The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-20

Opp00oO 70 y ropuUuC ID rEbuCos O0Oo0ev . WINK
that men Nike the Duo de- Noaiiles and his son ere
brilliant exceptions TO the rest Of the Republican
party. think, also. that In France there are few
men who, are republicans nom sincere. earnest
conviction. nom belief that the people are ca
pabs Of selC..6vernment. see no evidence to dis
pei this conviction. Recently. 4 had occasion TO
see the projects Of three Of our principal depart
ments. They tell me that In their departments the
republicans are In an insigniHcant minority. There
Ia no general, genuine. national movement In favor
OF . republic"
sBut, II you will permit me-" said your CORE.
spondent, "ths being the case. how do you account
for the fact that ct all the recent elections In
France, not only republicans but radical repub-
licans, have. with scarcely au exception. been re.
turned as Deputiest" r., r
That" said N. Guiz0t, els q natural question
But II you observe critically the electoral returns
In these cases you will 6nd that there In an alb
surdy small proportion Of electors to the popula-
ton. Furthermore, we know that che leaders OF
the republican party are eager, disciplined, with
their forces organized. and that all tho voters in
that party were sure to vote. This shows the
strength Of the party. Yet. In no case, with all
this political activity and organization. and every
thing to win on the republican side, did the number
OF votes cast for any republican Deputy
exceed more than One-third Of the number
OF voters recorded on the government
register. Is 1t not fair TO conclude, therefore,
tnat there are at least two conservative Frenchmen
to one republican-two monarchists, If you will.
to one opposed to monarchy The leaders Of the
republican party are not, very many OF them, en-
lightened. Many OF them are merchants simply.
Few of them have any culture. or course there are
clever and enlightened men among them. There
Is one, for instance, good friend OF mine, whom
esteem highly-M. vacherot. He Is one Of my col
leagues at the Academy Of Inscriptions, Deputy
In tho Assembly and an ardent conscientious re-
publican. Yet, when In conversation the other
day he lamented tho want OF constitutional
monarchy. We had had suoh o monarchy. he
said-at one time for Gfteen years, and later for
eighteen years-and France was never freer or
moro prosperous than under those reigns. The
Republic he continued, had the Ill fortune to
come at the most difficult moment-when all
things c0nspired to make 1t fall He concluded by
deploring the apparent impossibility OF founding
at this time constitutional monarchy"
THE IMMEDIATE DISSOLUTION OF THE ASSEMBLY A
CALAMITY TO FRANCE.
After presenting his views On the theory Of
government best suited to France, the converse.
ton passed to the present political situation Your
correspondent ventured question as to the power
and duration OF the National Assembly. NJ Gui.
Assembly were to be dissolved before the last Ger
man soldier left France. This will show in mo-
ment The paramount idea in the mind of the
Assembly-and, as l know, in the mind Of M.
Thers-is the consolidation Of q successful dOmi.
nant conservative party. There would be no din
Guilty in accomplishing this result were 1t not for
the impOssbility Of restraining the extreme men
Of the mOnarchical parties. Many Of these men are
not only extreme but fanatical in their Views, and
cannot be controlled. On the Right there are men
who are always indiscreet and precipitate, and do
harm more frequently than good to any cause they
serve. Only control these excessive and unruly
gentlemen, whose political ideas are swayed by
their passions, and there would be NO trouble in
founding conservative party which would be sup
ported by the public opinion OF France. We're such
party to take shape we should no doubt see the
more able Of the Bonapartlst party-such men as
M. Magne- who never gave the Emperor anatical
support-joining Its ranks"
M. THEIRS
This led your correspondent to ask what M.
Theirs would do in such party. m Thiers,"
replied NJ. Guizot, ''wil am firmly convinced,
become more and more conservative. have no
idea that he will break with the republicans in
the Assembly, do not think he will even separate
himself from the extreme radical wing. But his
mind Is conservative, and experience has strength
ened 1t In that direction. AS he feels the con-
servattve PARTY growing more and more in the
Assembly and the country he will attach himself
more and more closely to 1t and strive to direct
its steps to power"
THE ORLEANS PARTY.
Your correspondents inquired whether the con-
duct Of N. Theirs would in any way control that Of
the Orleans party. II am one OF that party" was
the response, land shall simply say, the Orlean.
lists wait the order Of the country. We serve
France-France alone. No one in the party,
prince or folower-not even the Count de
Paris nor the Due DAumale-woud ever
for moment dream Of forcing himself upon the
country. Be sure that-when the country calls the
Orleans princes win accept any duty. They will
never outrage France and violate the law by o
coup d'etat. Nor have they o selfish devotion to
their house, l am very sure that no Frenchmen
more sincerely regret than they do the extra0rd-
nary attitude assumed by the Comte de ChambOrd
In reference to the white nag. In his devotion to
this emblem they see, and not without deep pain,
that he has made 1t impossible for him to reign
over France. Nor Is this surprising, for through
out France the old flag Is looked upon as symbol
izing return to the reOfDae antecedent to 1880
Such return no one would even discuss, much
less accept. Should the Comte de ChambOrd die,
now that Imperialism has died with Napoleon Ill.,,
the contest for power in France would rest simply
between the Orleanists and republicans. That
would be the only political ISSUE"
NAPOLEON III.
Referring to the remark Of N. GuiZot that impe-
ralism was dead, your correspondent asked him
If he knew the Emperor Napoleon III. ~ only saw
him four times in nay life to speak with him. was
the response. This was after his ascension to the
imperial throne. called to see him about the IN
terests OF the French Academy Of which am n
member and Of the AFFAIRS OF the Protestant Church
in France. remember on one occasion we had
long conversation. This mention because 1t was
unusual for the Emperor to converse freely. He
was very polite and courteous and showed me
every attention. He knew had been his enemy
and the enemy OF his house. He knew that It was
quite impossible that should become his friend.
Yet he spoke to me with the utmost freedom Of his
position, its difficulties and dangersn