The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-05-17
THE MAN ON HORSEBACK.

Some five months ago, the reactionary or
Monarchist and Imperialist members OF the
French Assembly, achieved what they con-
sidered at the time remarkable success
By combining together they compelled that
great French patriot and statesman, Theirs,
to resign the position of provisional Presl-
dent of the equally provisional French Re
public, and then induced Marshal Mac
Mahon, the commander Of the army, to ac-
cept his place. To make assurance dOubly
sure, they passed an organic law making
him a virtual dictator for seven years, and
imposed penalties on all who would venture
to question the extent or duration OF the
power thus granted by an Assembly, whose
term of office has already expired, although
they still refuse to go back to their consti-
tuents, knowing full well that general
election would sweep them all, or very
nearly all, from their present position as
nominal representatives OF the French
people.
Over fifty vacancies have occurred in that
sapient body since they put MacMahon in
power, and elections to fill those vacancies
have taken place in Twenty-Five depart
ments, most of which are now misrepre-
sented by members belonging to the Legit-
mist, Orleanists or Bonapartist faction. The
enormous influence and patronage of the
government was brought to bear to secure
the election of deputies opposed to the per-
manent establishment of Republic, and in
spite Of the exertions Of the reactionary
parties, the illegal suspension of republican
journals, the closing up of anti-monarchist
clubs and the lavish expenditure of money
by the leaders of the ico-mOnarchist and
imperial cliques, the candidates who ran on
the Theirs programme have all-with one
or two exceptions-been elected by over
whelming maiorities. As barrier against
the rising tide Of Democracy, the sapient
members constituting the majority OF the
French Assembly have now gone to work to
neutralise the popular vote by tamperng
with universal suffrage in q variety Of ways,
the chief device they rely upon being a
complicated electoral law whereby fully
one-third of the French nation would be
excluded from the right of voting for their
fnlers on purely technical grounds, and the
creation of q second chamber nominated
by the Executive to act as check on
the popular branch of National Representa-
tives, which chamber is to be invested with
the right Of dissolving the Assembly when
ever it sees fit to do SO.
As the London Times well puts it, there is
nothing more astonishing in France than
the reflection that, after eighty years of
troubled experiment of revolution and
counter revolution, we should see the
French people and the Due de Broglie
(MacMahon's premier) pitted against each
other, and he believing he can overcome
France. As the same well informed journal
pointedly remarks, the Due de Broglie is
engaged upon political version of an old
mechanical puzzle which natural philoso
pliers have long since proved to be impessi-
BILE of solution. He has in his hands a
certain power, and he thinks that, by some
adroit manipulation of machinery, he can
make it greater than it is. The power he
has is that of the present Assembly, and
every fresh election shows that it neither
represents the judgment or the will of
France. The Due de Broglie's little schemes
remind us very much Of Sidney Smiths
celebrated description Of Mrs. Partington's
great contest with the Atlantic Ocean,
and like his famous prototype, we think
he and his chef d'emploi, MacMahon-the
"man on horseback will be surely and
ANONYMOUSLY upset whenever they come in
contact with the surging wave of popular
enthusiasm for self-government in France.