New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-03-10
THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

NOTES on THE POLITICAL SITUATION
pKAc1IoNARY TENDENCY or THE NATIONAL OhAh-
AcrER- SURPRISING PROGRESS IN EDUcAiloN
AND POLITICAL KNowLEDGE-FAILURE OF THE
oRIYANIsTS-PREsENT ADVANTAGES OF TIE kE-
PUBLICAN PARTY.
FRoM An OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TilBoNLI
PANS Feb. 1s.-It would be q difficult thing to
rreaict with any degree of certainty what the really
aom;nant majority will be which is 10 result from
Tuesdays elections but of the general sense OF the
future Assembly, of its meaning in general 1t Is per
haps not too hard to prophesy. 1t viii be, as the
Senate IS Republican, opposed both to Monarchy
and Imperialism; bat this viii not necessarily make
of IL what would III England or in the United states
be termed strictly liberal, OF even progressive As
sembly-au Assembly whose votes can be counted
mon TO transform France into a modern country
This is one OF the many points which distract ior-
eIgners IN the attempt to appreciate France Alright
Facts brutal facts, are almost always at variance
with the real temperament Of the nation. Inc
foreigner for instance, takes the great heVoluloh
of 'S9l03 as a starting point and ON his arrival Ill
France finds vast masseS-crowds apparently COM
posed OF every pouring forth to the shrnes OF
miraculous virgins! lie finds this movement stronger
than il over was before 80, or than 1t ever shows
itself in so-called bcnghted countries like Spain.
He has been taught 10 believe that France was a
land OF equality, and that. therefore, merit could
which prove that so or 60 years ago such
was Actually the case, but when he comes
70 know the world of contemporary france
he discovers that the struggle OF merit 30
win distinction ID a hopeless one. could 50 Oh ioT
hours enumeraiing the various antaGSn'sms between
preconeeived notions and present practices, whlch
beWilder the thinker in this country, be ne freheh
OF foreign but perhaps one word VIII best explain
the existing state of things and best serve 10 show
4. Ahc gauta 81
battle is being fought. France is invariably "reac-
fionary:" that is Frenchmen, not being Of power
fnl race react instead Of act. Ii you wish for the
secret of French violence, look for what has pro
yoked it. This nation docs not initiate reform; 1t
does not advance of itself; 1t bows down
to every despotism-eerical, political, social
ill its brow scrapes the earth, and only
then il rebounds and wildly destroys eVeIyih 10
meets Here is the explanation of Monarchst "nc
Republican-each is Ieactng against the other
For long time neither thought of simply doing
what was 10 be dOne-the wiso the possible Jhihe'
the right thing in the right place in short; but at
last the Republicans have done this; they have, IN
a large in a predominant proportion, and as a
whole agreed to behave politically, 70 bear and Tor
bear to wait, 10 be good-humored, to pat up WITH
what shcy can get, if they can't set all ut once
They are now helping might and main in the point
ical education of France, and for tins reason
the Republic will be victorious, for no olher party
will do what they are doing.
Iegitimists, Orleanists Bonapartists arc si!ll
purely roactonaTy; mainly acting against Others the
Republicans have ceased 10 be So ana Therefore Wlu
have with them ~ the enormous mass o. ordinary
men Gifted with everyday honest common sense
In education aud enlightenment the progress OF
France since the cath OF May, 1873, IS absolutely
incredible The tlIst for education, for knowledge
is spread through all the straits OF society except
where clercalism rules fence the real war OF "hich
we are spectators. say advisediy since the 24tb Oh
May Up to that day and under the firm, honcs'
patrotic guidance of ". THEIRS the Republicans az
party had il all their own way, and naturally
ronmittel bmnder upon bUuder, the browning
one Of which was the seIscless Barodct election,
AGAINST the man whom of all Others they should
be proud 20 sec IN their froat. For their mistakes
the Republicans paid, as party; but ny the force
of events the Republic was founded rs necessity,
and because there at Its service who could
see the mistakes and recognize the duty OF repairing
them. Under the hard silly leadership OF the Dlc
de Broglie the Liberals of France learned TO admit
that With the Republic lay the last chance OF LAD
eralsm, and the large majority Of thinking men
throughout the land declared in their cOEseiencos
against monarchy Of al! denominations.
TIL the hour when n. Theirs fell, the Republicans
had like all other parties in tins country, merely re-
acted They were simply " the men of the 4th OF
September" shutting ont Of public activity those
who were not their allies inst narrowly rs wCaIG
have done the Legltimsts, had the reignof Honri v
been established for Frances min. But after the
9th of Nav they had to deseTys perish. As they
are in the onward spirit of the age, they do repre-
sent the future and not the past 1t given them
10 learu-to deserve. They have lad bitter school
ing time under Brogle and Buffet but they have
learned their lesson well, and If they do not fall on
100 easy lines during the next few years they will
save France. But they must take good care not to
NEGLECT what they have hitherto diSdained under
The nanc of statccraft
Our time is one in which oil mystery is being dis
reed and things are looked in the face which were
tnl now vailed in awful obscaTity. As Mt great
crises typical man always stands ont, 50 in our
age Bismarck is there TO prove how little coljurlng
there is in real craftsmanship. Now apply this truth
to France and You viii at once the cause OF the
failure of the so-caled clever school, namely, the
-OrieaiIists They arc of the past; they are mere
poticias,s and with mere politicians this our broad
dav of rails and teegraphs have but little TO do.
The science Of developing nations, leading them
onward bringing them up" requires higher
simpler qualities than that and it is for this reason
that the Republic has been established by the force
of events.
The Republic will have to accept the aid OF ali
those who have learned the chief modern truths and
who know that statccraft nowadays means practl-
cal best-doine This is the New Law. Old France
IS lighting for the Old Law under which the few
governed. Because they bear the impress Of their
time, this is Why men so different dAudifret-
Pasouier and Gambetta, as Leon Rcnault and
Cbalemel-L acJur can serve and found the Republic.