, 1874-03-23
TIE B1TUATIoN IN FRANCE,


s~@"~.~4.--~--~~.
TIE SITUATION III FRANCE.
Franco, Inst November, camo within MI inch ot
being monarchy, with Horny Y. as HING. It
IL agreed On all hnndB tint It would have King |
today nH ruler wcro 1t not for tho letter Of tho
Count do Chnmborl written on Oct. 20 last In !
which that ohiva'rouH gentleman expressed his |
fcallo upon to choose botyocn tho
lino1n and f'is white flag, to odto tho latter. Tho
Count did not object to reign rs constitutional |
monarch, but the revolutionary ing OF France
he would not accopt,-1 tather than accept it,
ho would decline to roign. Tile equality Of n1l |
men before tho Inv, liberty Of conscience, and |
various othor pills, manufactured by Tho royo1u-
t,ou mud under tho Tri-color, ho would swallow,
but not tho Tri-co'or itsolf; aud 80 tho
Count gavo Kingdom for 1ag and
mado A1ac11ahon'a soven-year torn, OF, aa
1t Is called, tho "soptounat," noccAaity. Tho
'tsorupo OF honor" Of tho noble Couut denoted
great igh-nainaodness, but great narrowncss,
too for what is thero itl ribbon, Il color Or q
flag? Ills higl-minledness, or narrowness,
whichever 1t is, however, postponed tho eottlo-
mont BY Franco Of the moBt important question
TINT can ongago any pcoplo-lho question Of tho
form Of its government. It left Franco In con-
dition Of suspense, tho worst Of all conditions.
for individuals or peoples. 1t loft hor republic.
but u republic only In namo, q republic with ro-
publicansln loft out, for tho oioorg OF tho pres
ent Government are all MonatchiHts. And pro-
clsely tho "soptonuat," aud this fnct
tllnt tho men In important places aro Monarch
ists, 1t Ia that CAUSES 80 much unoasincsa tn
Franco ut the prosout tino. AlacATahon's seyon-
year torn WAS and is oompromiso-a COM
promise between Monarchy, imperialism, aud
nepublicaniem. but tho b1onarchists Anye
hitherto abored unter tho impression that it
meant Monarchy: Repubicana imagined 1t
meant wllat It's na,no indicates, and tbat Mac
King. Nronarchsts and Imporial'sta now actual
ly foar that tho *Septennat meana tho por-
potuation or. tint 1t may omado to mean tho
porpotuation, Of tho Republic; aad yot, tho
Monarchlsts aro Its chlof supporters. Ropubli-
cans fear tint tho " Soptenuat " is republic III
tho interests Of Monarchy. AL forget tint it is
neither Republic, Mounrcly, nor Empire-that it
is compromise between the threo-a 1nongrol
kind Of thing, Of French creation. There B
no disposition on tho Part Of tho Fronch people
to hasass or cmtarrass II. Maoh1ahou'a Gov
eminent. Thoy do rot want to get rid Of it.
They find TINT it works vol enough, so far as it
goes; but they aro in the dark concerning It,
and, therefore, nfraid Of it. This accounts for
the demands thoy are now milking that tho Gov
orumons shall bo frank NTH them, speak out ita
mind and ha1bor no arriere pensce. What thoy
may oxpect,-what they have to fear, and wllat
| to hope from tho Government t,-thess are tue
things the Flench people ure auxlous about.
Republic, Monarchy, Empiro;-presidont, Henry
v, Or Napoleon ". 2-that is tho question. III
response to these Inquiries, the assurance comes
| from those now iu power that tho septen-
nat" is SERIOUS thing, its coutinu.
auce till It expirea by Limitation a
nnttor not to DO doubted. Tile President of the
| Council, tho Minister Of Commerce, MaoaIahon
| himself, all are agreed on this. The latter ns-
sured tho Paris Chamber Ct Commerce., last
month, TINT France had u strong Government
ono TINT understood itaelf thoroughly. Said he
| "0n tho 10Th Of November last, the Natioual
/ Assembly put tho power Of the nation into my
hands for seven years. My frat duty is to watch
over tho execution Of the sovereign law b,
which That power was con1dod to me-. Havo nc
fears. For aoyen years ahall know how tc
| If n1l 4o1
respected by everyone" This ia significant Ian.
guaee, spoken rs it was before d Chamber I
Commerce and by an old Bol(l!er like hlaoA1ah "a.
It shows that the business interests Of Flancc,
no less than political. demand that tie people
know where thoy stand.
Tho probability, At tho present time ia that tho
"Soptennat will 10 continued till it dies q
natural death. W9 are confirmed IN this Wow
by the recent action Of 400 members Of botll
parties who presented programme Of nction to
tho National Assembly for the present, and
which iB to this effect: The "septennnt" is tc
/ DO placed above party machihations; /. fundu-
mental Inv to be established; tho Versailles
Assembly to fix date at which 1t shall 70 oul
Of power universal suffrage to bo adopted
tho Government, thus roorganized, to devote It,
self exclusively to economical questions, and tc
guard itself against tho oncroachment OF party
There is III amount Of ofcompromiso, Justice, ant
oool-hendedness about this programme which
shows that france has n,ado advances in the arI
Of self-govornment in the last decade.
The Slzillon Post. No. n, OF the Grand Army
Of the Republic, at Rorlo, N. Y, recently invited
Raphnel semmes, tho ox-Ooniedorato Admiral
to lecture before them-an invitation which he
was compelled to decline for want of leisure. IL
| lis reply to the invitation. lie says:
| thank you and thon, ani sec uo reason why, o.
| cisizena Of tho same country who have Ind goot
rougl.-and-tunble fcht, We should not mako peact
ul be friends when te tight IL uyer especially II tlt
light haa had tho effect to ucrcaso the respect whicu
tho Ind for the other. L. solera at leaa wo cA1
| meet Oh common ground.
| Ia nj of0