The New York herald., 1877-10-13
GAMBETTA SENTENCED AGAIN.
The Charge Of CIericalsm Alarms the
Marshal and His Cabinet.
MORE GAGS FOB THE PRESS.
Why Bedel, the American, Was Invited to
Leave France.
[BY CABLE TO THE HERALD

PARIS, Oct. Is, 1877.
As the eve Of the elections approaches the
public anxiety is intensifying Both
parties are ostensibly confident, but both
parties are in reality quaking in their boots.
Claims of majorities are made on both sides
which any cool and impartial observer will
declare to be unfounded, but when
it is seen how ingeniously each
side arrives at its conclusions the cool and
impartial observer hides his head amid
fog of figures given ''on the best author
ity," fully one-half and probably three
fourths of which are inventions. to use no
stronger term. 1t is impossible to arrive
at any conclusion Of what the result will
be. To use an Irish bull, every one is pre-
pared for surprises on the dramatic prin-
ciple of Victor Hugo that it is always the
unexpected that happens.
PLAY AND PRAY.
The gamblers are the only people who
pledge themselves confidently to results.
Large sums of money will change hands on
this big political sweepstakes. While the
priests and the women crowd the churches
to pray for the triumph of moral order,
blacklegs, political adventures, ofice-hold-
ers and radicals throng the cafes and vent
their hopes and expectations in noisy decla-
nation.
PUBLIC TRANQUILLLTY.
Meantime the public tranquility is un-
disturbed. Even the timid ore reassured,
notwithstanding the sinister efforts of un-
scrupulous Figaro, which is doing its best
to frighten the people with the red spectre
by prophesying a renewal Of the horrors of
the Commune. The spectre rouqe has
about the same effect upon people now
that the "bloody shirt" had in the last cam
paign in the United States. 1t is an ex-
ploded bogy.
THE HUNGER FOR NEWS.
1he represslve enorts OF the ministry with
regard to the newspapers have not silenced
the local republican papers, although prose-
cutions are plentiful and made on the most
ridiculous pretexts. Such surveys of the
political field as are found in American news
papers are absent in the journals here, or so
over-colored that they are no guide But
the public is never tired of hearing from the
leaders on each side. We have had ad-
dresses and manifestoes from the Mac
Mahonists and the republicans, and had it
not been for the dexterity of M. Gambetta
they would have been lately wanting in
novelty.
crERIcALIsM.
Gambetta, in his speech at the American
Circus, after going over the old ground, sud-
denly opened upon the clerical tendencies of
the government He bombarded the med
ding priests who have shaken holy water
from their fingers to put them in the political
pie. He pointed out the commanding influ-
ence held by the priests and bishops in the
choice of government candidates and
dwelt upon the evils which would
result from triumphant reaction guided by
clerical hands 1t is hard to judge, outside
of France, what sentiment exists against
government of priests. In Paris clerical
ism is the type OF all that is revolving to
national pride. 1t recalls all the traditions
of the Restoration, all that is epicene in for
eign policy, all that ia humiliating in do
mcstic government. Had this attack been
confined to Gambetta the government would
not have been stricken with such panic as
followed.
HOW IT Is VIEWED OUTSIDE OF FRANCE.
But Gambetta soon received an ally from
an outside source, and ono not to be iQ-
nored. The inspired German and Italian
papers declared that the rumors of their
making an aggressive alliance against any,
body were unfounded; the two countries
were simply combining in view of the
French elections, to resist what might prove
clerical and therefore aggressive France.
Here, then, was the party which calls it.
self the party of peace and order
stigmatized by the two European
Powers most interested as aggressive
and peace disturbing. Hence the Due do
Broglie hastens to reassure the people that
the Marshal is not under clerical influence: