New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-05
FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.
FRENCH TOPICS.


iFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBUNBl
PARIS. July 17.-"If YOU do not now cross
the channel, you will have 10 cross the Atlantic
Nearly these words quite this idea, were uttered many
years ago IN the Chamber OF Deputies BY one oil the
members when urging the rest 70 frankly take the con
s;itutiona monarchy Of England for their model OF
French Government The advice was not accepted,
and afi rward came the eruption OF lSiS and the sup
preston of and the eruption again OF ISL Last
Friday, this watchiul observer OF the tides ana
times OF current. history, at the helm OF
state, pronounced his opinion that 1t is too hte
TO cross the channel. Tue declaration Of President
Theirs in the Assembly last Friday in effect as fol
lows: What is TO be our future form Of government
rests with Providence decide; but the actual TACT
being that have provisional republic VIII 90 my
best possible make IL permanent, conservative re-
public yes republic, but thoroughly conservative ms
is effectively republican manifesto TO the country, al
most pronuncGmentO TO the monarchiss OF the Asse-
bly,. The qualifying precaution of not mortgaghg the
future. and Of insisting the conservatism OF the re-
public the President pledges his efforts to confirm,
though profoundly important are not the essentials
they pass with a large portion of the public almost or
quito as UNDECIDED subtleues.
The cate and other circumstances OF this declara
ton are to be considered in estimating its scnhcance
IL dstinetiyey marks phase OF political evolution into
which IL enters promoting element. NJ Theirs
seemed-but only seemed-to go OF his TO make
H. In general the time for its delivery was fulfilled
The last lamentably nl-panned campaign OF the Mon
archst nrguers against the President and the honest
experiment OF a republic, opened in the early days OF
June attempted be executed on the Goth OF that month";
had ended in piiful defeat. Meantime the new treaty
with Germany concluded. The consequent success
Of the loan regarded foregone conclusion Its
consequence earlier liberation of the territory is re.
garded cheerful prospect The nation, and its RepuO
lcan Presidents policy, side, triumphant; the
Monarchist party. with its mpolitic ntrgues and par
tsan maneuyerngs and gross personal ambitions on
the other SIDE bled and dsorganized had never been
before squarely set in presence one of the other
Few men change their mind-if they have one-after
TO- stu less after TO- NJ. Theirs has and deseryes-you
may add enjoys and rather prides himself on 1.-THE
reputation IN his old age Of being slngulary tenacious
Of opinions he arrived at in his prime Every one
knows and he is the first say it, that he never was
nor now Is a dOctrinaire republican His acceptance
now Of what he long forcsaw, deprecated, and
would others aid him in repeing is all the more
Impressive. perfectly consistent in the old royal
lst the moot jealous OF party politicians, Theirs
Is yet more jealous French patriot He is an impe
rialst by temperament parliamentary royahst
by his and talent for tribune oraory He is more
than skeptical to the capacity Of the vile multi
tude for setgOvernment; he despises democracy and
dislikes repubicanism when hedged and checked
the administrative Capitalization perfected by the
first Napoleon and by the traditional Institutions Of
royal France. And just therefore, his declaration on
the 18th Of July for republic qualified but positive
coupled with his knowledge and sagacious oOnectures
Of condition OF the nation. of parties, of the senti
ens OF native and foreign financial operators and Of
the sentiments entertained by foreign Governments
toward France presents itself to most hopefully and
almost definitely by efficient declarations Of the French
Republic
The alternative at early or later date is civil A
successful brutal military deat like that Of 1851,
l. not the cards. Henry w. who has inherited in
efficiency from that sadly amiable worthless
grand uncle, Louis XVI, would not II he could, and
cannot by any possible circumstances come to profit by
such vllany of treason to the nation The modicum Of
honest PATRIOTISM great deal of prudence and the gen
eral dexterOus ambiguity with which that family is
heredary endowed Will keep the Count OF Paris his
uncle tutor the Duke d. Aumale, and the rest of that
cunning orleans family from ever letting their fears
qualify heirnciatons, till the chance, II 1t offers
ITSELF be past. There remains the only hope for
arohsm, to the Man Of Sedan, his feeble boy,
other repre- sentative Napoleon.
But the Napoeonic legend, already dying among
the people with the dying off of the rather wearsome
old "orognards OF the grand army" has been killed by
IAnfrey, ErckmanChatrian, and other grave historical
and popular writer's among the bOurgeOse; and the
last glimpse of Napoeonic prestige for the nation went
out at Sedan No OF the old deepying exists
MORE nor should anything like reproduction Of
similar be needed TO produce like effect Mon
archy has become impossible and, by role dereaSon
the logicans say Republic only is possible. Theirs
this and goes 70 meet this fatal historical conclu
sion The sensible Of the Monarchiss latterly
coming. thanks TO the impulse he has given, to
feel IT, Withal they anxious for reelection to the
Constituent Convention, for which NJ Thierss Fri
days episode and other things malciously, fatally
mind them that this Assembly must presently make
place.
wrote long ago that no good law OF common schools
could be looked the Versailles Assembly. The
bill for In hundred articles has been drawn
up and report necessarily favorable prepared by the
committee and its reporter, TO which and whom this
fundamentally gravest Of all questions looking to French
national restoration referred last year. The result
is considerably than anticipated. There is not
room here for brief analysis OF either. The
spirit OF both is sadly bad narrowly clerical, pitt
fully uncOmpromsng. II there is any sentiment
which intelligent Frenohmen have been agreed since
the war, It is the demanding obligatory primary cd
ucatOn; demanding that French children should for
be allowed TO grow up in any ignorance from
which hitherto FrenehmeD have had 10 suffer Bit
tery. The late gave powerful it seemed an uni
versa impulse 10 the in favor Of compulsory
primary instruction, which struggling forward
under the Imperial regime.
saying, months ago, when speaking OF the bill
proposed by Jules Simon, the weakbacked Minister of
Instruction. that feeby imperfect it was, its best
feature the compulsory principle would be- with add
tOna weakeniDgs admitted verbally aud in principle"
by the reaconary Committee TO which 1t was referred
But despite the general outside pressure despite petit
tons signed by than 10000 persons in favor Of
obligatory instruction, despite the positive though quail
ed adhesion TO the principle Of legal obligation by the
emnenty conservative academy of moral and political
sciences, despite of what TO most OF u.s. seems the
patent. inevitable tendency Of the tme the Committee
report and sustain by middle age arguments, bill for
the better instruction In the rudimentary ele-
ments OF the future Of France which limits the
obligatory clause 10 bald rhetorical phrase-tO an old
wOrn-out, worthless, moralizng commonplace at an
obligation fathers OF families that their children
are taught 10 read and write" Not only there no
MI