, 1877-12-12
THE MARsHAL's ALTERNATIVES.

which Tor some days dominated the situa-
tion may, we hope finally, but certainly
for the present be laid aside. 1t is doubt
full whether the Marshal ever deliberately
cOnt' mplated q step which could not
result to the advantage either of himself
or OF the form OF Monarchy which he is
believed OF heart to prefer, and his more
INSCRIPTIONS admirers have satisfied them
selves that their opportunity has not ar.
rived. The Minister OF War refused to
lend himself to any such plan, General
LadmirHult, who commands in Paris, was
equally obstinate, and General Ducrot
could not be brought 20 Paris without q
previous change in the Ministry for War.
The Army, ia fact. is not ready as a body
for any such attempt, and q coup d'esGf
which would divide the Army and produce
a civil war like those CT Spain is a stroke
from which the most INSCRIPTIONS Gener-
al shrinks. Even the Bonapartists do rot
desire the temporary destruction OF France.
This danger has therefore been ave1ted,
and another, an effort to govern through
endless dissolutions, is also out OF the
path of the Republicans. The OrIeanlsts,
though weak in the country, are strong in
the Senate. and they have taken the alarm.
They see that the struggle, If further
embi tered, may tend to the advantage OF
the ~BonapartiSts. aud they have no wish
to see their chiefs in exile, all Parliamen-
tary liberty destroyed, and they themselves
driven from tho capital and from power.
They have some twenty seats III the Sen
ate, where the regular Conservative ma
iority is only ten, though the Dissolution
was carried by double that number /; and
thew have signi6ed through their mouth"
niece, the SoleiI, aid it is said, through
their Princes also. that the Republic must
for the present be honestly maintained.
Failing a coup d'etat and second dlssOIu-
ton, the Marshal is, to all appearance
driven iuto a corner, and mnSs either
accept q Ministry from the Lett
or voluntarily resign his power. Every
kind of alternative is suggested to
him, but every kind is in It's tnrn dismlss-
ed. Government with the old Ministry
could not 60 on. for the Chamber would
stop the supplies. Government through
a Ministry of Business-!he --latest idea
could not 90 on, for tho Chamber would
dismiss il from power by a direct vote
And Government without a Ministry could
not go on, for the officials would be too
much afraid OF the law to obey orders
bearing no counter-signatuFe.
There is no visible road out OF the diff
Guilty, and yet we may be sure that the
Marshal will be equally unwilling either
to submit or to resign. II he submits, he
must take his orders from a Ministry OF
the Left, must permit the dismissal OF Pre-
tects whose only fault in his eyes is devo-
ton to himself, and must occupy Tor the
remainder OF his term a most irksones
and. as his friends will tell him, humilis'
ting position. If, on the other hand, he
resigns, he loses q position of immense
importance in Europe, and an adulatioo
TO which he has become accustomed, sur
renders his friends as completely as 1t he
submitted, md acknowledges that his pro-
mise to hold on under all circumstances
was given in ignorance and rashness. The
situation must be allowed to be diaagree-
able for him, and he will, we may De sure,
search most eagerly for any door OF escape.
The easiest is, perhaps. to ask something
from the Sc. ate which will be refused, and
then declare that as both psrties have de.
serted him, he yields to- force mcjeure; but
there is another, which must, before all
il ended, present itself to his mind. 1t hes
not presented itself yet, because 1t ls1 pos