The New York herald., 1877-10-08
A PARTHIAN ARROW.
1From the London Times. I


NJ Theirs has shot Parthian arrow. A voico from
tho gravo may prove too strong for tho master Of
many lcgions. Fronchmen In the provinces, above
all things, desire order and quiet Parisians fear
nothing so much ridicule. NJ. Theirs has made
the present government OF France supremely rdicu.
lous and at tho samo tmc1nas proved It TO be source
Of disorder and unquiet. There is something very
humorous in his picture OF Franco waiting, as her
present rulers seom to wish her to do, until
her future King shall havo unlearned tho preju.
dces OF a lifetime, or shall have mastered Inc
rudiments of economical and political science.
While the Comte do Chambord Is mbuing himself with
the spirit of the nineteenth century, the Prince In
peral finishing his schooling, France is expected 10
keep herself unsettled, that she may bo a doco SUBJ
Iect TO her future master when tho monarchcal
have settled who that master Is to be- We imagine
the feelings of the Partisan he reads this. tho
party opposed to republic scarcely perhaps hoped
gam Paris their sde their trust was In the sober and
more buslnesslike provincial, ready, they hoped
10 lend willing ear to tho advice OF his priest
and not ndspcscd to obey the orders of his Mayor
his Project He would, doubtless, vote for govern
ment Of order and peace; his conservative instincts
would shrink from rcvolulion his piety would forbid
him oppose the voice OF tho Church. NJ rntcrs mas
ruthiessy dlspccd this deluson. He has shown that
tho stability which almost the only merit the mo
narchica party pretended TO claim Is the least which
they really possess II France elects for monarch
It chooses civil war, which alone decide which or
tho riva! pretcnders to the throne shall be selected
II she elects FOR Republic she adhercs to the
moderation has beon abundanty proved by recent ex.
pericnco-a constitution upon which alone majority
OF Frcnchmcn can agree, and which alono can pretend
to that pcrmanencc and security which ardent
desire OF nation weary OF change and sick with
certainty The voice OF tho Church may perhaps, be
tho side OF personal rule but It's uttcranccs OF ato
have not commended themselves to moderate men by
their good taste or judgment, and II may be doubted
whether Frenchen OF the nineteenth century pre-.
pared meekly surrender their freedom and right Of
managing their own affairs In obedience to the
dates OF bishops acting under the orders OF vati-
Religion, they have lcarnt by this time, is one
thing ana the management OF state affairs by ccccs!-
astics is another.
What the immediate results OF the elections may be-
though, no doubt, OF vital moment to the statcsm
and officials whose careers may DO made marrcd
thereby docs not SO closely concern other nations
but tho whole OF Europe has in tho tom per
and spirit IN which the government OF France is ad-
ministercd, into whatever hands II may fall English
men, above all, must anxousy watch all cxperimen nts
IN constitutional freedom ana will be the nrsI TO
jolcc II thor nearest ncighbor atans security and
prosperity by the same path which they troddon
TO the samo goal. Tho Frencn liberals have shown
forttudc In advcrsity thcy now seem likely. IL we
do not misudge tho uure to have tho chance before
long OF showing whether thoy learned tho
lesson how to practise moderation in prosperity. We
mey hope that this task will be 10 them
thcy lay to heart the last words of tho statesman
whom they have just lost