The New York herald., 1871-03-07
signs Of Anarchy In FrNnce-The Ground-
swell In kur0po.

.
hour, not to speak Of our specials OF this
morning, show, first of all, that trouble is not
ended in France by the cessation OF hostlitles,
and, secondly, that the peace Of Europe is not
secured by the humiliation and defeat OF
France. just in proportion as the German
pressure is raised from France, particularly so
does France, or rather Paris, reveal its true
character. In the capital city riots have already
taken place. 1t is not, in fact, too much to
say that France, now giving evidence that she
is at war with herself, would have been
nightly benefited by prolonged German
occupation. With the single exception OF the
September revolution France has behaved well
enough during the war. A necessity was lald
upon the French people, and the French people,
not being well able to help it, yielded to the
mastering necessity. But the strong hand OF
the German has now released its grasp. France
breathes or thinks she breathes freely, and, as
is not unnatural, the factions and the indi-
viduals resume the fight when the common
foe is gone. 1t WAS so in our history when
the civil war was ended. 1t was SO in Mexico
when the French retired. In our case, happily,
the strife that followed the war was more
individual than factiona!, and we, in conse-
quence, suffered the less. France, however,
promises to be Mexico or rather promises
to revive the worst memories of the first revo-
luton.
The new government offers but little cncour-
agement NJ Theirs was no doubt the best
man TO fail back upon in the circumstances
as the representative OF law and order. But
NJ Thiers, as Chief Magistrate of France,
means trouble just as much as it means peace.
His position is ill defined. We would not
say that we discover in him reactionist. He
belongs to none Of the old parties. The accu-
rate and truthful record proves that he has
opposed the follies Of the Bourbons time and
again, and, although his great historical works
on "The French Revolution" and "The Con-
sulate and Empire" revealed much admiration
for the abilities of the First Napoleon, his
later career has shown him upon all occasions
to be the opponent Of the extravagances Of the
Third. Long supposed by superficial obser-
vers to be an Orleanist enrage, he is yet
remembered as thorough republican in
he was even then mentioned for the Presi-
dency. Since that time his voice has been Of
no party, but entirely for France.
This incontestable fact leads us to hope that
the peace terms which have been obtained
through the wisdom of the present Chief
Magistrate of France may lead to satisfac-
tory and durable peace. The prompt recogni-
ton of the French republic, in its revised and
improved form, by Great Britain, Russia,
Austria, Italy, the United States, and, as de-
spatches now allege, by the Pope, greatly
strengthens the position Of France, and ought
not to fail TO have a sedative effect upon
excited popular passion. Yet, as Mr.. Odo
Russell some time since limited to the British
government with regard to Southern Europe,
there is, evidently, Deep widespread and
menacing excitement among the masses below
tie diplomatic surface, and if France does not
now behave well, France, and through France
Europe, may have some sad experience before
her.
Among the leading papers that come to us
the Journal de 81. Petersburg, the ANgemeine
zeitang, the Kreus Zeitung, the Vienna
Abend-Post, the Iedependance Beige, the
Brussels Nord, the Florence Italia, the
Dritto, the French Constitutional, Journal
du Haore and Courier du Haore-al let
their forebodings plainly appear. The Ger
man papers are, of course, much more eau
tious than the rest, but it requires no heavy
guessing to make out what they mean when
they refer to the depletion and mourning in
Fatherland, the dull prospects Of the coming
summer and the turbulent passions Of the
multitude" The heavy and as some think
excessive demands Of Prussia have aroused
the bad passions of the German democrats.
But let any man in his senses endeavor to
calculate the loss, in every material point OF
view, occasioned to all the laboring masses of
Europe by this devastating conflict What
labor, what seed, what ground is this new year
to begin upon, and who are to pay the mon
strous exactioas of the case on one side and
its requirements to meet those cxactions on
the other2 Simply, there ascends all over the
Continent one loud wall of perplexity and dis
may from the toiling millions. The flesh and
blood of men win not be ignored,
and all the gendarmes in the uni
verse can no longer neutralize what
the age and all its appliances have been dill
gently and feverishly at work SO long to ce-
ment-the community Of popular interests
among all neishboring nations in word,
''the solidarity of the peoples" France can
not bleed without Germany Britain, Scandi-
navia, Switzerland, Spain, Italy bleeding, and
ctce ce7So;; and when that expenditure Of
blood comes to be plainly recognized as
scourge for the benefit of crowns and sceptres
only catastrophe is at hand.