The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-21

present republican experiment there may be
chance of it succeeding under some form. To
make the Count de Chambord King would be
to go back to the Middle Ages, and we do not
think enlightened France will do that To
restore the Oreanists, who have been tried,
repudiated and overthrow by revolution,
would be to stultify France and to go back
quarter of a century while the world is
moving rapidly forward. To restore impe-
raism after the miserable failure of Napoleon
ILL.,, and the degradation into which this
Emperor so recently plunged the country,
would be to make France contemplate In the
eyes of the world. And could it be expected
that any of these fallen, disgraced and repu-
dated dynasties would exist long If now
restored? History. common sense and the
progress of democratic ideas forbid such
thought. France might be again the football
of these royaist gamblers for time, but the
revolution engrafted in the minds of the
people would continue to work until another
outbreak would demolish the ephemeral and
artificial structure. IF even the present
republic cannot stand, nothing else but repub-
licansm is possible in the end.
The difficulty with Frenchmen-and, in
deed, with all European democrats and repub-
licans-is that they do not understand republi-
can government as we do in America. Look
at France, for example, and compare the state
of things there with those in the United
States. Theirs is but President of expedl
ency-the President of day, or, rather, from
day to day. General Grant is President for
four years, and more firmly seated for that
period than any monarch in Europe on bis
throne He was put there by those constitu-
tonal provisions which all respect and to
which all yield obedience. No thought is
ever entertained of removing the President of
this republic except for hiyh crimes, and then
he could only be removed through regular
trial and proof of guilt, as any other criminal
would be punished. However obnoxious q
President might become, short Of committing
crime, our people would wait patiently till the
end of his term Of Office and then elect some
one else to be his successor. This is our way
of making revolution. However high
political excitement may run before cleo
ton day, the defeated voters Immediately &C.
quiesce, when that is over, in the verdict of the
ballot box. Then we have our local govern
ments, State and municipal, working sepa-
rately, though in harmony with the federal
government. The same respect is paid in
these to the decision of the ballot box and
laws as in the election Of President. Republi-
cans generally in Europe do not understand
this. Their education and habits of thought
are different. They look to direct govern
ment action in everything. and to centralized
power as much under republic as under a
monarchy. They are too apt to think OF
making changes by violent revolution instead
of accomplishing their object as we do,
through periodical elections as prescribed by
law. A republic like ours is the most con-
sentative of all forms of government. When
the French people can understand that, and
follow our example, they will have no more
serious trouble with imperialists, Orleanists or
| the old Bourbons.