The Portland daily press., 1874-08-01
The MacMahOn Monarchy

Whoever takes an interest IN current pubic
events must be struck with the anomalous
attitude or rather attitudes of tine French
government as indicated by Marshal MacMa-
hon and the Assembly. Ostensiby the gov
eminent is republican. Practically, it is an
absolute monarchy, with President MacMa-
hon as dictator. The Assembly is divided
into factions. and has come to be noted for
the bitterness Of its debates and the uncer-
fainty of its action. Yesterday il ess entially
voted for its own dissolution. To-day by a
sumed authority to legislate for millions Of
people. Tomorrow it will reverse its action.
One day it votes to enter upon the considera-
tion of the constitutional plans for the per-
manency of the government, but the next it
casts them aside. As body, it has accom-
plished but one thing which is stamped with
permanency. 1t evoked MacMahon as tenn
porary expedient, but to its disgust he is both
permanent and prominent. The Assembly
may pass away. The so-called President will
stand for seven years, for he is backed by the
army and has all faith in bayonets but ignores
ballots. When elected, Marshal MacMahon
declared that he had no policy, and was but
the servant Of the Assembly. The Bourbons,
in order to provide against possible danger OF
II majority in the Assembly against him, made
the Marshal President for seven years. After
this act, b y degrees he began to cease talking
about being the servant of the Assembly and
to act on the presumption that he was its
Tn he ipf orn ad hot hod hot
he was President for seven years, and furth-
er, that for that period he proposed to be the
head of the French people. After trying it.
MacMahon has discovered that he has relish
If not an ptness for the chief place. Con-
sequently he wants no monarchy, for that
would reduce him to secondary place. He
wants no definitely organized republic, for
that would put constitutional restrictions
upon his powers. He evidently cares little for
law and nothing for the sentiment of the
French people. Now he can muzzle the press,
control the army, aid the Bourbons in over
throwing the republican government in Spain,
and in every respect exercise all the powers
Of an absolute monarch. The adherents Of
the cause of Count de Chambord alone have
liberty TO do as they please. Theycan openly
declare that they will take every means to
place that pretender over the French nation
and only accept the republic and hold Office
under it as means to accomplish it. Such
acts by them are not regarded as treason by
the present dictator; but let that boy of
eighteen, the son Of the late Emperor, COM
monty called the Prince Imperial, set his foot
on French soil, and the chances are that he
will be tried by military court and shot by
file of soldiers. The republicans in this
curious republic fare little better, for they
are watched and frequsntly punished for Ut
terances hostile to the present rule.
While, however, the present government is
maintained in defiance and contempt of the
expressed wishes of the French people, there
is degree of relief to be found in the fact
that for over six years there will be scarcely
any chance for the restoration of either the
Bourbons or Bonapartists. To be sure, the
world will be reminded of the existence of
both, since some writer of Napoleonic French
will provide the Prince Imperial with procla-
nations la the E npire; and so long as he
lives. Count de Chambord will display the
white flag of the Bourbons, and, unmindful
that we live in the last quarter of the nine
teenth century, with painful seriousness, will
tell the world that by-the-grace-of God he is
king of France by birth. On the other hand,
Mcmahon is only dictator for seven years by
a blunder of an Assembly which can scarcely
offer reason why the building in which its
sessions are held should not be declared an
insane asylum.