New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-12-26
THE FRENCH STRUGGLE.
INNER PHASES OF THE CONFLICT.

! Iron REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRiBUNf.l
PARIS. Nov 23.-"The Republican Tabble have
won again. The Communards have 80 infested the
best departments that the provincial elections
result in a Radical majority! But they will soon
see what society can do in self-defence, when the
Conservatives are resolved to he staunch. Perhaps
a comp d6tat by armed force would be unwise'
and it is probably unnecessary; but we have other
weapons We will so harry audworry this canallle'We
will so embarrass and tire It ont that from sheer
lasstude the stupid masses that they pretend to call
the country WILL in the end. go down on Their
knees and implore Of us monarchy for them sake
of quiet life" This patriotic little speech was made
few days after the departmental elections OF the
4th of this month by the Marquis dAbzac the Mar
shals head aide-de-camp, in the salon of family
bound 10 the Broge Ministry by every tie OF re-
lationshp and political interest. Breakfast was not
quite ended Ia breakfast to which two or three
strangers had been invited, when the door
opened suddenly and the aforementioned
parsonage walked rapidly into the room, and M
fit of towering anger uttered the words ! have
quoted. "Who is that who has just spoken y
whispered foreign guest TO his neighbor.
"The Marquis d'Abzac' was the reply
"What! the Marshals head aid-de-campT added
the questioner, not choosing TO give any more
definite expression to his surprise.
of the Due de Broglie the one upon which he has
acted, and upon which, at the last hour, he has
been able to induce the Senators Of the Right Cen
tire to cooperate with him.
The pacific sensible, polite views Of The Constltu-
tlOnast group were maintained by them 70 almost
the eleventh hour. They did the straight path
before them; they knew that every man of either
capacity or honesty in the whole country was turn
ing toward that path they were aware that such an
old-fashiOned statesman as Dufaure would publicly
assert there was but safe way out yet AZ the
last moment the courage failed them TO do their
duty. Never having been taught to respect the
public they only quyered and WINGED at the idea
Of what the famarS OF fcwclerico-Boyalist salons
would do toward them-of the coldncss that might
I've shown toward their womankind and they be-
trayed their misunderstanding not to recognize their
master in the public. and affecting to believe
that instead of betraying, they had conciliated.
Here is the most marvellous and Characteristic
point of the entire proceeding, and the main PROOF
of how next to impossible it is tor foreigners ever 10
really comprehend the undercuTents Of what Is
denominated Society" in this nation. These men
OF the Right Centre imagine that they made al.
things easy when they achieved the substitution of
the words "prepaut acc " noting for approving.
and they attribute to themselves the whole credit Of
getting nd Of the Broglie Ministry.
was at the Chamber Of Deputies on the Tuesday
the day after the fatal vote upholdng the Admin
istration in the Upper House-when VI. Belmont
read his short declaration" touching the ya.ida-
ton Of Baron Relies election, and in the same trib-
uue were two Senators Of the Right Centre and one
of the Left.
There remarked the latter; 81 there Is the an
swer to the handiwork of yesterday; and very pro-
per and fit it should be-
Mon Dieuw rcioined ono Of the two champions
of the Orleanist faction what can You mean
Whv our vote was an immense concession"
''Our vote avoided all expression Of confidence in
the Ministry" added ms companion
"Our vote was only given on condition of the re-
tirement of the Cabinet" said, quite triumphantly,
the other Conservative. And more' summed up
his friend M Dufaure himself declared that our
vote meant nothing
AT this inconceiyable admission, the Left Senator
looked at me- aud could not repress an absolute
laugh; not a smile" bur genuine laugh, which
seemed much to perpleX our companions
The truth came out in those last words: To
mean nothing That is the height Of prudence
with the so-called moderate politicians here To
v.rigger and escape all responsibility-to be
neutral-that is what the Orleauists aspire to- and
for which, in one of the finest articles he ever
penned John Lemoinne two days ago, in the Journal
des Dfbqfs renowned and denounced them, telling
them they were as useless for harm a for good
and therefore most mischeyous. "Ils ne s0Hi boRs
d rien ~ was his cutting phrase.
Now. respecting Dufaure. II is true that he did
utter the sentence attributed to him; he did say
that the wording of the order Of the day had no
definite meaning. Tor that while letting the Minis
ters drop it approved the spirit Of their anti
patriotic policy. But what he added about tine
Budget constitutes the real pith and lmpor-
lance Of his speech; cautious, deyOut not quite
clerical. but very near III, conservative, and de-
cidellv opposed to any radical reforms, Dufauro
nevertheless went 10 the same lengths that are
reached by the whole of the Left when they
threaten not to vote any portion of the Budget until
a genuine Parliamentary Ministry has been chosen
from the Republican majority and has furnished
the binding gurantees of future good behavior on
the part Of the Executive which the Republic
has a right to demand. This is a very great fact,
and has produced greater impression since Monday
last when the words were uttered, than at the mo-
ment when they were So. Dufaure the seyereSt
Of Judges the most nhexbe Of all foes Of disorder,
has proclaimed and sanctioned the right of the
Chamber to refuse the budget! Dufaure has
summarized Gambetta; and has covered with
the mantle of his name and his authority an
net which if it has 10 be TesOrted 10, con-
stitutes nothing less than distinct and COM
rlete defiance of the Ministry and the Marshal.
When the rich manufacturer or the great wholesale
dealer or the small shOpkeeper takes cognzance Of
the grave circumstance that this legist has de-
clared that the Budget be lawfully refused and
that 10 pay ones taxes to the State may In couple
of weeks or 50 be Illegal, he has totally different
appreciation of his personal duty, and becomes
AZ once an ardent advocate of resistance.
One result of Dufaure's course has been the in
crease OF the perplextes of the Eys6e In the face
- Lon, f ornosition carried 70 81 awful An extent