The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-02
SPIRIT OF THE PRESS.
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE LEADING JOURNALS
UPON CURRENT ToP1cs-ooMPmED EVERY
DAY FOB THE EVENING TELEGRAPH.
THE BOURBON FUSION.
From Tie N. z. Tribune.


sources of information, the announcement
which it has Just made is one of the utmost
importance It states that the Prince of
Joinville and the Duke of Aumae have given
in their full adhesion to the recent manifesto
of the Count of Chambord, and that the re-
conciliation of the two branches of the House
of Bourbon is now complete. This is a rumor
that has been often started since the days when
the revolution of 1S49 sent the family of Or
leans to the life of exile in which Henry V,
Duke of Bordeaux had existed ever since his
childhood. AS long as the prospect of either
party for the throne remained vague and
problematical, it was difficult to frame
reasonable compromise. While they had
nothing but their dignity it was natural that
they should cling to that. Both claimed the
throne of France as their own, in virtue of
divine right and the popular will The only
point of agreement was in denouncing the
usurper Bonaparte. So as time wore on, the
opposing camps clung continually closer in
their allegiance to the splendid exile of Oler-'
mont, and to the mimic Court of Frohsdorf.
At all the births and deaths and marriages of
the Orleans Princes, a goodly number of
highly respectable gentlemen took places in
the Northern Railway and heroically faced
an hour of misery on the raging Channel
to assist, with ostentatious loyalty, at the
family festival. Once every year some re-
preventative of almost every good house in
the Faubourg st. German went on
legitimist pilgrimage to the spectral
Court of Henry Dieudonne, to kneel and kiss
the hand of the last of the Bourbons in token
of mistaken devotion. 1t was a pretty and
picturesque demonstration on both sides and
involved none of the worry and danger Of
conspiracies and Instructions. The bour-
geoise who stood by the House of Orleans
and the old noblesse who clung to the lilies
of Bourbon were alike in their languid dsin-
Is1x, - ~. ~1,1N1 4 H.
claves. 1t is probable that no attempt was
ever made by either the Count of Chambord
or the Count of Paris to force their followers
into emeutes. The latter distinctly said,
three years ago, when some one suggested
such q path to the throne, "Je n'e,atrerGi
j0ns0Ss par cette pOrte-lG!"
The pressure of near and reasonable
prospect for the crown of France has been
toe powerful to allow the royal cousins to re-
main in their former position of digniied
hostility. The legitimists, to their own and
the worlds great surprise, gained very
considerable number of seats in the Assem-
bly, at the last elections. The Orleanists also
made respectable showing, and some of the
old partisans of that house were chosen for
the highest and most responsible positions
in the Government. But all this was not so
encouraging to the supporters of the old
monarchy as the discredit and scandal
brought upon republican government by
the madness of the Commune and the fero-
cious vengeance of Versailles. 1t seems
to the exiled princes that now is their time to
make serious effort for rehabilitation
in their former places The adhesion OF
Joinville and Aumale, the two political
managers of the family, to the manifesto of
the Bourbon pretender, would appear to
indicate that they regard the prospect of
success as sufficiently fattering to justify
this sacrifice of their traditions The names
of the Count of Paris and of the Dukes of
Montpensier and Nemours are not men,
toned. But it is to be presumed that the
former, as a claimant of the throne, does not
wish to prejudice his asserted rights by any
compromise, and that Montpsnsier, as a
Spaniard, affects to have no claim to inter
fere in French affairs Nemours is man of
so little force and energy that it is not sur
prising to see him playing the tGtnea't in
this matter.
The consolidation of the two families is
made easy by the fact that the Count of
Chambord has 40 heirs, and thus the next
legitimate inheritor of the crown is the Count
of Paris the head of the cadet branch. 1t is
true that the Italian descendants of Philip of
Aniou, King of Spain, are of the older branch,
but when he assumed the throne of Spain it
was expressly stipulated that he waived his
rights forever to the crown OF France. The
Count of Paris, therefore, is the legitimate
next of kin to the gentleman who calls him.
self HenryV, and on the death of this prince,
who is now fifty years of age, the cadet
branch becomes the reigning family, and all
the sacrsdness of legitimacy centres upon the
blond German head of Louis Philippe oi
Orleans, the Count of Paris. 1t is doubtless
this consideration which has induced those
sagacious and experienced princes of Orleans
to enrol themselves under the banners of the
ancient dynasty. The Count of Ohsmbord
has issued sounding manifesto, half AFRO
CANT and half wheedling, in which he claims
the throne as his BY right, but promises tt
reign according to the demands of moderI
freedom. He concludes in words which shoy
his appreciation of the solemnity of the cris
-''the word belongs to France, and the hou
is Gods"
1t would be useless to deny that this coali
tion between the two branches of that pow
erful family to which France owes SO muc
of barren glory will exert strong influence
upon the minds OF men, excited as they ar
by the frightful events of the last month
There is unquestionably an opportunity fo
an attempt to be made in the interest of
monarchical restoration, not without som
chance of success. But even if successful !
would not be fnality. If chance should tC
day adopt the monarchy, it would be simpl
q measure of desperation, like that of Tia
madman who commits suicide from fear
death The coalition of Bourbon and Orlea1
would prove a hollow truce. Even if th
family and dynastic interests could be harmc
nized, that would be but the beginning of th
work. 1t would be well-nigh impossible I
arrange a scheme of parliamentary govern
ment which should embrace in practicab
relations the consistent constitutionalists lih
Theirs, and the rigid champions of divir