The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-19
The Crisis In France.

The Crisis In france
Particulars Of the news from France ex-
hibit the change brought about MS an unmis-
taxable coup dttat They have had great
many disturbances in France, ranging in
dignity from the most terrible revolutions to
mere political shindies; but they never had
one precisely like this last. In its inevita-
BILE results it is q serious event; in the pos
sibilities it involves for the immediate flu
ture Of France it is an occurrence whose
gravity it would be difficult to overrate; but
mind that dictates its utterances, whether
they are deiances or attempted defences, it
is like an abortive revolution organized by
q peevish and wilful boy. Its most obvi-
ously important result as yet is the creation
Of = Ministry grossly and arrogantly reac-
tionary. But in what train OF ideas was
this appointment, this wanton insult to
public opinion, carried out? 1t was
done, in boyish phraseology, "for spite"
The President said if the Left did some
thing to which he objected he would do
something even more disagreeable to them.
They did their part and he did his. They
passed their resolution of want of con-
fidence because it was q duty. and he ap-
pointed his reactionary Ministry to carry
out foolish threat--a threat that wise
man could not have made and that could
have been carried out only by one more
solicitous for the mean vanity of domi-
neering spirit than for the discharge of
grave and delicate obligation to his country.
In the Message by which the Assembly is
prorogued there is u statement that is in the
vein of defence Of the Marshal's policy but
the politics of that statement are as crude
and boyish as the 'spite' against the As
sembly. It il said that the Dufaure and ST.
mon ministries did not rally sufficient
support ito guarantee good government
that is, support in the Chamber. This was
because they were not sufficiently ''radi-
CAL" and the Marshal could not form q
Ministry more distinctly republican for fear
OF the humiliation Of Franco. Therefore,
since to have sufficient support to gunran-
tee good government" requires Ministry
more republican than any he hos had, the
Marshal appoints Ministry that is not
republican Mt all and that cannot
command the vote Of the majority Oh any
topic whatever. II government is to be
conducted on parliamentary or constitu-
tional principles there is OF course no OPP
ton MS to what must be done to get support
in the Chamber. The Ministry must be
assimilated to the majority. If that is not
done constitutional government is at an
end. MacAIahon's course means. therefore,
government without the majority-gov-
ernme,rt withoutsesthe Assemby-that
is, government which is not republi-
can governsn enta1 that is arbitrary
and absolute, andwhose standards of right
are to be found in Tho opinions and preju-
dices of Marshal MacMahon. In short, it
means again, ''the prcvidential man" Yet,
with all this in view, the Marshal speaks Of
his purpose to oppose the party of the Left
within legal limits, and prates of ''con-
science and patriotism. 1t will be OBJ
served by the news That the MacAIahon
party are not altogether confident of their
position, and apprehend the evil effect that
their action must have on their political
prospects. This apprehension is the only
evidence they give of the possession Of the
faculty Of reason.