New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-08
FRANCE At THE POLLS.

FRANCE At THE POLLS.
If Count Bismarck has not at the last mo-
ment interfered to postpone the elections, this
day will witness the most important event of
the war. Upon the result of the polling to-
day hang consequences vastly more momentous
than upon any possible battle. If the Repub-
lcans stand firmly by their cOlors and send to
the Assembly at Bordeaux a majority of Dep
uties pledged to the maintenance of freedom,
and prepared to make those sacrifices OF ma
tional susceptibility which are absolutely re-
CURED by the circumstances OF the hour, they
will win for France a victory more glorious
and more enduring in its consequences than
any won by the great Consul with the inyin-
chile armies of the first Republic But if, on the
other hand, the apathy or the dissensions of
those who love liberty less than their own
conceits should throw the nation once more
into the dishonoring embrace of the men who
have corrupted and destroyed it for a score of
years, the disaster of Waterloo and the infamy
of Sedan will not be comparable to the dis
grace of this days business.
1t would be rash to make any predictions III
view of the confusion and hurry of the short
week given to preparation for canvass so
important. Everything has worked together
against the Republic. The unfortunate es-
capade of Gambetta seemed likely for a
moment to make shipwreck of the Liberal
cause The Cabinet at Versailles appeared in
clincd to make it cause for interfering with
the elections on the ground that, with NJ.
Gambettas disqualifying provisions, they could
not be free. But the mischief has now been
rcmeded so far as was in the power of the
Government of National Defense. NM. Pelle-
tan, Arago, and Garnier-Pages have arrived in
Bordeaux, and have issued instructions to the
Projects dsavOwing the DISTINGUISHING circular
of Gambetta, and ordering the strict observ-
ance OF the decree of the 3lst of January,
providing for the free exercise of universal
suffrage. The country will therefore be
spared the disaster of an actual conflict
of authority on election day; but it is
not to be hoped that the Republican
cause can entirely escape the consequences of
this useless and ill-advised act of insubordi-
nation. The old spirit of violence and intol-
erance which has before proved so dangerous
and difficult to manage is again showing itself
in Paris. The Government is arTaigned for
cOwardice by public speakers who have not
vet gotten the color back into their faces,
y
bleached by the air of cellars during the siege.
One orator is reported as clamoring for a
RObespierre and a gullotine as the specific for
present troubles The wise and incorruptible
men who have fought losing fight with adj
mirabe courage and discretion are denounced
in mass meetings by that cOwardly epithet OF
"traitOrn-sO easy to launch and so hard to
disprove The radical clubs put forward as
their favorite candidates such impracticable
dreamers as Hugo and ROllin, such narrow
controversiaIists as Blanc and Brussac, such
brilliant madcaps as Pyat and Rochefort.
The first dawn of peace seems to have en-
boldened them to camOr for continued war
The old parties are working with less noise
but the greatest energy. The Heading minds
in the select and respectable Orleans party
have announced their canddature in favorable
quarters, and will doubtless elect members
enough to make fair basis of operations in
the Assembly The adherents of the Empire,
feeling this their last opportunity for plumber
and power, will make a final effort to restore
their fallen chief, and it is probable that the
unhappy quarrels of the last week will have
been of great assistance to them. Even the
devotees of the ancient monarchy, those high
born curiosities who every year left their
palaces to 90 in pilgrimage to Frohsdorf to
kiss the hand of Henry of Bourbon, have come
out of the twilight of the middle ages to stand
as candidates to democratic assembly where
they hope to plead the cause of feudalism.an
divine right
The telegraph brings us one significant piece
of news which would be of interest to those
insane patriots who are now brawling against
Favre and Trochu in Paris. The Prussians
have stopped several conveys of provisions
which were on their way to the city. This
would indicate that if the result of the cleo
tons should be the triumph of the extreme
war party Count Bismarck would not wait for
the assembling of the Convention at Bordeaux,
but would shut the gates of the capital and
accept at once the war the Parisians offer. 1t
does not need the thought of the long vista of
suffering which such q contingency at once
opens, to induce all thinking people to pray
that the long-tried and harried masses of
France may give to-day the votes that will
bring to them liberty and peace
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When it was discovered that the charter Of
the Hamilton Land Improvement Company
in New-Jersey authorized the construction of