, 1873-12-20
The Count de Ohambord's Famous
Letter, and It's Effect.
nachalon Placed in Power as a pool Of tho
Monarchists and Clergy.
France Not a Republic Now, and
Never Has Been.

was dothronel and prisoner in Germany, and
the Empress an exilo III England; aftor Paris lad
capitulatod, aud Bazaine surrendered Lis army
at Metz; after one-l,alf OF tho country wns in
actual possession Of tho invader, and all resst-
tnce had ceaset, and poor franco luy, bruised,
bloody, and hnlf-dead, ut the foet Of the "Allo-
nngne,"
NO NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
remained Ia existence to whom the yictors could
lictate the terms Of q peace. Franco had not
only sucoumbod, hut hor National Government
was extinct. Even tho yariouH Com1nittoes Of
National Defense wore dissolved, md tho mem
bers fugitives. Tho grand army Ind disbanded,
and every ,nan had fed to hy own tent. Tho
land was given up to the apoilor, and to the an-
nrchy and plundor of tie Commune. In this
ariHia Of AFFAIRS Bismarck stated to Theirs, Jules
Favro, tho Duko do Broglio, sayes, and other
prominent Frenchmon, thns, before toras Of
peace could bo proposed, 1t was necessary to
CREATE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT
with authority to accept conditions aud bind
Trance to their fullllmcnt. Tho Cor
tnans had IN elephant OIL their hands.
Tho nations OF Europe would NOT permit
them to reduce France to the condition Of "a con-
qucrcd province, to be ruled aB colony Of Ger
many; anh there was no legal Government i'll
existence with Which to trent. The only solu-
ton Of tho Bituation WAS to improviso d Govern
1nent md compel 1t to sigu, in the name aud
behalf Of France, whatever torms the conqueror
might dctatc.
With this purpose in view, Bismarck granted
m ar1nistico, and ncting through the namo Of
Thiers and other leading Frenchmon, isRued an
order for the holding of election on the 8th
af February, 1871, to elect 730 members OF
AN ASSEMBLY,
hr tnr1{n f1,fe 1,o1xr hath.
constitutional aud Legislative powors, and
to consist of but ono branch Bia-
larcls authorized elections to be hold in all
Tho provinces and cities occupied by the German
,r1ny, including Alsace and Lorraine, Which
elected aud sent to this Provisional Assembly
thirty members, who took their seats, acted and
roted, until after those departments were torn
from Franco aud thrust into tho embrace of
!iermany, in disregard Of the tcars and protesta-
lions, not only Of the people thereof, but Of nil
france besides. It WAS the moat shocking case
pf international rape ever committed in modern
'imoB. But there was no help for it. Tho will
IT the conquoror was law, and must be obeyod,
This Provisional Parliament was elected for
NO SPECIFIC LENGTH OF TIME.
No term Of oflicu WIS fixed In tho mandate for
:heir appointment. Tho universal undorstand-
ing waB, however, that, rs sooi ns terms OF
poaco were concluded and Inv aud order re-
established, tho finances restored anl tho Ger
man indemnity provided for, mud somo form Of
Provisional Government erected for the en-
torcomont Of the laws md preservation Of do
mostic pouce, this emergency Legislative Cham
bor should bo dissolved. md regular Corps
legiBlatif ho elected by tho constit ueucieB for
defined term Of Office.
When the people came to make choice Of DEL
egates, they selected thosa porsoua who had
been opposed originally to the declaration OF war
against tho Prl,ssians. The caueus-commit-
tees put in nomination mon who woro supposed
to be
LEAsr OBNOXIOUS TO THE coSouEnon. ).
Persons Of Connunistic sentiments were caro-
fully excluded men OF radicAl opinions woro,
~ tar rs possible, loft out; Bonapartists were
rigorousy ignoredi politicians Of extrome viows
Nere rojectod md mon Of waaith, social stand
ing, and personal respectability woro sought
for. Tho Instructive feeling OF tho country was,
that easior terms could bo obtained from Bis
marck mud the German Court by Conservative
BODY of representatives, who wero opposed both
to tho " Empire" and to tho Democracy, tlan
bya body which realy reflected the yiews and
opinions of the Freucl, people on political quea-
tions. The Freuch head was in tho tigers
mouth, md the most important question WAS
how to get it out. The constituencies, therefore,,
elected body Of mon to negotiate for them, Of
were actually Dourbona, aud in favor neithor of
sConsorvativo Republic nor Of the Empire, but
pf the
RESTORATION OF THE OLD BOURBON DyNAsry,
as represented ut present III the person OF Count
de Chambord, and after his death, by the Count
De Paris, Of the orloauist branch Of tho Bour-
boua.
This body Of Deputies, elected for IN emor-
the real sentiments of France, but to DO accept
able to tho German autocrncy, assembled ut first
in Bordeaux afterwards returning to VorHailles)
early in tho spring OF 1871, and
MEET Hrr1f oruH II tArHxyr STY%4txJs
or rather Chairman, Of the nation, with un-
defined powers. Iie retained his seat IN the
body, and ncted NJ q sort OF Primo Minister.
He a,.d Jnlea Fayro entered into negotiations
with Bismarck Tor torms Of evacuation, obtained
tho best from him that ho would concolo, ro-
turned to the Adse,nbly, aud lad them ratified
by that body. a national subscription was
opened to raise the money to pay tho "indcmn-
IT," which was three or four times moro than
enough to reimburse the Germans for all their
The appeal to tic nation waa successful, the
money WaS subscribed, Aud the first 1stullr,eut
promptly paid; whereupon Dismarc]s and tic
bulk Of Ais army marched homo in triumph. uo
bud hardly CROSSED the border before al intrigue
was set Oh foot to
RESTORE THE nounDoNs
to the throne OF Franco. Thisra pronounced in
oelnlt OF . Conservative Republic Oh tho only
form Of government the Franch people would
willingly endure; whercupon tho RoyalIats In
tho Chamber began to 1nako war OIL him, and
throw obstructiona in his way at every stop. Ho
!hreatoned several times to resign; after which
.iiey would lot up little tu their 4oa-
Mity.a snnia.a tas as 10 could not yat aba be
aanin1iatsatiyo abilities being considered iids--
geheapo. hut, na aoon az ho hnd fairly restored
sha finances, md brought Tie revenues up to an
ed"tp!ln 1' II! = with tho expenditures aud had paid
ment. . tho hoyslstH voted him out Of Ills prosl-
VOTED IN MA1sHAL IMAGINATION,