The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-01-28
Tho Troubles of Church and state ant
the Decisive Peace Of Europe.

and the revolutionary elements of the Cont
nent, in Church and State, the 'errepressible
conflict" continues, and France and Spain are
particularly in that critical condition from
which the only escape appears to be through
revolution or civil war. In the recent
resignation and restoration of President
Theirs, as de tacto the Dictator, we have had
most convincing betrayal from the National
Assembly of the critical condition of France.
Here we have an old politician who has out
lived his party associations, and who is with
out party in the National Assembly, and
without party among the people, and who is
universally regarded by all parties only as
the executive head of the State pro tep.; and
yet to this heroic but solitary old man, when
he proposes to resign his thankless position,
men of all parties appeal, and they beseech
him still to retain his place, because just now
it is 10 France either Theirs or chaos. Surely
when law and order among thirty-six millions
Of people hang upon thread so slender as
| this we have reason to fear that at any
moment the thread may be snapped, and that
the signal may be given again in Paris for the
barricades.
But wherein lies even the present safety OF
France under President Theirs? 1t lies in the
fact that he represents a sort of compromise
| or armistice between the discordant factions OF
the Assembly. He is, apparently, an Orleanist
on the question Of restoration, an imperialist
in reference to the Papal temporalities and
the censorship of the press, and a republican
| nj vbokN oIo
as ''glittering generalites and shadowy
distractions" He has tried to harmonize the
elder and the younger Bourbons, and has
failed; he has labored evidently with will to
suppress Imperialism while practically adopt
ing the governing policy of Napoleon; but
the imperial party in Paris and throughout
France continues to grow upon his hands.
Against the Bonapartes, however. NJ Theirs
has an overwhelming majority in the
Assembly; but as this majority can do nothing
with the Bourbons, and is opposed to the con-
frmation of the republic and breads an appeal
to the people, the only alternative is adhesion
to M. Theirs and the policy Of drifting with
| the stream of events.
Meantime it must be remembered that
President Theirs has declared his allegiance
to and faith in the republic bat as his plan Of
a republic appears to embrace the restoration
| of the Pope to his temporal kingdom 1t is not
the plan of the republicans of France. Under
the armistice suggested, then, between M.
| Theirs and his factious Assembly the present
government of France is in deadlock It
can move neither backward nor forward. The
Assembly is the Long Parliament over again,
and some Cromwell destined to turn 1t out
Of doors may be the next entrance upon the
stage. On the other hand, while Theirs holds
the army under good control, and while the
| Assembly admits its dependence upon the
Executive, there is some prospect that this
present French government may quietly drift
| with the tide year or two longer. But those
heavy German indemnities must be paid, or
the German armies will come back again and
to meet those merciless indemnities addi-
tional taxes to the heavy burden already
imposed upon On impoverished people must
be raised and here again we come face to
face with the dangers Of a popular revolt. 1t
| was the poverty of the masses of the French
people, with their heavy taxatons, that
brought about that terrible COW ulsion which
expelled the Bourbons; but the poverty, the
sufferings and the taxes of France in 1889
were hardly worse than they are in 1872. But
the most intolerable of all things to Frenchmen
Is just that state of suspense under which,
with this provisional government, they are
now chatting, and against another tax levy they
may respond with the ''Marselaise.
Such is the present condition of France
and meanwhile the Church party in the
country districts, the quiet Catholic peasantry,
are watching and waiting the opportunity for
the restoration Of the empire, and the recti-
ication Of the wrongs OF the Holy Father.
Nor is the present situation in Spain in
anything better than that of France. King
Amadeus is evidently in great danger. His
dissolution of the Cortes, with call for new
election in the spring, is desperate expedi-
ent It does not appear that there s any
officer Of the army who can ill the place of
Prim; and it does appear that the fighting
factions throughout the Peninsula are each
and all bent upon mischief Spanish pride,
Spanish faith and Spanish bigotry can raise,
upon short notice, powerful revolutionary
army against the stranger King and the son Of
the heretical Victor Emmanuel. Nor does
there seem to be any hope for established law
and order in Spain, under any king or any
government; for the Spanish race, In the old
land, as in its American settlements, has
apparently fallen beyond the capacity Of self
government. Its decline and its decay may
be dated from the luxury and the debaucheries
resulting from the fabulous wealth poured into
Spain from her virgin American colonies. It
is the old lesson and the old story of Rome,
| enriched, demoralized and enfeebed from the