New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1873-11-22
THE MACMAHoy DICTAToRSHIP.

ton nothing more than treason anu i-i'P'''''
THE NACN1HoN DICTATORSHIP
The French Republic has met Win sre"'
disaster The utmost prudence anu o"o,e ~
will now be required on the part OF .'o me-
nublicans TO prevent its becoming iatai' inc
chief executive power has been placed lor
sovon wears To come in hands which are nos
tile "a the Republic. The present reactiohary
and discredited Assembly have provided Tor
most mortem life of their own by giving the
government I'D to one who is in thorough
sympathy with them. BY playing upon the
same passions of timidity and distrust OF the
people which made possible the vote OF the
24th of May, few members of the Left who
really desire the Republic have been induced
to join tho monarchistS in their scheme
to destroy TIE Republic 10y indirec-
ton. Some of that majority of GO
by which Marshal MacMahon was given
an extension of his present powers, indie
pendently of the constitutional laws hereafter
to be passed, doubtless consisted OF that
floating timber to BE- found in every legisla-
tive assembly, and it is highly probable that
the entire Bonapartist phalanx went over III
a body to the monarchcal side. While the
question before the Assembly was the can
didature of the Comte de Chambord, II was
natural that they should side with the oppo-
sition. But when the question arose as to the
definite organization of the Republic, 1t was
equally natural that they should SWING back
to the reaction. For the present Their poHcy
is one of delay. They are sensible OF their
own Yeakucss before the people. The failure
-, in,
has shown them that they must
wait for some great popular REVISION
of feeling before they can venture
again upon an appeal to the ballot They are
opposed thercfore.to any measure winch shall
force an immediate decision as to the future
destiny of France NJ. Rouher proposed pie
biscite the other day as mere political de-
monstration. He knew it would be rejected,
and he desired to define his position and that
of his party and mako point against both
Right and Left. But when the final vote was
taken upon the prolongatiOn of MacMahons
powers there was every reason why they
should 90 with the Right If MacMahon holds
his place firmly, there are seven years gained
for intrigues and contingencies, and at the
end of that time the young gentleman they
iority and will be Il much more available pre-
tender than now.
Tho situation has become one of eXtraordi-
nary difficulty for the Republicans. The fruit
of all their good conduct for the last two years,
their moderation, their patience, and their dis-
cipline, has all been lost through this days
work Whatever they do is used against them
by the Conservatives in the Chamber. They
unfortunately defeated NJ. de RemuSat as
warning to NJ. Theirs and an exhibition OF
their strength. This threw the Right into
panic, which brought MacMahon to power.
They then elected RGmusat to show that they
asked nothing improper or Irregular, and this
is followed by Il second stampede IN the
Chamber, which gives to MacNlahon dlcta-
torial power. This is partly IN assumption
of our own, for as yet the constltn-
tional laws are not passed But 1t Is not
probable that the majority which surrendered
the executive power for seven years to the
Marshal will fail to carry ont the rest of their
plan for the creation OF a Constitution which
shall embody their own ideas of order. We
may now look for promptness and dispatch on
the part of the Conservatives. They have
spoken with 10 uncertain voice already.
Their organs have avowed that they regarded
Marshal MacMahon merely ~ "a good
sword" to be used against radicaism for the
time being, TO keep order while the monarch
ical programme was maturing. The plan Will
embrace severe repressiyo laws against news
PAPERS. by which the Republican organs may
he sllenced one by one; laws regulating meet
ings by which even the present slender oppor-
tunities for public speaking will be taken
away; n suspension of elections for vacancies,
until by the means above mentioned, and
possibly by alterations of the electoral laws,
il is made safe to trust the ballot again. 1t
il thought that by % system of strict repression
like this, the present Chamber may hold its
position until either the death of the COmte
de Chambord or some other contingency may
make it possible to put close to the Mac
Mahon occupation and to bring in the mon
archy in form; and this failing, the new cleo
tons may DO manipulated to produce more
practicable body of voters
All this programme is founded upon the
fact that the French people are more obedient
to authority than any others in the world.
The Conservatives despise and pretend TO fear
them--but if they were what NJ. dc Broglie
and his colleagues accuse them of being, the
heads OF those gentlemen would not be safe
for an hour
E.uJJV TPOERTFS