, 1876-01-22

Iu0 most eminent OF living F6uCumeQ, anu IL
has proved, for the first time since the u%ntortu-
nate collapse ofthe dynasty of LoUIs PHILIPPE,
that France is sufficiently enlightened 10 allow
itself to be governed by a Parliament. Public
order has since the overthrow of the Commune
been steadily maintained financial and com
mercial prosperity has been restored; and sue
cessive Ministers have strictly adhered to q
prudent an1 pacific policy in foreign az
fairs. 1t is the misfortune or fault rather of
the nation than of The Assembly that all the
great Parties are irreooneilably antagonistio to
one another. Three factions-the ultra-Legti-
mistS, the ltra-Republicans, and the BOnapar~
tists-are not even loyalty disposed to give
the new Constitution a chance of success.
Some Of them desire anarchy for its own sake
and some in the hope that it may prepare the
way for an Emperor or a King. Unfortunately,
the Ministers and their principal supporters
share the prevailing distrust. The DUC DB
BRoGLIg obstinately and unwiSely refused, in
preparing the Ministerial list of candidates fer
the Senate, to give the Left a share proportion.
ale to their numbers and influence in the AS
sembly. If he had been justified in his reliance
on the support of the whole body of COnserva.
tives, be would still have weakened the future
Senate By o~onining the selection of nominated
members to a single Party. In the result hs
encountered an unexpected and ruln0us defeat
after he had furnished his adversaries with a
precedent for the policy of monopoly and
exclusion, which they have eagerly adopted.
The minister's calculations were defeated
by the alliance Of q section Of extreme Legi-
timists with their inveterats opponents.
They preferred. as they said, an open
enemy to a false friend, or, in other words,
those who differ from them on every
point to those who are separated from them
by a shade of opinion. On condition OF
obtaining for themselves seventeen seats,
which were readily conceded, the Legitimist
deserters undertook to vote for the Repub-
lican list. la the confusion which ensued
there appeared at first to be some danger that
no election could be held. At the first bal
lot only the Due D'AuDIFFRET-PAsQUIE and
Nj. MARrEL obtained absolute majorities; but
the Left. when it had time to review its forces,
found that the nomination of the entire body
of Senatorial nominees was in its power. by
a process of retaliation which, however natu'
raj, must have been regretted by thoughtful
aud more moderate politicians, nearly all the
seats, after payment to the Legitimists OF
the stipulated price of their adhesion, were ap.
propriated to the Left. Among the Minis.
tiers only General DE CIssEY and NJ. WALTON
we're chosen and unless the constituencies
repair the error of the Assembly, nearly all
the most conspicuous politicians 10 France
Will be executed from the DFauCu U Lue 0eSIS~
lature which must derive its principal weight
from the character and ability of its members.
The Extreme Right and the Extreme Left
openly oppose the institution of a Senate,
and VI. GAMBETrA, with those who belong to
his shade of the Republican faith, would also
prefer the concentration of power IN q single
Assembly but the experiment., which was q
main condition in the compromise by which
the Republic was accepted, ought to have been
fairly tried. 1t is a periIous and weak policy
to frame Constitutions as a great criminal
lately arranged his box of dynamite, on the
calculation that they will explode after a cer-
tain interval. The recriminations of Parties,
which may, perhaps, be on all sides we'll
deserved, are of infinitely less Importance than
the welfare of the country. The failure of q
Conservative Republic has within two or
three weeks become more probable than be-
fore, and the hopes of the p~artisans OF the
Empire have probably risen in proportion.
The a-Republican faction, or sect, also
hopes to profit by the internal feuds Of Con-
se~ryative politicians but it is certain that,
among many competitors for power, France
will not prefer the eulogists and successors OF
RoBgsplERRE. Much light will he thrown
on the present feeling of the people BY the
impending elections for the Chamber. At
the moment, the Republican leaders were great
ly disconnected By the rejection of the Scrnt'S
de Liste, but the late victory of the Left IN the
nomination of Senators will revive The ballet
in their good fortune, and they have probably