, 1876-02-06
FH4NCE HAA SPOKEN.

FRANCE HAa SPOKEN.
For the first tune in her nineteen centuries
OF historical existence, Francs has elected, in
time Of profound peace, a real Parliament.
Through times If Earbarism, when one after
another robber-chief clutched at the kingly
power, during dynasties Of Merovingian Carlo
vingian, Cnpet and Bourbon families, and
for the last century, in which the story of
the earlier centuries has been told again, as
one man after another has grasped at the
crown and then had it wrenched from him.
through all these nineteen centuries, there
have been born of bloodshed and war. The
third and present one begins its existence
under happier auspices and with more
promise. Until tho French Revolution, the
rulers Of Frame wero King, mobiles, and
clergy. The relative power of the three
changed from timo to time. Now one was
overpowered by coalition Of the two others,
and then the victors quarreled over the spoils
and a new combination was formed But all
power rested with these three, and the peo-
pie had no rights. AS a compensation, they
had all the duties. When the Revolution
broke their chains, they elected Parliament
that soon showed that the tyranny of
majorities may be deeper and deadlier
than that of minorities. Under the
first NAPOLEON, the restored BoURBoNs,
the one ORLEANS King whose cowart1ice cost
himself and his family crown, and the So
called third NAPOLEON, the Parliament of
France was whnt the old Estates General were
in the raro intervals sometimes century
apart-when they we're permitted to meet. 1t
wasa nero registration-ofhce of the DEGREES Of
the monarch. Finally, when Germany put
her foot On tho throat of France and bade her
victim. choose body that could ratify the
terms Of peace, q conquered country chose
the Assembly, real Parliament number two.
Its first function was that of simply
registering q decree, and decree Of
foreign Emperor at that. But when
this was done, it became deiberative body.
It had vast task of reconstruction before it,
and it did its duty we'll. It gave the lie d.
the French cannot debate, for it forged by
debate system Of government which prom
ises to be 1ong-lived It may be that some
King will replace the j" President Of today,
who is King in all but the name, but it is not
likely that the people will ever again suffer
themselves to be robbed Of the right of
real representation. And this is an all
important gain. IF, as seems prob
able, it is permanent gain, it is
worth Ill the suffering and loss Of the late
war. A1sace-Loraine and the indemnity are
a low price for constitutional government.
Germany will be shown to have done France
one of the greatest imaginable services by
conquering, dismembering, and plundering
her. A century hence, Ffenchmen them
selves will not dispute this paradox.
The formation of the new Senate, which
foreshadows that Of the Lower House, shows
that monarchical repubi: or q republican
monarchy-the main difference is in the
name-will be quite firmly established.
While the reports o: the Senators
elected last Sunday By the delegates
chosen by tho departments two weeks
previously arc conflicting, it is eyi-
dent that the Conservative Republicans
have q working majority. They have from
16o to 175 of the 800 Senators, and the mi
nority is composed Of Radicals, Bonaparhsts,
Orleanists, and Legitimists, four factions
which can never by any possibility unite In
the Lower House, the Bonapartists will be
stronger than they are in the Senate, where
they make respectable showing of from 40
to so votes, but the Conservative Repub-
hcans will without doubt have q clear
majority. And So. whether the septennate is
succeeded by a Presidency or Monarchy,
the Government Of France will be
closely assirilated to that Of En-
gland. The departure from this mod
el will be in two directions, which
are contradictory, and may therefore balance
each other. The Parliament will be elected
by suffrage more universal than that granted
north Of the Channel, whi1ethe central power,
once chosen, viii be stronger In En- ngland,
Parliament Is omnipotent In France, the
Ministry supported by Parliament will be
asa1l1 ozuhipotaat Bua Ii ths nature