, 1877-08-18
PARTIES IN FRANCE.
From oar COyrespondeut.)

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Mutual abuse and recrimination, mixed with
the grossest exaggerations on both sides, con-
stitute the daily pabulum which the Paris
newspapers lay before their readers. 1t is,
presume, to be supposed that each of these
organs represents and addresses itself to some
portion of The community TO which its LANGUAGE
is intended 10 be acceptable. And if this be
so, what a chaos of public opinion, what a
hopeless and endless division of parties, pEinci.
pies, and objects does The French preSsmex-
hibit in the long intervals between the RAPED
and the UniverS, between the R6publlque
FrancaiSe and the Union. There may be, and
it is to be hoped that there is, some really
national current of popular feeling which runs
predominant, aud, Gulf-S;ream-lik makes its
Influence felt through this wild ocean of dis.
senSion. And it is to be hoped also that such
feeling, if it exist, will manifest itself at the
next elections, and in such a way. too, and with
such force and decision, as TO leave no doubt
f its determination. ANY solution almost
would be acceptable which should impose
silence on the present Babel of discord. Yet
when one sees the daily out pouring of mutual
vindictiyenesS, political, social, religious, and
irreligiouS-such as find public expression in
no other country, perhaps, in the world
which every newspaper of every party teens
with here, ii is difficult 10 understand how
any one section Of all this discordant mass can
ever become strong enough to resist the COM
bined attack which even a temporary pre.emi-
nenoe on its part is sure to array against it.
Tn Rspu6lque Franca,se, for instance, and
tie DebatS Ia strange combination in them.
selves, talk with confidence Of the triumphant
Republican majority, and the inevitable trans.
formation Of the 363 of the old Chamber into
400 in the new, which the elections are sure
TO produce. Ard som such result seems to
be generally anticipated and taken for granted.
Yet the BOnapartist Pays still represents, I
auI pose, some considerable secjion Of the
country SO does a%ssuredly tho Clerical and
CltrOmOntane URtverS and the rabiliy anti
Republican Figaro boasts of more readers and
subscribers almost than all the other journals
put together. What, then, will the SOB, or
even the 400, really represent ? And how far
will they be a fair estimate Of the entire ma.
iional will These are Just the questions
which, in England or in America, a general
election is understood to give a precise and
dtfnitive reply to; but which The same event
in France seems often TO leave in just as great
confusion and uncertainty as ever.
One, and that not the least, Of the perils of
the present situation is the danger of the exist
ing conflict drifting into one Of class against
class reviving, in fact, all the still slumber-
ing snimositieS and bitterness of the old revo-
luton. Thus. the Rtpu5hqse Franeaise, 10 a
venomous article of this description, holds up
the Government Of the Dukes as it desig-
mates throughout its article the present admin.
i~stratioD, as the special enemies of democracy,
and universal suffrage. 1IessieErs les dues
it says, sand their agents are the sworn haters
of modern democracy, the election principle,
and our French Revolution. Their ideas are
those of the emigrants Of 1901. "Nos dxcs
have no other model before their eyes than
the ancien regime" Aud it is with this. above
all, as a rallying cry. that the Rtpu6Eiq3s
Franesise and it's party evidently desire to go
to the poll, Yet the gross absurdity of repre-
senting such ''Dukss" as the Duo Dscazes, toe
Duo DsAudiffret-P asquier. the Duo de Broglie,
the Doc de Magenta himself-~men TO whose
duke&oms and titles the Utmost privilege az,
tached is to have their high.sounding names
bavlsd bya. lackey st the door Of a fslon-Eo