The New York herald., 1871-12-16


crisis Of serious character has arrived in
France. On Thursday last the Princes Of the
House Of Orleans had fresh interview with
President Theirs. The interview. II seems,
was somewhat protracted, and, SO far % We
can judge, far from pleasant. The President
made direct charges against dAumale.
DAumale, according to the President, had
not been faithful to the terms of pre-
vious agreement. He had done his best
to interest the generals Of the army
in his favor. D'Aumale denying, President
Theirs made distinct and specific charges.
The CHARGES are these d'Aumale had made
visits to many generals who have seats in the
Assembly. He had seen Ducrot and Blllot,
and Martin, and Depaillieres, and Chanzy and
others, to all or to most of whom he had
revealed his purpose. He had even made
special visits to subordinate officers, whose
names, if necessary, M. Theirs was not
unwilling to give. The interview was 80 far
from pleasant, and the President had so much
the advantage, that the Duke brought m alters
to rapid termination by saying that he would
consult his friends as to when he should take
whether he had a right to do the same.
Bourbaki, it seems, had told the Dlke, in the
presence Of Ddcrot, that the salvation of
France rested with the republic or with the
empire. AT the same time Bourbaki was of
| opinion that 1t was not unfair on the part of
| the Oreanis.s to take advantage of the
impatience of the French people and to force
the resignation of President Taiers. Should
| M. Theirs resign, dAumale will, of course,
become President of the republic. 1t seems,
however, that the Presidency of d'Aumale is
intended to bring about the following result -
| The Count de Chambord, King Of France; the
Count de Paris, heir to the throne dAumale,
| Lieutenant General Of the kingdom. Such is
| the inside view of French affairs which we
are enabled this morning to present to our
readers.
To us it matters little how the French peo-
| pie are to be ruled or wish to be ruled. It is
| for France, not for us, to say whether the new
departure is to be republican or monarchical or
imperial Our business is to chronicle the facts
Of the day and to indicate their meaning. In the
present case we have no choice but to admit
rived In the history of the provisional govern
ment, or the interregnum, as some are
pleased to call It, If our special despatch
reads us any lesson 1t reads us this one
that the President of the republic and the
Princes of the House of Orleans have broken
with each other. Unless some speedy recon-
ciliation is effected there must be open war
hot n AM tha aJ h;..f
Orleanists, and NJ. Thiers the present execu-
tive head of the French nation. 1t has all |
along been believed that the President was |
honestly doing what he could, first of ALL to
maintain in France strong government, aud, |
secondly, to make all his power more or less
subservient to the restoration Of the monarchy. |
The impatience, however, which has naturally
taken possession OF the French people, and
which is largely shared by the outside world,
has taken hold of the Orleanist Princes them
selves. They have trusted M. Tbiers; they
have had from him promises innumerable
they have waited with patience, aud, now that |
patience is exhausted, they have forced |
crisis. We are not disposed altogether to blame |
the Orleans Princes, for a throne is big
stake. 1t is right and proper that they should
look after their own interests. Since 1S48
they have submitted and waited and hoped.
During all these years they have comported
themselves with dignity. They have never
attempted or encouraged revolution. But the
present National Assembly represents their
interests and desires their restoration, and
President Theirs alone stands in their way.
At the same time We feel bound to say that
we do not blame the President. His is most
difficult position. His is most difficult task.
His country, be knows, is divided. There are
those who demand the republic; there are
those also who demand the restoration of the
empire the Assembly is monarchical But
all the parties are at variance, and the Presi-
dent, whatever his personal feelings, is justi'
6ed in doing what he can to protract the
existence of the present provisional govern
ment, as the only government which is strong
enough to prevent a war of the factions. 1t is
possible that President Theirs has not been
sufficiently decided; but decision is difficult
when the almost certain result would conflict
with all ones plans and purposes. Without
blaming the Orleans Princes, and without
blaming NJ. Theirs for his cautious and tenn
| porizing policy, il is not unjust to the one
party or the other to say that q crisis has
come which they have not created and which
they cannot avert.
| What is to be the immediate result of this
difference we know not. That it can hardly
fail to be serious must, we think, be admitted.
President Theirs has his plan, the Orleanists
have their plans; and the Question now is,
which is to succeed2 II is we'll known that
President Theirs has made up bis MIND that
toe immediate restoration Of monarchy, il not
impossible, would be In the last degree In