New-York tribune., 1875-02-22


insistance upon an impossible theOretic demand
But even more important in its significance Is
the fact that tho Left has thus shown the
highest Of all political faculties, that OF teach
ableness. 1t has directly admitted an error
and avoided the repetition of it. Only Few
days ago the Left voted for the election OF
the Senate by universal suffrage. The lmpe-
rialists seized the opportunity thus careiessiy
presented, voted with them, and carrleu
the proposition, which alarmed the Right
broke I'D the coalition of the Centers,
and defeated the Senate bill. This, as we
said at the time, was dangerous expert
ment, and not to be justified either on prin-
ciple or expediency. After several days OF
crisis the Government and the Assembly, suf-
fering great excitement and uncertainty. the
Left has had the singular good sense to re-
consider its action, and to unite once more
with the Right Center on ground which
promises to serve as an important step for
ward in the establishment of republican
constitution.
The proposition in itself seems a moderate
and Just one. 1t is equally distant from the
radical amendment of the Left and from the
original demand of the Conservatives, which
would have placed the whole Government OF
the State virtually in the hands OF MacMahon.
There is manifestly no use of Second Cham
Der if it is to be elected by the same constitu-
ency and in the same manner as the popular
branch of the National Congress. 1t ID In It's
very nature q conservative institution, ana It's
function is to act as check upon the hasty
and impulsive action into which the direct
representatives Of universal suffrage are some
times hurried, and tO'bring to public questions
a different criterion to that which may
be supposed to guide the Lower House.
The error of the amendment OF the
Left lay in the fact that they were simply
proposing two chambers of exactly the same
kind. On the other hand, the Senate which
the Conservatives desired was one not merely
different but hostile to the popular branch.
The influence of the, Government in such
Senate would have been unbOunded, by reason
of the large power of appointment lodged In
the Chief Of the State. 1t would also have
'perpetuated the reactionary and monarchical
prociyities Of the present Assembly, to which
it would have owed not only its creation but
the greater part of its membership. 1t would
have been an irremOvable stumbling block in
the way of the progress OF France toward
orderly democratic government, making the
accidental misfortune of such government
az that of MacMahOn and de BrOglie, never
ending inconvenience and danger to the country.
The measure now proposed is far better
one than could have been framed by the ex-
tremists of either side With one-fourth OF
its members nominated by the present Assem-
a. thraa- -fonr f1,a al fa1 w
local administrative councils Of the Depart
ments, the municipalities, and the districts OF
France, tho proposed Senate will probably
represent as fairly as possible the opinion of
the better classes of tho country for the time
being. 1t will be as far as possible from that
Senate of Napoleon Ill. which was composed
of his most servile adherents, his accomplices
of the Coup d'Etat, his marshals, his chamber
lains his court poets, and those few men oil
eminence who were willing, for thirty thousand
francs year, to sell the luster OF their
names to grace his usurpation. 1t will be OF
course a more conservative body than the
Chamber of Deputies, and this is not to be
regretted. But there is no reason to fear that
it will be especially reactiOnary. After all
the efforts which the Conservatives In the
Assembly and the Government have made to
tinker the election laws to their own ad-
vantage, the results of the local elections have
shown no tendency toward the traditional
monarchy. The Bonapartists have prOfitod
somewhat by the influence and activity of the
veteran politicians and of6ceholders who have
grown up in tho service of tho Empire, but
not so much as they hoped 6, :a: .i;c:: Opponents
dreaded. The Republicans have been strongest
in the Departments and the ACCOMPLISHMENTS,
and have been almost absolute in the cities.
1t is, therefore, reasonable to suppose that
they will have sufficiently large representa-
ton in the Senate which is to come, in great
measure. from the little local legislatures in
these various subdivisions of France.