New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-10-08
THIERS'S MANIFESTO.

-, ,,,y prer-r ,P CORRESPONDENT OF THE THlbONLJ
ToxnoN Sent. 25-A great many things may oo
said about NJ Tbiers's manifesto. butthe lull
which, after reading it with great care anu ~
bounded admiration, retain most deepiy % ~
.ba+ IL il the hest lesson in current french polVoS
which the foreigner has ever had. more Is ~ 10
1arned from il about the actual political condltloh
~ France than from any other single paper accessible
to the nnblic. If Won know nothing of the history
Of the last four years-anda-half, read NJ. lhieiss
address and yOu will rise from 1t with clear ho''on
~ what has happened, and how it happened. IL you
have followed the course Of affairs, no matter now
industriousy you will hardly profit less by TINS u-
cid and vigorous summary, In which the Succession
n evepts is not put in clearer light than the causes
of them. / may say for myself that have an III
tense interest in French politics; that know as
much of them a man may knows who hveS OUT
of France. and whose main duties lie in different
direction; and that have definite opinions about
them But had most imperfect conception Oh Tue
force with which the case against the present. MIL
istry could be put until / had read TINS mastery
abatement, and bad a much less adequate luea
than derived from it, of the state of the french
mind and of the singular meaning still attached IN
france to certain political terms which are famllar
10 all of rs snch as Radicalsm and Conservatism
There are two main objects which NJ. Timers must
have had in mind when be composed this manifesto;
NatANA" ~
but to do this in such a manner as not only to avod
alarming but to reassure the more timid and Ill
instructed classes in whose hands lies the balance
of power under the existing universal suffrage Inc
sole pretext for dssOlving the Chamber was us al
legged Radiealism; the steady encroachment ana
,apidlv increasing power of a faction which aimed
at disturbing the basis of society and ITS most Oehe
fcent institutions. About half this long paper
therefore is occupied with the history Of the dis
.to Igfo Of
the charge of Radicalism. The accusers took
refuge in that word they abstained from
narticulars: they levelled the most general
charge AGAINST the majority it Radical. But
Radicalism is a row word IN France, II appears; u
las taken the place Of Socialism and Communism
which are no longer talked about. What does II
meant If IL means, says NJ. Theirs, certain con-
ocption of the democratic spirit directed against
Tie civil administration, the financial system the
military organization. the religious concerns the
existing relations between departments Of the Gov
orument; tie Intervention of the Chambers IN
foreign pohcy-if Radicalism meant this, 1t would
certainly be necessary to resist it. and to resist ener
rcticallv Chamber which should allow itself to be
carried away by such ideas.
But what are the factsi What did the dissolved
Chamber doi Il did no one OF these things on
which a charge Of Badicalism might be based.
II did not touch the administrative system.
With enormous financial burdens pressing on the
country it did not even raise he question of mpos-
ing an income-tax that bugbear Of the well-to-do
Trcnchman. Il refused to reduce the term Of com
rusory service in the army from five years to three
Under the repeated provocations of the bishops, il
kept its temper and so far from being induced by
their political manifestation against the Republic to
cut down the budget of public worship, it actually
increased the pay of The priests by some hundreds
of thousands of francs the Concordat was
left untouched; the bishops charges, deplored
a. they we're by all enlightened Catholics ELECTED
only the soft Of order of the day. 1t was
60 far from seeking to grasp power or extend It's own
authority that IL gave way when the Senate illegally
insisted-on modifying the general budget; usurpa-
lion Of power which the House of Commons in Eng
land would not have endured for a moment on the
part of the House Of Lords. As TO foreign affairs,
finally. Will every other tribune in Europe was
ecboinr with heated debates on the Eastern QUes-
tiou that of the Chamber silent, not that II
much admired the talent displayed by French Dlplo-
atsts but IN order not TO add fresh excitement to
the universal agitation. DO you call Chamber
of which all this is true RADICAL No. Gentlemen
Of the Ministry, you may say so, but you DO not
think sop
Now. all this is admirable and admirably put for
NJ Therss purpose As a defence OF the Chamber
against the accusation Of Radicalisn, defnedby
-
convincing; 1t is unanswerabe. Bat il is enough
tomake an American, or even an Englishman, rub his
eyes and ask himself what century and under
what rule is France livingi The dissolved Cham
Der was not Radical becausei it did not do certain
epecifed things. 1t follows that if it had done
them it would have been Radical and could not have
been defended against that destructive accusation.
And there is not one of them which has not
been done in England long since not measure on
the list the like of which the most Tory Parliament
Of this generation has not voted or acquiesced in.
Within much less than generation, the whole civil
service of England has been re0rganlzed and reform
slll goes on the income tax, imposed by Pitt, as
war measure, has been continued In peace State
church has been abolished IN lreland purchase
abolished in tho army; foreign affairs in general and
the Eastern question in particular, discussed IN
Commons and Lords till nothing remained to be
said. As 10 ercr0achments by the Lords on the
money-yotng power Of the Commons, nobody
dreams Of such thing. Yet France 10 Demo-
cratic country England prominently arstocratic;
france Republic, England q Monarchy; France,
the country Of universal suffrage, England OF Inn
tied suffrage the whole Of that peasantry excluded
which in France can pull down or set up any Govern
ment whatever 1t Is not my business and have
no space for it if il were to explain these astonish
ing contradictions. 1t Is enough to point them out,
ana 10 ASK If this be Radicalism in Franco. what
must lIs Conservatism bel France boasts-M.
lnleIs himself IN this very address, boasts-that il
- france VINO mas gwen TO Europe and the world,
'Ae mouerh lucas OF liberty. and of the equality Of
rights; VINO has freed the serfs of Russia, the ne
sioes OF America; given liberty of thought and free
oOA OF conscience TO all mankindn IL may be so
ID sense the boast is true; but the grateful for
egher who has prOfted by the gift must still regret