Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1877-10-20
THE FRENCH ELECTIONS.

East to West in Europe. me en-
forced inaction of the armies in
Bulgaria inaction enforced partly
by the approach of winter and
partly by the inextricable dead lock
at Plevna-has averted mems eyes
from the Danube and the Balkans,
the Lom and the Vid, and turned
them with intense interest to the
ACCOMPLISHMENTS and fprefectures OF
France, where has nowto be decided
for France, and may be for many
nations besides France, the question
of Republican or despOtic rule, of
government by the people or gov
eminent by the army.
No one can appreciate the COM
pleteness and sharpness of demarca-
ton with which the election is made
to divide the voters on that one is
sue, popular rule or military rule,
who has not read the manifesto of
President MacMahOn.
The principle of the Republic as
established with Theirs at its head
was an avOwed imitation of the con-
stitutiOnal method established by
custom in England; the responsible
ity of the cabinet to parliament,
the resignation of the cabinet if
they fail to obtain majority for
their measures in the popular house
(Chamber of Deputies, the dissOlu-
ton Of the Chamber and election of
new one in case of dead lock,
and the final submission of the exec
utive if that election is adverse to
its opinions. All these were consid-
cred as established when the present
Republican government was estab-
lished and, when MacMahOn sue
ceeded Theirs, he received the Re
public and its principles unaltered
with the sworn duty of carrying
them out. Now, however, that the
persistence i'm his reactiOnary policy
and the retention of n cabinet in
direct antagOnism to the Chamber
of Deputies has compelled an APP
peal to the voters of the country, he
addresses the nation in a spirit at
variance in all points with the spirit
of the constitution. He tells the
nation in the haughtiest terms that
its only prospect of tranquility is to
submit to his opinions, to elect the
deputies whom he has nominated,
and in ali respects to reverse the
election of 1873. He tells the cleo
tors of France that it will he futile
and dangerous at the same time to
elect members opposed to the pres
net Cabinet. He will not resign, he
will not submit, he will never ac-
cept from Republican majority
Cabinet such rs that which he dis
missed with Simon at its head in
May last, but that he will continue
to govern with the Cabinet of "faith-
full servant" when he has summon
ed to his side; he will remain "with
the Senate to defend the great inter
ests which have been entrusted to
him."
This can only mean one out of two
things; he will again and again dis
solve the Chamber of Deputies until
the voters shall be wearied into re-
turning Deputies to his taste, or
he will retain his Cabinet in the face
of an adverse majority, thus produc-
ing a legislative deadlock of indefi-
mite duration. The former alterna-
tive cannot be adopted without the
concurrence of the Senate land it is
certain that they will not cOncur)
for the Constitution does not permit
the President to dissolve the Cham
Der of Deputies except with the con-
currence of the Senate. The dead
lock policy then must be that to
which the manifesto points, and this
is to be adopted for an indefinite
time in the hopes that the heated an
imOsities inevitably resulting from
such Il state of things may eliminate
in some popular eD1et.te, which will
furnish an excuse for military inter
ventiOn and fOrcible abrogation of
the Republic and the Constitution
together.
The manifesto then means auto
cratic government, adopted either
through fear of a revolution or in con-
sequence ola revolution; we have on
ly to read the following clause in or
der tosee how utterly opposed itist
Republican principles. Let us imag-
inc Granteven (and he was not mealy
mouthed last February, but imag-
inc even him addressing the people
of the United States as follows on
the eve of Il Presidential election:
"YOu do not wish, by hostile cleo
tiOns, to throw the country into an
unknown future of crises and con-
flicts; you desire tranquility, and to
be assured at home and abroad that
the public powers shall be in ac-
cord with the security for work and
business. You will vote for the can
didates | recommend to your liberal
SuffrageS. Frenchmen! the hour has
come, vote without fear"
To appreciate the astounding ar
rogance of these words, remember
that the Republic is an established
order Of things, which has for four
years been in operation with the con-
sent of the whole nation, and that
the men with whom President Mae
MahOn is working for its subversion
are a gang of political adventures
and pretenders, each advancing his
private interests and ready for war
To the knife with all the rest as soon
rs the subversiOn of the Republic
shall give them their chance-the
very men, in fact, to whom the pub
Il,