The New Orleans daily Democrat., 1877-12-27
WHAT FRANCE HAS ESCAPED.
HOW TIE DUCHESS OF MAGENTA
RULED HEa HUSBAND TO
HIS RUIN.
The ship ef state Finally brought tp on
the Eage of the Rapids,

the EaEe OF the rapids,
From Special Correspondent Of the World, /
PARIS, Dec BIN my last mentioned that
much Of the uncertainty and trouble now ap-
parent In political affairs here is due to the
preponderatlng influence Of Nine. la Mare
chale de MacMahon over her husband 1t Is
now becoming a matter of general CONVERSE
ton, and there are not lacking indications
that the lady In question is In a fair way to
become very unpopular.
The Parisians are not fond of female gov
ernment; the regency Of the Empress has not
yet been forgotten, and they are not disposed
at such a time as this to see the country EN-
broiled by the thoughtless and hgadstrong
interference of lie Mareehale." The menu
bers OF the right In the Senate have worked
upon the President through the Duchess. The
Duo de Brogle has ruled the husband by his
influence over the wife, and as this TACT has
become more and more established the dis
content OF the masses has increased. Busi-
ness Is bad, and, unless there Is prompt So
| luton, will become worse. The shopkeepers
and ''fournlsseurs' are In despair, as the fear
| of coup detat" has kept the wealthy away
| from the usually gay capital, and times are
| indeed very hard.
| Establishments In which are usually en-
| ployed from fifty to 100 hands in many cases
| the deadlock lasts the louder will grow the
elamors Of the unemployed. Unless great
| care is taken this will become source Of real
| danger. There is mischief In the air, and the
more thoughtful are becoming alarmed.
| There can be no doubt Of the fact that. what
eyer be. may be as q military commander,
MacMahon as a political persoIage is sngu-
| larly deficient. In eonnon sense. To stand
out persistently against the will Of CON
fessed majority, to insist upon governing
republic by its adversaries, is 50 stupid On
| act that 1t is not surprising that even that
portion of the press which at first stood by
the President now bames him In no measured
terms. All but himself see the error Of his
tuntt ttc
sentatiyes will not much longer stand this
sort Of thing, and people Of all conditions
are fast wheeling into the ranks Of the i'm
nense majority. Only the Bonapartists and
the Marshal, and these are driving him ON
TO his destruction by their support. Out
Of trouble, Of civil war, OF anarchy and
confusion, they idly hope to make some-
thing. and little do they care how much
Bonapartists are positively brutal in their
passionate appeals to the worst counsel
ors Of the President The only wonder is
that the project OF police does not arrest the
writer's Of their yillainous diatribes. Any
false than the articles in the Pays, the FTgo-
70, La Defense, I PUnipers, never was seen, and
the writer's may thank their stars that the
Republicans are orderly and law-abiding, else
there would be some severe cases Of public
justice. The Pays and Figao especially dis
tinguish themselves by the invention Of the
most stupid lies. They fabrieate calumnes
and stories, and yet the officers Of the law
pay no attention, while II o. Republican jour
nal happens to indulge even In sly sarcasm
at the expense OF the government, ut once o
suit ls brought and months of Imprisonment,
thousands Of francs fine, are pronounced
against the offenders. Never, even under the
empire, was repression pushed SO far as now.
nj. Welche has succeeded De Fourtou, but
no change has occurred In the vexatious
measures taken Throughout the country
against the Republican press. The elections
are long since over. There Is no reason why
these restrictions should be kept up, yet they
are, and M. Welche blandly assures the
Chamber Of Deputies that the new ministry is
simply one OF business" business" in
deedt The merchants and business men Of
Paris and oil the larger cities In France are
organizing meetings and drawing up resolu-
tions calling upon the President TO put an end
TO. the uncertainty which is causing the
ruin OF the country; but the President hesi-
ysx his wife, who in her turn is afraid Of vex-
ing her confessor, who in his turn must not
vex the Vatican What @ singular situation
and what an unfortunate one for this beauti4
ful country, this industrious, saving people
ALI they require is quiet government. They
hHve chosen u republic frttye ffoyt1fy accepted
all the responsibilities of such form Of gov
eminent, and are. now. insulted with the
tyranny y OF "coterie' of impractlcable people
even fear to express 1t could they shape it
in words. Really, the position would be
ludcrous were 1t not that behind the un-
eertainties, the weaknesses, the lack Of
honesty, loom up such terrible reprisals. A
spark may light up civil war. We have, how
ever. had one CLEAN Of hope. The Marshal
sent for the presidents OF the Senate and the
Chamber Of Deputies and had o talk with
them. 1T was supposed the result would be
decisive and beneficial, as it was well under
stood that neither the Due de Pasquier nor
nj. Grevy would mince matters with the Mar
shal. But the whole thing seems to have
fallen through. Madame sent her husband
off hunting to drive away his reflections.
Gambetta, whom had the honor OF meet
ing a day or two ago, made 1t very apparent
that he has little hope Of any help to come
from the Marshal. .'The man might be set
into the right path" said the Republican
leader. "He means no harm, but he is as
weak as q child In the hands Of those who
surround MIN, and | fear viii never do any
thing which will benefit France or save u.s.
THE PRENru ExpnSUrUnu