The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-07-12
McMAHON's POSITION.

! The extraordinary and illogical meSsaS
sent by Mcmahon to the French Assembly is
in our opinion, conclusive demonstration o
his utter untitness for the position to whicl
he was raised year ago by the very mel
whose powers he now attempts to make sub
ordinate to his own When the present As
sembly first met at Bordeaux, in February
1871, and elected Mr.. Theirs Provisiona
President Of the French Republic, that ex
mission of the Assembly was to make peace
with Germany, and that all other questions
should be postponed to that paramount OBJ
ject.
That body was not convened in accordance
with any law or charter, save the great law o.
necessity. The extent Of the powers conferred
upon it was underlined, and nearly one-half OF
its members persistently deny that it has any
anything else but merely provisional govern
ment.
The resignation of THEIRS and the appoint
ment of Marshal MacNlahon to succeed him.
left matters precisely as they stood before the
withdrawal of the veteran parliamentary
leader and patriot lifted the ill-starred hero OF
Woerth to post for which he evidently does
not possess the necessary qualifications.
Where the wisest and most enlarged states
manship was required, a narrow-minded and
essentially ''muddled" military leader was
transmogrified into seven years dictator by
men whose own term of Office had already
virtually expired, and who were fully aware
that they totally misrepresented the wishes Of
nine -tenths Of the French nation. MacNIahon
does not seem to realize that he is simply
'.5top-gap" that his ''septennate was an
awkward contrivance Of the discordant anti
Republican factions to gain time, and that he
only received the votes of the Legitimists and
because the leaders Of both par
ties hoped his influence would be used in
ia vor of their respective Pretenders
They are now informed that MacMahon viii
simply endeavor to keep himself in power un-
der the preposterous plea that the Assembly
which made him a dictator cannot undo its
, VII work and it is daily becoming more plain
that they cannot escape from the dilemma in
which their blunders and utter want Of cohe-
il on as well as of moral influence have placed
hem, uni IS they commit political suicide
md make way at once for a truly representa-
i've body elected by universal suffrage
That the power of public opinion will
shortly compel a dissolution Of the present |
Assembly We scarcely entertain a doubt, and
t is still more likely that general election
will prove disastrous to the adherents of
Henry ", Napoleon w., and the Orleans
amily. When MacMahon shall be confronted
" Republican Assembly, will be persist in
sserting his indefeasible right to Executive
'owers until lsso-in which case an armed
onfict would inevitably arise-or will he
make a virtue Of necessity, and resign into the
lands of the newly-elected popular represen-
atives.
The future welfare nay, perhaps the very
xistence Of France, is involved in the solu-
on OF this momentous question. We believe
1 MacMahon's honesty and patriotism, but
len with limited brains and despotic military
are not the safest guides III great
ational crisis, and we have all heard Of a GER
lin uncomfortable place which is reported to
e literally paved with good intentions.