna aud local influences; not because Of his known
supposed or thought Of political "anteccdens" and
cOOr-whether Bourbon white OreaniS blue, or any
Of the various shades from pink to Republican rcd or
Imperial green. The second, much Gravcr, saddeninS
cOnsderatlOn-to be borne in mind by all speculative
students OF the uncertain political situation of France
whose subso foundation such s Of such rest and
settlement it can have IS universal srdge-s that
less than twothrds not much than one half of all
citizens Of the rovisOnaD French Republic took any
part IN the recent elections.
At ToulOn and Marsces. for marked examples, the
abstcntious very much more than one-half. And
observe that in these towns the radical Red Republican
candidates were arChriumphant. AbstCntion is most
frequent with those who havo stake in society.
1t Is specially among the various classes who rank them
selves Conservative that the lack of any conserving
vitality is most apparent For them the great interests
Of society their comfortable interests personal and
six per cent which they want to for
them. They are no more conservative than canned
oysters and with far less conservable qualities. For
they not primvcly fresh. They fabby, naccid
at the first In the little social relations OF paror dining
rOom shop for the pleasant and abOOus functions
Of social lfe-oving their children entertaining friends
making and handsomely spending money. they bear
comparison with-the respectable New-YOrk bOurgeois
for their capacity to comprehend from the merely
selfish point Of view, the fatal connection Of their
larger relations to society with their little private
recent halfawakencd tarp0yers' revolt against their
wasteul masters pfuy justify the ability Of French
bourgeois to bear the comparison. Unhappy now and
ated to more. is the individual or cass" with
Ecs in modern dcmOralizcd "sOCiey" that can't SEQ
that is going on and that It's preservation Is not absO
utey the thing the temporary saving Of his pr
vate rumpsteak from burning There arc moral points
and adornments OF that hamboyant Commune tail
which worth other and more profitable study than
mere striking comment helps to.
The great disaster that has fallen Chicago felt by
all Americans here, hardly need report 1t, family
almost personal calamity. AS little need add, except
for readers who do MT the French that the papers
here abound in sympathetic notices Of the misfortune
that has befaen great Western Empire City. What
despite mourning mood tickles me is the abusive
suggestions some. the fiat accusations in other, Paris
Journals (of Conservative type that attribute the terrible
Chicago conhagraton TO the IernaGonale and its Com
munard agents escaped from Paris last May You mock
and cry Ia hal Your correspondent on the ground try
ing TO keep COOL gathering and sitting testimony and evil
dences OF all kinds in these past months Is agreed for
once with the bowling Conservative Partisan press and
shieking reporters for the London last May and
June proofs that the Chicago fire the work of
eDregimented Communist pttroeuses arc absolutely
sred and satisfactory any that have yet been pro
ducod of tho existence at any time Of enregimented
p6trOleuseS in Paris.
To come back to French themes the bases Of hope OF
chance on which Bonapartist ntrigues arc working.
This widespread absentiOn of Conservative" citizens
every occasion for political action that ia offered
them Of the chief bases That the really able RO
naparst chiefs count largely this miserable ncvism
Of the better classes is patent and not altogether IRA
tiOnal the well-to-dO, or hOping-welltOdo French
trader banker shopkeepcr farming marketman does
above all other propreOs hold TO his interest Of business
profits dependent quiet times Let the country,
clety in the large next year next generation
90 TO the Deluge We live and live TO live for to-day
The worlds stage. Franco has no monopoly OF tho
tragicOmic element Tire comedy Of the volunteer
BOnapartis performers is startling, funny, impressive
-nexplicable. Your correspondent here dares not
attempt theatrical criticism. He limits his
Office to gaping with amused wonder and reporting.
There is no human creature this side Of idocy who is
not aware that there is to-day in France BOnapartst
rcactiOnary and restoration movement Probabilities Of
its ultimate success the undersigned would guess were
very slight That is not the question Say that Monsieur
de Caonne INDUCED in aTthmeical exaggeraton when
be teegaphed to The London Times $40 happy Imperial
st candidates for seats in the departmental coun
clls-the elementary meaning Of the decenrazing law
by virtue Of which they sit Of it has meanng), being
the negaton Of EapoleOno Cesarean democracy. But
say that NJ de Caonne was POLITICALLY right in his arth-
netic admit anything and everything that the advocate
for NapOeomc restoration asks for. The advocates,
much preoccupied with elimination and recrimnation,
have in hundreds Of books and pamphlets or less
nnwittngly sacrificed the Napoleonc 10 the needs
or vanity Of their personal Justification.
More space than you could give swfter reading than
any human Is capable of, and sounder judgment-let
alone preliminary technical culture and requirement
giving any value to judgment-are conditions precud-
Ing any authoritative quality to the undersgned's gen.
sentence the than three hundred books and
pamphlets less apropos Of the war and its be-
lOnEngs that have been born Of the still excessively
pregnant Paris press within the latest three months
or 90. This General, in selfdefense, dsprOves the
assertions Of the other General We have already vol
umes, libraries almost, in that kind. In another and un
e1smpled kind we have volumes. The last published,
BeDedetus does absolutely prove s authors tolerabe
ability as working diplomat does relieve him from the