The New York herald., 1871-07-08

L
more interesting 1t begins to appear that
France, stupefed by Sedan, disgraced by the
surrender of Paris maddened by the wicked
ness Of the Commune, is recovering self pos
session. If not yet exactly herself again, she
is doing SO well in the circumstances that We
are inspired with hope, if not with confidence.
The success of the loan and the result of the
supplementary elections. viewed in connection
with the cautious advice of NJ. Guizot, the
cunning speeches of N. Theirs, the inacion Of
the imperiaists and the submission to the will
of France of the princes of the House of Or
leans, justify the verdict that France has
reached fresh crisis and found q possible
new departure. The evidence is not yet CON-
plete; but, 80 far as it goes, il does seem to
favor the cause Of the republic.
The latest news of any consequence il fur
nished in a special cable despatch 10 the
HERALD of this morning. The Count de
Chambord, we are told, now at Chateau Cham
bord, in France is at cross purposes with the
Orleans princes and refuses to see them until
he has found out the sentiments of the French
people. 1t is added that in imitation of the
Strasbourg programme of Louis Napoleon he
intends to issue a proclamation calling upon
| France to rally around the throne-Bour-
bonism and divine right. The only thing
which the Count do Chambord breads
is the interference Of the authorities
II is evident from this that the Count
and his friends are not quite satisfied
with things as they are. We had been
taught to believe that there was a fusion Of
the interests Of the two families, and that, in
consideration Of certain concessions made by
the legitimist chief, the Count de Paris, with
the consent of his uncles and cousins, had
waived his immediate claims, consenting to
the succession of the Count de Chambord, on
The ground that, as the legitmist chief was
childless, he himself or his heirs would sue
ceed to all the claims of all the Bourbons,
younger and older This compact, for some
reason or other, seems to be broken. The
Prince de Joinvile has declared his adherence
to the republic, and now we learn that De
Chambord, sick of the tricks of his cousins,
dissatisfied with the policy Of H. Theirs and
the Assembly, and impatient of delay, has
resolved to test at once the sentiment of
France Another despatch gives somewhat
different version Of the matter. According to
it the Bourbon Pretender has already issued
proclamation announcing that he was about to
leave France, and would bide his time until
Frenchmen, actuated by desire for liberty
and universal suffrage, would call him to the
throne of France. The Prince de Joinville
member of the National Assembly, the Count de
Chambord as Henry the Fifth, King of France
by right divine, appealing directly to France
Napoleon, by the urgent advice of his friends,
in Geneva; NJ. Theirs opposed to the restora-
ton Of the empire, but pronouncing in favor
neither Of the monarchy nor of the republic and
only encouraging delay-behold situation
complicated, embarrassing, unpromising in the
extreme!
In ordinary circumstances this state Of
things might be tolerable and even interesting
keenly enjoy political excitement. But
France is in q peculiar condition. She has
just found peace after q most runous war
with foreign foe and after q most dangerous
and destructive civil nsurrection. Part of her
territory has been permanently lost. The
invader, living at her expense, is still upon
her SOIL Her trade is crippled; her industry |
is paralyzad While her territory has been
narrowed and he. resources Immediately and
diminished, her debt has reached |
a point which it is absolutely frightfu to con-
template; and to Germany alone she has to |
pay before March, 1874, the sum Of two hun
dred million pounds sterling, or ten hundred
million dollars. In such circumstances
France certainly cannot afford to be torn
asuuder by political parties-to be distracted
by dynastic and republican qnarrels. II ever
any country for the mere sake Of self-preserva-
ton needed peace, that nation is France.
War, foreign or civil, must reduce her to the
condition of second Poland and make her
the prey of her neigh bors.
1t is most interesting question, but one
which it is most difficult to answer: In what
shape and under what form of government is
France to settle down to such peaceful and
economical habits as shall give her prosperity
and pave the way for her restoration to
her once proud position among the nations
of the world a.? For the present the chances of
the Bonapartes and the empire are SO small
that we can afford to set the Bonapartes and
the empire entirely aside. The question is
whether France is about to lapse back into
monarchy monarchy, let it be added, which
has learned nothing, which has abandoned no.
thing since the Middle Ages. The restoration
of the grandson of Charles the Tenth means
the restoration Of divine right, the govern
ment Of the people by soldiers and priests, the
wiping out OF everything which indicates pro-
gress, and war against Italy for The restora-
tion Of the temporal power of the Pope. Back
10 the days of Louis the Fourteenth, of M
xarn and Richeleu, or, rather, back to the times