New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-07-28

the House of Lords has no other effect, it will
at least attract public attention to the matter
both in France and in England, and will force
the MacMahOn Government either to av0w
or to reform the grievances complained Of
1t is one of the peculiarties of govern
ment taking its color from an aristocratic
soldier like Marshal MacMahen to disbelievc
in aud disregard popular opinion, and to take
no account even of national susceptibllltles.
except when they find expression from the
authorized representative OF some sovereign.
There is no other way OF accounting Tor thc
persistent dullness with which the French
Government, ever since the fall of NJ. Theirs,
has gone on, outraging every day the sensi-
tive pride of the SpaBiards, and giving almost
open aid and comfort to reactionary insur-
rection on the frontier. There was no use,
and certainly no advantage, IN making an
enemy of a neighbor which, though weak
and impoverished, Is yet capable of doing
very serious damage in case OF war.
1t was, on the contrary, very much TO
the interest of France to cultivate the
most friendly relations with Spain, in view of
the struggle which sooner or later every
| Frcnchman feels is to take place, to decide
the permanent fate of Alsace and Lorraine.
Ihis would not have been difficult, for In
spite of the Hobenzollern incident and other
merely diplomatic alliances, there Is far more
sympathy among the Latin nations for each
other than for any of the northern countries
of Europe But the MacMahon Cabinet, so
far from taking any measures to this end, has
constantly testified a sort OF malevolent lndlt-
ference toward Spain, which has not only
reused q bitter resentment among Spanish
public men, but has begun OF late to excite
AN evident vindctiyeness among the masses
of the people.
1t is only fair to the MacMahOn Government
to say that they uniformly deny the accusa-
ton Of unfriendliness, ana maintain that they
have strictly executed all the Obligations OF
neutrality upon the Pyrenean frontier. But
the instances of the violation of these obliga-
tons are unfortunately too numerous and too
fragrant to leave room Tor the belief that they
do not proceed from consciousness on the
part Of officials on the border that the central
administration at Paris will be best pleased
by such an exercise of their duties as shall
bear with the least hardship upon Don Carlos
and his followers. The open progress of the
Pretender himself through the French Pyre-
nees, repeated again and again; the recent
journey of Gen. Lizarraga and his suite from
BayOnne 10 Perpignan, and his entry into
Catalonia 10 take charge of the nsurgent
army there the uninterrupted traffic in con-
traband supplies by way of the Bidassoa; and
the constant landing of great quantities of
military stores at BayOnne and at st. Jean de
Luz for the use of the Carlists, are things
which could not happen if the French Gov
eminent displayed half as much energy in
fulfilling its international obligations on the
Spanish border as it does in prosecuting OPP
position newspapers in Paris
The motive OF this laxity is not especially
mysterious. Marshal MacMahon holds his
own power by a tenure so similar to that
which makes Marshal Serrano dictator IN
Spain that he cannot but feel certain re-
sentiment against the latter. A parvenu who
has got into Society may be supposed to
look with something of the same feeling upon
a rival craftsman whom he meets IN draw
ing-room. Though he is himself President of
a Republic, or nothing, he finds it incongru-
Gus to hold official relations either with
Presidents or Republics. He regards the
Serrano government "a merely transitory, and
would prefer to be on good terms with that
which may possibly succeed it. Besides, his
most valued friends in the Assembly are
actively in favor of the mOnarchical cause, as
well in Spain as in France. His own reaction
airy predictions appear to be lnvlnclble.
When he was made to see clearly, not long
ago, that with his support the Casimir-Perer
proposition could be carried, and the Septen-
nate could be firmly organized in Repub-
lean sense, he refused to accept strong and
permanent tenure of power on those terms.
He said plainly that he preferred to govern
with the support of the Right. Even now,
when the Legitimist cause seems hOpelessly
wrecked in France, when even the Marshal
has declared that he would under no crcum-
stances give up to the COmte de Chambord,
nor to any one else, a single day of the seven
years of power voted him by the Assembly,
he is probably more influenced by the wishes
of the Catholic Dukes of the Right than by
those of the whole body of the Left. 1t is not
strange, therefore, that his Cabinet should
have hitherto appeared to favor the preten-
sions of Don Carlos. But it is reasonable to
expect that the Intervention of foreign Pow
ers may now make him see how this partiality
compromises the best interests of France.
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DISASTER BY FLOOD.