The Portland daily press., 1871-06-13
PORTLAND

The French Assembly.
After the revolt tof the 18th of March,
" ch resulted in the establishment of the
{ ommune, the French Assembly lost 1l3 OF
it members by the resignation or expulsion
OF the radical deputies who, like rya'' Dia"-
qui, Victor Hugo and Rochefort, elthsr syhpa-
thzed with the insurgents or approved their
designs while censuring their proceedings.
These deputies mainly represented Partisan
stricts, and the supplementary elections to
ta the vacancies are not ordered till the sec
cad day of next month. Meanwhile the
trump" Assembly, as it might well be called,
consists of about 800 members, majority of
whom appear to be opposed to a Republic
and favorable to the restoration of some form
Of monaroaical government. OF the five
PARTIES making up the membership of the
Assembly, the "extreme right" or clerical par
ty, which is very strong in numbers, supports
lie claims of the Count of Chambord or
Henry W." the Bourbon pretender. Inc
Liberal Conservatives" are Oreansists with
sprinkling of Bonapartists, the "lett CENTRE"
as its name indicates, occupies a middle
ground, but does not, as its name also indi-
Gates, lean toward democracy rather than
monarchy. The republican left" is the
strongest in point of numbers of any party,
and supports the Theirs ministry and the in
definite continuance of the present political
arrangements. The extreme left is made
up of Louis Blanc and what few of the "Reds'
remain in the Assembly. Those who are I'M
classified generally act with the Legitimsts
or the Orleans and Bonaparte factions.
Theirs has taken unexpectedly strong
ground in favor of the Republic, and, it be-
ing impossible to ascribe to man of his
well known selfish and unprincipled nature
disinterested motives, he is credited with the
desire to continue the present provisional
government as long as possible, since it makes
him the most conspicuous and powerful man
in France. Gen. Prim is the model which he
is said to set before him, and certainly if lie
persists too far in copying his original the par
allel is very likely to extend one step further
than he either anticipates or desires.
But it seems to us that everything portends
a speedy overthrow of the Republic and a
restoration of the monarchy. Though Theirs
tor the moment affects to be dlsnclined to the
restoration, and gets himself well praised by
riotism, there is such powerful support Civ
en- by the Assembly to the various aspirants
to the throne that, in the present reactionary
state of the public mind engendered by the
follies and crimes of the Commune, it is not
possible to anticipate successful resistance to
them. The Bourbons, Orleansists, Bona
partes-all the vermin that have cursed
France for SO many centuries-are swarmine
back again. Just now the Orleans princes
seem to be the favorites. The Assembly re-
sends the decree of Punishment passed in
1913, and even the vrtuOus Theirs received
with great cordiality the representatives Of
the house under whose patronage he twor
the laures of his earlier career. The Prince
de yoinville and the Duke D'Aumale, sons O
Louis Philippe, are greeted with enthusiasm
by the Assembly and its Ministry. These
princes in behalf of themselves and theil
family disclaim any intention sof intriguing
against the Republic, give the most satisfac-
tory pledges of good conduct, and in earnest
of their sincerity resign their seats in the As
sembly. But history shows that the French
princes have fatal facility in making pledges
and the French people fatal facility in be-
lleving them. No man ever blistered his lips
with more false oaths than Louis Bonaparte
uttered when he was permitted to return tC
France after the revolution of 1S4S and take
prominent part in the government. MOI
content to swear allegiance to the Republic al
prescribed times and places, he sought out oc.
caslons for voluntary, supplementary swear
ings. Yet he perjured himself with great
alacrity.
Bad as the the record of the Commune
may be that of the Versaillists is infinitely
worse from every standpoint. The latter are
about to become responsible for the restora-
ton of those wild beasts that have for hun
dreds OF years preyed on the French people
condemning uncounted millions to lives Of
unrequited toll, poverty and ignorance or to
cruel and fruitless death. Unlike the Com.
mune not only their methods but their polit
ical purposes have been wrong. For proof Of
their infinitely greater cruelty and reckless.
ness we have only to refer our readers to ex-
tracts from correspondence relating to the las
days of the instruction which we publish
elsewhere. 1t will be seen that this lss
"reign of terror" which in some respects was
more brutal and pitiless than the first, was
one of which the workingmen and working
women of Paris were the victims and not the
a.,fl