The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-04

admiration or respect Of the country, while the
majority of those who would support either
will make their terms with the imperial party
rather than take the very small chance for
future greatness that would be theirs under
the republic.
As to the possible result of the final
struggle" between republicans and Bonapart-
lists, to which Gambetta points. either side
evidently regards it with complacent conf
dence. With the dreadful history of the war
behind the Bonapartists and the history of
the Commune behind the republicans, one
would suppose that both parties might justly
excite the suspicious dread of the people at
large. 1t is, however, but natural that the re-
public, in view Of its successes elsewhere and
of the general growth in the world of the re-
publican idea, should be the party of popular
aspiration; but We are compelled to believe
that the republicans themselves will ruin their
cause as they always have done hitherto. In
NJ. Rochefort we see, perhaps, as accurate
type as can be found altogether of the French
republican. He is gentleman of good
family, we'll educated, and of exceptionally
vigorous intelligence and exasperating rhet-
ORIG. And what is his political creed? With
what pre-eminent motive would he like to
have the upper hand in France at this
moment? Mainly for the power to punish
his opponents, to apply the 1erce temper that
inspires his rhetoric in bloody penalties in
ficted in the name of the law upon political
opponents. In all times this has been the
main republican purpose in France; and,
under the impulse of this purpose, republican
successes have, in proportion as they were
absolute, led to butcheries. In 1871 there
was at Paris double ''terror," simply because
two republics INDUCED in mutual butchery. NJ
Theirs and the soldiery of the conservative
republic butchered, in a spirit Of demoniac
fury, as Rocheiort has shown, all they could
lay hands on in Paris, though not before the
social red republic in Paris, which covered
itself with the paltering name OF the Com
mune, had set an example in that way which
needed no improvement. In fact, the first sen
timent that seems to be felt by any party that
secures control in France is not to show how
much better it can govern the country than
other parties have done, not to set an example
OF tolerance and generosity, not to correct
the errors it has criticised and deplored, but
to pay OFF, terrible debts OF political and
social revenge This was the significance of
'93, and this was the one instinct of the men
of the Communism instinct upon which
they acted with uncompromising ferocity, and
to which M. Rochetort himself, in the Not
d Ordre, gave direction and advice-not mod
Grating, but stimulating advice.
In the letter we recently printed from NJ
Rochafort it is manifestly evident that we are
not yet near enough to the millennium to have
in this respect any radical change in French
republicans and this involves the further
fact that if the republican party should tenn
porarily succeed to absolute power in France
it will by its own demeanor provoke reac-
ton that will give deplorable victory and
perhaps another twenty years Of power to its
imperial enemy