The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-08-19
The Electoral oonnis. in France.


Collision between opposing forces could
scarcely be more distinctly defined than it
is at this moment in France. 1t is battle
OF all the opposition elements against the
Republic, in which is presented the unusual
spectacle that the government itself is IN
the opposition. On one side is the Repub-
lie, and it stands in this conflict in the po-
sition of the Founder of Christianity
who are not for it are against it. On the
other side, consequently, are all the con-
spiraeies making common cause with one
another in virtue of the sympathy between
them as conspiracies. 1t is true they have
their quarrels between themselves, but
they have greater quarrel with their COM
mon enemy, for the requirements Of which
greater quarrel the lesser must be kept in
abeyance, as the instructive enmities of cat
and rat are forgotten in the perils OF
common danger Some time ago
the conflict was to establish the iegit-
innate monarchy, or the house of Orleans
or the imperial regime Now the effort OF
oil these elements is to disestablish the Re-
public that came into power by the despair,
encouragement and quarrels Of the sup
porters of governments of privilege as we'll
as by the growth of republican ideas in the
country. All the political activity now,
therefore, is an assault led by the govern
ment against the Republic and republican
institutions.
Although political conflicts in France are
monotonously like one another in their
leading feature there has been none pre-
cisely like this in its open announcement of
hostility to the recognized form of govern
ment by those whose plain duty it is, under
the law, to defend and uphold that gov
eminent If the President Of the United
States, sworn to maintain the constitution,
should ''swing round the circle" and
make speeches declaring his hostility,
not merely to the constitution, but to the
whole principle and theory Of politics OF
which republican constitutions are the ex-
preston, the people Of this country would
laugh at it as ridiculous and absurd spec
tacle if the President possessed only the
actual power he has with us. But if there were
an army, we'll trained and well equipped, of
utterance would be the signal for a great
and quiet preparation on the part of the
people to fight for their liberties. Yet this
declaration would only be equivalent to
several actually made by the President Of
the French Republic in recent speeches.
1t is wonderful how the endeavors of the
people of France to establish for themselves
a government that shall be the creature of
their own will are always thwarted and
cheated at last-how this Legitimate aspira-
ton of great people is perverted and led
to it's ruin by the extravaganza of dema-
gopues or crushed under the armed heel of
some soldier with not enough soul to care
more for his country than his own pitiful
ambition. These revolutions move always
in the same circle. An instruction de-
thrones some ruler who had oppressed the
people or violated his oath, and q liberal
government is organized in place Of the one
driven out. Then follows a conflict between
the supporters and friends of the dethroned
monarch or his heirs fighting to re-
gain the throne on one side and
the people of France on the other
side fighting to retain that possession
and control of their own destiny which
instruction gave. In the course of this
conflict some man intrusted with power by
the people betrays his trust Made COM
mnnder of the forces or head of the State
that he may WELD its force against all the
conspiracies, intrigues and Vaccinations Of
the enemy, he is seduced from his allegiance
to the national cause and becomes himself
the destroyer of its freedom. This is the
history of two Bonapartes who reached the
throne in France, and the present govern
ment has already passed through SO many
painful phases of resemblance to the story
that it would be faulty not to recog-
nize the direction toward which its
the national force to the suppression
of the just and noble national aspira-
tons because they have selfish purposes
to be served, yet commend this labor to
themselves by some specious pretences.
They have to deceive themselves as we'll as
their contemporaries in regard to the real
drift of their acts, and they pretend, of
course, virtuous purpose. They announce
themselves rs the champions of order and
the saviours of society. In the first revolu-
ton the excuses of the Jacobins gave color
to this pretence Oh the part of the first
Napoleon the theorists OF AS were enough
like those madmen to help out the mimetic
Second Empire in its use of the same pre-
tence and on the present occasion the
Commune of II does the same duty. But
the fact that this ancient scarecrow of poll
tics is resorted to proves the poverty of in
vention that compels the schemers of to-day
to use again the threadbare devices OF
former generations.
Can a gigantic conspiracy of this nature
raaIIv trium nh ovar peopla ouoro ~ ;tu