West-Jersey pioneer., 1873-07-04
FRANCE.

|
Once again this exceedingly mercurial
country appears before the nations in anoth-
er character. France has but one consis-
tency, which is steady s,aconsistency-but
one permanency, which is permanency OF
change. There is no class or state of cir
cumstances which can satisfya Frenchman.
He is always dreamer, but his dreams are
always utopian. He is always practical,
but his practicalness consists in the vain ef-
fort to realize his dreams. For this he for
gets honor; for this he ignores gratitude;
for this he pours out his blood like water;
for this he crashes recklessly, the wheels of
government, without care as to whether
any other chariot will take it's place, and for
this he dies with .'LG belle France" upon
his lips, contented to give his life for the at
tempt to realize patriotic dream, which if
it were realized would fill the land with
sorrow and his country's name with shame.
AS our readers are aware, the government
of M. Theirs has come to an untimely end.
He was defeated in a parliamentary meas
ure, having previously announced that if he
were so defeated he would resign. After
such announcement, he could not with hon
or-possibly could not with safety-continue
to hold the reins, and SO he resigned his
position as President of the French Repub-
lie, and Marshal Mcmahon was elected in
his stead. The course pursued by Theirs
was huge blunder; but then it was a blum
1or r,oo,,lsnr To n.
pies of honor which had guided the French
nation in the past, have been principally
imaginary ones. They have been ready to
kill or be killed for an Infringement of their
special code of politeness, while they would
allow the largest social interest to go to de-
struction through their polite revenges.
Whatever may or may not have been the
secret intentions of the French and Prussian
governments, previously to the war, it is
certain that the war was precipitated by an
alleged breach of politeness ON the part of
King William toward the French embassa-
dor. President Theirs never ought to have
allowed himself to place the stability of the
French Republic on the ridiculous basis of
a code Of politeness. 1t was utterly impos-
sible to suppose that the coordinate branch
es of any legislature could always exactly
agree either in details or principles.
1t would be just as proper for a legislature
to resign because it did not agree with
president, as for president to resign be-
cause he did not agree with the legislature.
In this last act of the late president, France
has received blow from which she will not
soon recover. NJ. Theirs was man of ripe
Judgment, or marked ability; of advanced
years and of worldwide reputation. He
had always been moderate in his opinion,
and lenient in his actions. The world knew
him for statesman before the war which
ruined his country. 1t knew him for the
grandest man of his times since the war has
been over. In the short years of his admin
istration, he has extricated his country from
class of almost hopeless embarrasments,
which seemed of necessity to demand long
decades of time to even put in process of
relief The finances have been put upon a
solid footing, and the French people them
selves induced to become the largest credi-
tors to their immense and staggering loan
Bankruptcy in such a case becomes impossi-
BILE, because the debt is owing to themselves.
Order has been adjusted and maintained
throughout a country where the loose and
unadjusted populace were wandering aim
lessly by the millions. This also has been
done by the exquisite policy, by which the
people were made the custodians of their
own population. Industry revived almost
by magic, and the whole people passed at
once from war to the arts of labor, and la
Dor in form which brought the needs of
living to the mouths of the inhabitants. 1t
is a wonderful thing to possess the confii-
dence of the French people, and M. Theirs
had earned and possessed that confidence.
No other man could possibly take his place
in holding the nation steady in it's path.
No other man had the confidence of the civ
ilized world as he possessed it; and no other
man had the ability to govern with which
be was gifted. And all this-all this grand
possibility for France, M. Theirs threw
away upon his peculiar sense of honor
This too upon legislature made up of fac
tions who cared far less for the good of the
people than for their own selfshness. And
because in their adroitness they thwarted
him, he gave up France, and took his place
among the very legislators who had just
shown their contempt by asking him to oust
himself from his position, which request he
bad politely met. 1t is not easy to say what
the near future of that country will be.
One or the other of these factions will of
course be uppermost, but it is not likely
that any of them will be uppermost all the
time. Marshal Mcmahon is soldier of
good ability, but he has neither the talent
or popularity to carry that volatile people
to any high degree of success. President
Theirs had the opportunity to go down to
posterity as one of the few masters of their
generations. He has sacrificed it to silly
and false idea of politeness.
A Massachusetts postmistress has resigned
her Office, as matter of honesty, because
she cannot find time to read all the postal
cards and attend to her other duties besides.
The lady above referred to, has probably
- 4 xl,o 4xra ,o~4; Joa;o:o,o