New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-08-28
THE FRENCH CRISIS.
MCMAHON AND GAMBETTA.

| THROW OF THE MINISTRY INEYITABLE-GAM-
BETA AS A POLITICAL ORGANIZER.
| lFRoM REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TBiDuNE.l
PARIS, Aug. 12.-It will be seen from Marshal Mac
Mahon's speech at Bourges, that the influence of tho
| War Minister and the firm way in which he exer-
csed it, prevailed at all events in so far that not
single word was contained in II touching the army.
| Now thereby "hangs tale" When it was at first
| thought advisable to have the Marshal make n few
provincial visits after the dissolution of the Cham
her, the information obtained was very unfavora-
/ BILE that il became almost at evident that the
| plan was unwise, and that the President would; be
| cOldy received. The project was therefore given
up until NJ. Paul de Cassagnac suggested that Gen.
| Dncrot being in command at Bourges, il might be
possible to organize n reception there. The proposal
was adopted by VI. dHarcourt Immediately, and he
went twice to Teconnoitre the ground with the IA
mons Bonapartist General and his Archbishop, n
needy man, well-nigh in his dotage, and for
long years dependant Qke all his family upon lmpe-
rial bounty With these persons were also the Mayor
of Bourges and the President of the Tribunal, both
safe and picledme the neighborng Bishop OF
Orleans aiding. Relying also upon the local in
1uence OF the President himself, who has an estate
close by it was judged safe and iudicous to make
public visit TO Bourges and pronounce haranguo
which would electrify tie army and terrorlze
the people. This was the first project; and 1t was
| likewise imagined that the journey could be COM
pleted by a visit to st. Etienne. NJ dc Meaux.
the Minister of Commerce, was however, very soon
| obliged TO inform his colleagues That ST. Elenhe
! was altogether impossible. ST. Etienne is one OF
the populous manufacturing centres of France, close
to which NJ. de Meaux and his family have lived all
their lives, and he found out how dangerous any
! visit there would be- 1t remained then fixed 1or
Bourges; cerco-conservative- military visit, got
| up" with Gen. Ducrot the Archbishop and all the
authorities who were thoroughly docile, and en-
tirey III the hands of the two latter. But the chief
characteristic Of the event was to be military one;
| it was to be essentially drum-and-trumpct mani
festation. Two speeches. learn were sketched out,
one by NJ Decazes, not objected to by NJ. de
! Brogie, and another by NJ. de Fourtou, assisted
| by Messrs. dHarcOurt, Caaux and Brunei.
The leading idea fths latter speech was, that after
all, and in the last resort, should the country"
prove "rebellious"- G., blind, misguIded-the Mar
shall might be quite sure of bringing 1t to reason be-
cause of the army. because of the 100000 men at
his back :" this formed Paul dc Cassagnacs great ar
| gumeDt When these speeches considered at
| the Ministerial Council there a stormy scene.
Gen. Berthaut quietly declared that if the speech
was spoken in which the army was alluded to,
he wonld resign and VI. de FOurtou exclaimed that
! if the attack on Radcalism" were not well accen-
tuated and if the words to the end were not pre-
! served he would not remain in. Tho upshot was
that the speech adopted a mixture OF the two,
| with the army left out and the attack on " Rad
icalism" left in Only what had not been achieved
| in Paris was realized in Bourges and unmodificd.
The Mayor and aboveall the President of the Court
of Appeal, had concocted under the guidance of
Gen Ducrot speeches that were destined to lead up
| to a drum-and-trumpet speech of the MarshaPs,
md i'm which the " Sword Of France was invoked,
! and the army set forth as the supreme hope and
mainstay when law and civil government should
! have been found inefficient. So that when
| il came TO the real ceremony itself, the
| aggressive language Of the authorities, it was
| found in udicrous contrast to tine Ambiguous
speech of the Head of the State, who protested OF
the fidelity of his Government 10 the Constitution,
and of his resolve to have the country tyrannized
over by priests. You may conceive the absurdity of
the whole scene, and the amusement of certain
spectators who knew the secret of the comedy.
! The rccepton of the Marshal was as cold could
well be imagined STILL as it not riOtous, il is
| now under discussion whether town well governed
| and well prepared might not be found where the
Marshal might go publicly so as not TO appear too
mich alarmed at the state of popular opinion. The
real fact is if the Ministry would but see IT, that the
country is far too determined not to be thoroughly
Indifferent TO all official exhibitions of no matter
what kind: the Marshal and his gttering and be-
|
Provincial at this moment. Were NJ. Theirs TO
| arrive at a railway station the news would be IN
the air" and the town would turn out spontaneously
TO greet hm-as the other day on his road TO Auzin
bbout these sort of ovatOns" there is no possible
| doubt: they partake of the nature of explosions,
and come easy off before you know where You are,
| but the progresses Of the unlucky Marshal pass
| COMPLETELY unheeded by, and are not transformed
into the slightest pretext for cOmmotOn of any kind.
| It. must however, be noted that in spite of all
Ministerial and Conservative efforts the pressure OF
public opinion is gradually making itself so power
fully felt that, strive and struggle as 1t may the
Cabinet is beginning to understand the helplesSness
of its position and to admit the dire necessity OF an
appeal to some more Liberal element at no very dis
| tant day. Already many an indirect attempt has
been made NJ. Leon Renault has been sounded"
| and so has NJ. WaddingtOn, and so, quite recently
| has NJ Dufaure. But the difficulty Is very Sc
| nous one, If not Insurmountable What is sought
for at present is merely the addition of Liberal
element to the Ministry But of this fusion no
man of any worth or standing will have for one mo-
ment. II must be all or nothing These men have
! committed crime-betrayed their country for their
own selfish cowardly aims, and no honest man will,
| or can agree TO act with them. They must go
nothing less can be accepted by the public opinion
! not only of France, but may say of Europe and
of our age, for these men have committed an out
rage on political sense and morality.
That the Brogle-FourtOu Cabinet IL condemned
no longer forms the subject of a doubt but 1t
is IFS double name that Tetards the execution Is it
| TO become a Broglie-Siinlstry to remain
| FourtOu Ministry Which is 10 retire before the
oheri and there be solution till it is clearly
| admitted that both must cease to be. and what Is
more must be followed by all the lesser individuals