The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-20
Dc Broglie and Mac Mahon-The Coup
d'Intrtgue.

4
dent of the United States; but the character
of each is to be judged in the light OF those
leading elements, narrow minded, unintel-
| ligent obstinacy and the intention to be
just-elements mainly responsible Tor all
the plumbers in politics and war. For
man in his intentionto be just may be de-
ceved and get on the other side 1.-The then
acts in pursuit of that error with the reso-
lutte obstinacy that would be praiseworthy
in the cause of the right he simply does his
utmost to ruin the cause he desires to serve,
and his very obstinacy prevents his en-
| lightenment. How does his country or the
world benefit then, by his honest inten-
tons? Neither the present time nor pos
| lerlty can fairly declare that for the welfare
of State there is any difference between
such a ruler and the wilful miscreant who
does wrong in merely vindictive spirit.
Andrew johnson was far more used to
political ideas than MacMahon is He
could reason in political methods while it
would not be strange if MacMahon could
only comprehend facts when put in military
forms and relations. But the course that
President MacMahon has just taken is in its
essential features identical with the pro-
ceeding that put the political career OF
Andrew Johnson out OF JOINT johnson
assumed the position that he was as much
the representative of the nation as the
whole Congress was that Congress repre-
sented the people falsely, was not really
in sympathy with the purposes OF
the nation and was disposed to make
laws that the people did not want
made, but that he (Johnson) alone under
stood the nation, was alone honestly dis
posed to carry out the national will, was
alone intelligent and the only man in the
nation to be trusted, and that this being
the case it was his duty as patriot to head
off and defeat the Vaccinations and per-
verted purposes of the depraved and COR
rupt Congress. MacAIahon's position is
precisely the same. He alone knows what
the country wants. He alone is honest and
disposed to act uprightly on the dictates
of his conscience and his patriotism.
Every one else is either deceived or has
some evil motive, some bad and mis-
chievous end to subserve. They are
republicans, and the triumph of "their
ideas can only result in disorder
and in the humiliation of France" AS long
as he holds power che shall use it to pre-
vent such results, which would be the ruin
of the country"-that is, he will use his
power as President to prevent the Legisla-
ture from making use OF its legitimate power
under the constitution, because he believes
that the constitution has in it's operation
turned out badly and in way that
the makers Of it could not possibly have
foreseen. He cannot follow further
.in the wake of the Assembly," be-
cause it moves more and more tow
ard the liberal application in govern
ment of republican theories; and as he has
made up his mind that these must ineyita-
bly, destroy the country he as an honest
man must oppose them. If the soundness
of the opinions were granted the course OF
action based on them would be proper
enough in any case in which n man is free
to act on his own Judgment; but what was
not observed by johnson, and is not by
MacMahon, is that the object of constitutions
and the formation of parliamentary systems
is to guarantee the smooth operation of
government, despite the opinions of some
old gentlemen that calamity must follow
upon this or that course They make the
whole people the Judge of what shall be
done; not any individual prejudiced by edu-
cation and blinded by wilfulness or igno-
rance.
But there is an element in MacMahons
course that does not appear in Johnsons
analogous eccentricity-the Machiavellian
instigator. This is the Duke de Broglie.
His relation to the case might be understood
clearly if we should give the analogy
hypothetical extension. If it were supposed
that johnson had not made his famous OBJ
structive campaign from his own vigorous
wronc-headedness, but had been inspired
by some very capable, ambitious and utterly
INSCRIPTIONS politician DESTROYS to step
into Mr.. Stewards shoes and undo all that
had been done under Lincoln, we should
have q tolerably fair parallel to De
Broglie's relation to the present adventure.
| Such man as General Butler is con-
ceived to be in the popular opinion of that
versatile statesman would be pretty near
the figure Without malice, or ill-will, or
unfairness toward General Butler, we sup
pose it may be said, tor the purposes OF such
a comparison, that he is thought to care un-
commonly little for other peoples opinions
of the propriety Of his acts, and not to be
deferred from an energetic pursuit of his
purposes by consideration of other con-
sequences than are pictured in his minds
eye by his desire to succeed and that he
pursues his objects through good and i'll
report with pertinacty and talent not
often found arrayed on either the best or
| worst side of any cause. Butler in an ALI