Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1875-03-12
TGEE FRiN, afpu.,

10 24l. 1t IS difficult to resist a fooI
ing OF nst0nlshmeht aud iLcrednIt,.
upon the receipt of this apnonnoo
'nent. Something more than passino
wonder OVefc comes us when We 90
Tod that the Versailles Assemhi,,
WHICH uutll the other day could malaa
up Is mind b nothing, AID was in.
capable III energy except III resistino
auy etep that should facilitate the &c
t1piiehnI-nt of the RepahEc. has ~
day consented to that Republic. and
0Iy a vote OF nearly two to one apnro,
ID the Second Chamber which ~ 70
complete It's organic .tiOn. The trans
formation Is almost too sudden. ".
are teady TO Glveall possible credit tn
the eminent N mbers Of the Hiob,
centre Tor ben appreciation Of Tho
loglc Of facts we applaud more than
ever that endowment OF CONNIE.
sense which tue 'tou turieu.c' ha.
siIONu himself to possess frsr amono,
Frel eli politicians, but stiii our hopes
are lot uumixed with anxiety. M
Gtmhetta IL right in caut.oning his
friends rot 10 be k1ecipitate III trnst-
iug 20 appearances. Let Us not crv
before we are Ont OF the wood" Tia
me practical wisdom is enforced hv
NJ. Theirs and NJ. Grevy. Notbins
Gan be better tIau the present appear.
anca OF things; but how often have Wa
and those Who have gone before ns
| been excited by hopes Which alter.
ward proved lllusoryl
Iue fear of the npire has consoI-
| dated the h public. Speaking as
| Eng :shnen, We SEE nuthtug in this
confession to be ashamed OF. The
! Hanoyerjan dynasty was not popular
| fer long years after 1t was STATED on
! he throne. The nation Gisi not I'M
derstoGd the incidental advantages of
! having King who reigntd but did
not govern, AID who was so Gar re-
| moved from their sympathies that he
did not even understand the language
OF his subjects. But the terror Of
! Jaccbltism was the safety Of tie House
OF Brunswick. We arr. to this dsv
governed by constitutional Jaw vhich
mad ITS origin IL the veil-grouuded
/ billet Of Parliament that popular ig-
Darance must be defended against the
error of trusting. one. NOR to the
political Judgment of q family that had
twice been proved and twice found
wanting. We cannot, therefore, de
$! air OF n new system because it has
! been evOwediy promoted by the fear
, of an 1mpcrIas!st restur; :tion. 1t NAV
work de-pIte this dubious origin, aud
we are not quite sure whether 1t has
not better promi:e of continuance on
account of If. The Government of
France Is henceforlh confided to
President, a Senate, and a L~gisiati
Chamber. The President has been
nominated for term Of seven years,
bnt be has no power to arrest or mega
tive any legislation OF the two Cham
bers. He may Intimate his doubts or
his dissatisfaction during the progress
OF legislation; but If Senate and As
srmbiy agree. he has 10 alternative
but to resign or acquiesce. So far
there Is no harm III the arrange
ment. The President, whoever he
may be, has the power of appealing
II what he thinks may be the
better seuse of the Legislature, and
. the Legislature may disregard the ap
peal. The strength of the proposed
Constitution lies IL the machinery de-
signed for the election of Deputies
ant Senators. IF the field were to-
du{0 TGsG, and We were called upou to
. Construct two Cham bers after the man-
ner of the Able Sleeves, We might de-
wise s0ncthing better than what has
been adOpted-and we might devise
something worse. The wise course is
/ not 10 dwell upon such criticisms but
10 take what Is, aud TO try to improve
It by degrees as experience persuades
the sense OF the people 1t can be I'M
proved. The Deputies are elected by
luat BROAD suffrage which cannot now
be contracted ; but it IS a matter of
+ satisfaction that the attempt which
WIS made TO cut up-after the fashion
! of the second Empire-Ihe depart
NUTS into cIrcOnscripSIons, each re-
turning one member, has cen defeat
eU AID all the representatives 81 de-
part mert are TO be elected together by
tn. scr,ltiu dc HstC 1t would have
. been sill better if, by the introduce
I on OF the cumulative vote or some
i ! lar method, the mem DerS for each
De; art lei had represented the divl-
sluIl~ If opIulOn Within it, that the
Chamber should reflect the political
aspirations OF France; but in rejecting
the policy OT subdiVIdlng departments
some guarantee has been preserved
for the representation of diversities of
opinion. In the same way, 1t would
be very difficult to express price sat
IStactIOn with the constitution Of the
Senate; hut there Is nothing that can
not be tolerate q in It, and ITS imper-
fectIons appear to be Of a nature to
crunterGct the faults in the couatruc-
ton of the Chamber Of Deputies. Out
OF 800 Senators 225 are 10 be chosen
by the departments, ard one-thIrd are
to be re- e,ected every three years.
These Senators are to be eje cted 10y the
COnScits GenerGur, which are al present
Conservative bodies. Bnd though their
character may be q little changed
wheT the importance of the nav duty
WITH which they are charged comes to
be nnde stood, it is probable they will
st-,i present the less mobile elements
, OF re French nation. 1t is obvious
that THIS machinery has been borrow
ed from the United States, though
witt. slight appreciation of the origin
and character of the example. The
Western Republic is, as It's name i'm
ports, an agalOmeratlun Of semi indie
pendent cOnmOnwcaths md its Sen
ate wieIds an authority which Is due
to the popular feeling that it rapre-
st-rts this union OF equal f. d rated
.
are administrative divisions without
distinction Of history or Of popular
,3timent, ard their representation III
a Senate IS an artitic al device hav ng
no sanction III pr 'xist'ug popuitr
ideas. With these 245 Departmental
rrer2Gers are to be Joined seventy
Il = elected by the Chamber o: Depu-
ties, also by scyatfjn dc Nsfc. 1t was
at first propose d that the President
should select these supplementary
members, and We 90 rot believe there
would be any material difference IN
their composition whether til" Presl-
d lat Of the Chamber were Invested
with the power OF nominating them;
but having aD eye TO tie future. 1t IS
Impossible not to see what an addition
w0uid b. made to the uutEorlt> OF the
Senate if these additional members
We're the cream of the Assembly,
chosen from all parties by the opera
ton of the cumulative vote. The aim
Of those who are most jealous IN es-
tablieking a Senate being to make 1t