, 1875-05-26
NJ. GAMBErPA IN BELLEvILLE
From The Spectator.

since hODSSpl6TE6 Q0CIdTeu ina ATHEISM WAS
aristocratic, there has hardly been a speech
uttered in Paris so adroit as that delivered by
NJ. Gambetta on Friday week to the artisans
of B8lleville. To understand its full merit,
however, not only as a speech, but as q mani.
festo, its readers must recall some peculiarities
of NJ. Gambetta's position. He has been for
some months past an object OF suspicion and even
denuneiation to the more extreme Radicals Of
his following, who maintain that he has either
modified his opinions in the direction of Con.
servatism, and intends, as he ascends, to cut
off his tail, that is to break with the Irrecon.
cilables,-or that in the recent negotiations fox
compromise he has made unworthy concessions
out Of personal ambition. He has, they say,
used the influence derived from his past
achievements to induce the Left to accept Q
Republic which is only a Monarchy in disguise.
or at all events, a Republic which MonarchiSts
could use to set up a throne and to secure
this end has surrendered principles of the last
Observation-Disclosures which he himself had
hitherto maintained to be vital. He has voted
for a Senate, the only use Of which must be to
check the realisation of the popular will. He
has admitted into that Senate seventy-fvs
nominees of the existing Assembly, who, it Is
known, will be chosen from members unlikely
to obtain seats, and who can therefore scarcely
be said to be even indirectly representative.
He has allowed the Chambers to choose the
President, which is the function of the people ;
he has Assented to a long Presidential term,
instead of demanding frequent elections and
he has accepted as first President q man who,
whether honest or otherwise, is certainly not
q Republican. Above all, he has agreed to q
rirht of revision, which the Monarchists may
employ at any moment to upset the Republic.
As NJ. Gambetta does not desire to see the
ALLEGIANCE of the masses of Paris transferred to
some more extreme candidate, as he desires to
maintain the unity of his party, and as be
resents the imputation Of inconsistency, it was
necessary for him to convince Belleville, the
representative quarter of the workmen. that he
had abandoned nothing it was possible to re-
tain. That of itself was not difficult, as he
had abandoned nothing of his own ideas except
to secure points still more important to his end,
and was acting moreover under irresistible
pressure from the Army of Paris but he had
to make that evident, and yet not explain in
plain words that he knew a BonapartiSt coup d
It1t TO be imminent, aud also not frighten too
painfully those Conservatives who watch every
sentence he lets fall in the hope that they may
be able to say, "Ah, this Is what the Republic
means when the mask is taken off, and who
are irritated by the bare fact that he addresses
BelleviIle. To say that NJ. Gambetta perform
ed this almost impossible task completely is to
say too little, for he not only performed it, but.
though speaking to an audience of French
Ultras, he performed it in such a way as to
increase his reputation with all thoughtful
men throughout Europe as a moderate consti
t~utional statesman. AS Robespierre succeeded
in showing that Atheism was aristocratic,
using that grotesque though true argument to
secure attentive hearing, so NJ. Gamhetta sue
ceeded, by declaring his establishment at the
democratic character of the new Constitution.
in showing that the Senate, tie Indirect method
of electing the President, and the right of
revision were, if rightly us'd, guarantees for
the reality and the permanen,e of the Republic
There was a Senate, he admitted, and q
Senate which had been intelded as a counter
poise TO democratic ardour, but in framing that
Senate the Monarchists of al sorts had fallen
into their W trap. The twenty-five ndfni-
nees ought not to have beer there-it was q
concession be was obliged t. make, and one
to be regretted-but the majority of the
Senators were to be elected by the backbone
of French Democracy, by tie $4,000 Commu'
nal Councils of France 1.-The Senate 10 Il
be composed of 800 members. of whom 22t
will be chosen by the electoRl body. and thl
other rs by the Assembly. The four elements
of the electoral body are the deputies In eact
dana rtmank-that In to saw. the most authorim