New-York tribune., 1877-05-29
EUROPEAN AFFAIRS.
THE FRENCH CRISIS.

DEBATE on THE EASTERN QUEsuON-THE LIB
ERALS STILL DIsUNIIED.
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRBUNEl
LONDON, May 17.-Marshal MacAlahon has
achieved the greatest military success of his life
lie has vanqulshed both Turks and Russians at a
blow. His dismissal of the Prime Minister Of the
French Republic, which became known late last
night in London, has put war news completely in
the shade. This must be reckoned great triumph
for a Marshal who has lately had few to boast Of.
But the fame springng out of it is of the sinister
kind which attached to the reputation Marshal Mac
Mahon won in 1870. His name is always connected
with disasters to his country. The act of yesterday
was a coup f6tdt NJ. Jules Simon is dismissed solely
because he is in accord with the majority of the
Chamber of Deputies and the majority of the cOun-
try. That is the MacMahon idea of parliamentary
government The last coup dddt was at least made
by soldiers. This issthe work of the priests The
fiimsy pIetext put forward in the Marshal's letter
deceiyes nobody, not even himself. MesSieurs De
Broglio and Buffet. who have so long had the Mar
shal's ear, but tools Of that clericalsm which
Gambetta eloquently and wisely denounced less
than n fortnight ago. "Le clTicdlisme riola
cnncmip it has shown its hand-or its foot-soOner
than even Gambetta expected. With the Ultramon-
taues you can have your choice of terms. You must
be their instrument or their encmy-thcir victim if
which the last Republican Ministry of France has
fallen victim was Matched in tie Vatican and
Frenchmen were not ashamed to do the base work
against their own country prescribed to them by an
Italian priest. Yet there still plenty of people
who sco at the danger Of clerical despotism which
exacts from all who recognize its ecclesiastical
authority recognition of its political authority also.
Frenchmcn owe their first duty TO France. Catholics
owe their first duty to Rome. If the two duties are
in conflict, Rome insists on her prior claim. All
France is convulsed because an Ulramontanc clique
is dissatisfied with French Ministry.
Ii is gratifying to note how the English press has
dealt withthis Popsh conspiracy. The Iibcralaud IN
dependent papers are of course cearsighcd and out
spoken. On such question as this they were sure to
be- Bu what is remarkable is that the Tory papersare
equally vigorous in their condemnation Of the Mar
shals act. To the Marshal himself nobody imputcs
political responsibility, any more than when ship
goes ON the rocks the carved warrior on her Prov
visited with blame One Of the two leading Tory pa
pers of London dcnouuccs in good SGT terms theutter
want of patriotism, the personal sel~lmcss, and the
reckless partisan,hip" manifested by the ccrcals,
and predicts their sure dIscrcdit with the French
nation The other charactcrizcs the dismissal of the
Ministry g coup d6tat of the gravcst character;
clcricalsm at the bottom Of it. The world need not
hesitate about the verdict when the natural adyo-
Gates of the accused throw up their bucfs. You VIII
already have had thc letter Of the Marshal to NJ.
jules Simon IN all its uupara led usolencc, and
the sufficiently dicniied but surprisingly feeble
answer Of the Minister. There is hardly precedent
I'm political literature for the terms OF the letter of
dismissal. The soldier who is styled President of
the Rcpublic cannot shake of the maQncrs of the
camp-uay they are not the manners of the camp
4 general would be thought ul-ircd who should
permit himself 10 rcprimand a corporal in such a
style. So of the interview between the Marshal ana
the Prime Minister: - have brought you my res
icnation." SAID ". Julcs Simon. 81 expected it, and
accept IT," rctortcd the dragoon. Are these tie
elcgances Of the head Of the poitcst nation OF the
WoIld}
But enough. We shall not Get the details Of the
inside history Of this catastrophe at last,
though long forcsccn-tin tomorrow. The next
mail will bring you the accounts of your Paris cor
respondent who is behind the scenes. Now for
English matters.
Ihaye written 50 fully on the merits of the debate
ON Mr.. Glad,oucs resolutions and the split in the
Liberal party, that will sum up very briefly As
TO tie resolutions, they have done their work. They
were defeated by 13l majority in the House, but
they reused tho country to another protest against
the insane purpose Of Lord Bodcousiicld; aud the
protest has been eficctual. No corps Gnmee can now
be sent to Constautinope. The fleet destined either
for the Darlanclles or Crete has been divcrTed to
Port Said. where it is legtimatcly occupied in
guarding the entrance to the Suez Canal Yet, its
speedy return thence to the PI1us IS already an
nounccd. The Salisbury party IN the Cabinet mas
made such declarations during the debate lhat IL
can never publicly consent to the poIicy urged 10y
their chief Lord Bcaconsicld may, indeed pursue
lis schemes with that determination which is his
4 L. a.. al ltla Ito vii
he knows now that he must part with four Secreta-
res Of state if ne does. Unlcs circumstances change
completelv M Cross must resign before the policy
of strict neutrality he officially pledged himself to IS
abandoned. Isuppose an echo of the strange story
which circuates here has already reached you by
cable-that the non-Iurl section OF the Cabinet had
taken Mr. Gladstone and Mr.. Carlyle and the lead
inc iourual into their confidence. Ii Is all but IN
credible. vet il Is stated on such authority that one
bcsitates TO say it cannot be true. People believe
who are commonly mcredulous Of mere gossip. II
believed it would connect the Introduction OF the
resolutions with the dssensi0ns in the Ministry and
involve Mr. Cross and others in relations with the
Liberals which nothing but devotion to the country
could relieve from the suggestion OF haltng imth 10
their party and their party leader PATRIOTISM sell
dom in these days rises TO so high pitch as that'
and should prefer neither to Affirm nor deny inc
rumor. All / can say is that the course oil events
tales with the causes which are said to undcrlic
them.
As TO the Liberal party, it would be equally rash
TO allegc that its different sections are once more
really reunited. There is still camp below the
eangway and a camp above. Lord Harrington does
not resign and the Radicals do not openly rebei-or
rather DO not openly set up another standard But
fine causes of division remain rs before Inc exist
encc of a political party implies some common aim
o,nop,, tho members Of the party. But what has