New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-06-24
FRENCH AFFAIRS.
,FOPTs MADE TO PRESERVE PEACE.

CEED HIM-PROMPT INTERfERENCE IN i'hAi'i
: AFFAIRs-LEON SAY AND GAMBErrA ACTING IN
ACCORD-M. wADDISGTON SUSTAINED BY THE
RADICALS
tFRoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
PAgIs June 2.-Of course at this moment nothing
is thought of, the coup de fhdre at CONSTANT
nOple and the providentia way in which 1t Is
believed that the peace of Europe has been pre-
served. In the night of last Monday cphered
kilograms received here at several ministries,
among Others at the Ministry of Finance, in time
for the Minister (who started the next day for En-
gand to frame neat little English speech for the
Economist Adam Smith banquet in London. Leon
Say is as you know, half Englslman, so that be-
tween him and NJ. Waddngton the Anglo-Saxon
element is in fair proportion in the French
Government, the importance of these two depart
ments being such as to more than make up for The
numerical minority. Now the excellent speech
made in English tho other day by the Marquis
d'Harcourt has fired the ambition of the Finance
Minister, and instead of making long or elaborate
haranguc in his own tongue, his intention was at
once to hold shorter discourse in English. phrase
upon the insurance of peace on the Continent of Eu
rope was the first set down by the Minister, and
really lay at his very heart. No wonder either. 1t
was i'll truth something for Finance Minister of
France-with the BOurse panics we have had here
for tine last two months but above all for the last
week-to he able authoritatively to express his
belief in the possible Inauguration OF a state OF
peace.
The intense desire to ward of any complication
that might in the end lead TO war; has alone saved
the Due Decazcs. His retirement from Office was
three weeks ago a matter of days, and tho appoint
ment of the Marquis de Noaillcs. Minister from
France to Rome, was the next move for which those
bp',i fbn ~
Conference and the refusal of the Cabinet of St.
James to adhere 10 plan that seemed to threaten
the "integrity of the Ottoman Empire" changed
the entire aspect of affairs, and az was the case III
the Spring of last year. the one object that filled
every mans mind was the possibility OF ayoiding
warkc complications i'll tho East.
When NJ. Say had not yet made mp has mind tn
shield the Credit Fonccr' from attack and save
NJ de S0nbeyZau, the retirement OF the Minister Tor
Foreign Affairs was all but n certainty. But from
the hour when NJ. Say interfeIed to defend the Go
tabshment alluded t0 land its sub-tlirector, who II
its real ccll from that hour il known that eX-
terna prcOccupations were greater than even imam
cial ones: and when. three days ago, the Due De-
cazcs (who is not orator. replied to the financial
questions of VI. Naquct by a political speech, in
which he affirmed foreign policy at peace VI, De-
cazcs achieved success and reseated himself in his
this his only polite act since the sultans dchrone-
ment. Since Monday night, after the Minister'S an
swcr to NJ. Naquet he has once more given proofs
of political capacity that in these days of ours is
the rarcst thing imaginable. Without delay
ing to consult colleagues, the Due Dccazes
telcgraphcd 10 the French EmbasSalor at Constan-
tncpc saying that the whole aspect of affairs being
changed by the dyuastic revolution in Turkey, NJ.
d. BouIgOing to act Immediately III that sense,
and try without loss of time to bring about the re-
coaition ION all Sides Of the modified bases of ncgo-
tiation II became naturally clear to every political
mind that the new Sultan Murad was not bonnd by
the SAME obligations the late Caph, Abdul AZlZ,
and that what the traditions OF his incapable
and bhndly obscquiOus servants, would scarcely be
those Of intelligent modcrn-nindcd men like Midhat
and Rcshid Pasha Bnt among the different foreign
ministers OF Europe in our day. there are few who
would act in a similar case, aud seize the initiative
at once and without hesitation The ordinary
course with ordinary men is To their various
colleagues of the diplomatic corps in the course
of one or two days. and taik with them
of what has Happened, employing precious time III
soundings and suggestions, TO end at last IN the
mathematical result of "A long-wndrd. ambiguous
dispatch which leaves the ambassador who receives
it at liberty to commit any number OF mistakes he
likes Bat ~. Dccazes did nothing Of all this When
bc got The Con-iantinoplc Telegram he answered 1t
bv q telegram 10 Constantinople without delay He
brtlought himself without Exchanging ideas
with anybody else, tina. ". de BOurg0ing was on the
spot, that he had close by two of the most capable
men in European diplomacy, Count Iichy Austrian
MtcrNunciol and Gen. lguaticif CHE RnsSidn. that
me was ON excellent terms with Midhat and Reshd,
and the statesmen who were coming to the helm,
and that the only wise thing to do was to give him,
IL. D. I..x IN net. md MI
his attention to the fact OF the situation being en-
tircly altered.
This was what The Due Dccazcs did. and for the
doing whereof his forcgonc faults and omissions
ought to be, aud have been, overlooked. To take
the initiative 10 act in emergency u so rare among
the politicians Of this time that | much doubt
whether in the last fifty years ono can count six Min
listers who have done So Lord Stratford, Prince
bismarck, Sir James Hudson. and Gen. Sicklcs TN
GS and ~ in SPAIN, probably the sole instances
that could be cited OF prornpitudc III doing " In"
right thing" The Duo Decazcs may now be added
TO the number. and while saving his own position
in power he has probably rendered to his own coun-
fry and 10 Europe one OF the greatest services that
can be recorded.
In GENERAL. the Golden and Bright school are
justified in asking what in this age OF tclcgraphy
can he the use Of diplomacy; but there may still b"
occasions in which such prompt initiative rs thai
lust taken by the Due Dccazcs may be mainly IN
strimcutal in wardiug Oh the cOnuagration.
One Of the happcst features of the present mo-
ment here il the curious juXtapostion into which
men of the most opposite opinions are brought by
the mere play OF parliamentary institutions. No
sooner was the bulge; speech Of NJ. Say distributed
than the plan was concocicd of clccting Galnbetta
President of the Budget Commission, and as you
may have remarked. nothing can WORK 'oge'her
more harIuouiou.ly than do these two representa-
tiyes OF Lcit Center and Extreme Left.
I'm fine same manner 81. WaddngtOns Reformed