The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-10-19
or EUROPE.


OF Preserving Frances Lie -
The French Republic "a Fixed Fact.
".
There are victories that are worse than
defeats. and defeats that are better than victo-
rcs. France paid. Germany received. one
thousand fniilions " dollars in gold. France
lost Germany gained. two rich provinces with
n million and half of industrious people.
Germany il the only great country that has
practically. no national debt: France owes tho
enormous sum Of 23.iO3O0OOO0 francs. Ger
many is the only great country that does not
have to pay millions every year for interest on
its debt Franco pays the extraordinary sum Of
11jO $50 francs. or about two hundred and
thirty millions Of dollars annually for its debt
alone. Yet Germany victorious. free Of dcbt
and powerful in arms. Is poor and suffering.
while defeated. almost annihilated France
seems prosperous and happy. What are the
causes Of this apparent puzzle and phenom-
cna? They are natural and simple. as hope
to be able TO show. The chief Of them is that
while Germany gained. France lost. an En-
peror That one loss was Frances great gain.
In losing the Napoleonic system the French
people got rid Of an UNANIMOUSLY corrupt nnd OK
pensivc incubus In losing their former mill
tary prestige, In meeting with n crushing defeat
they were aroused to their senses and driven to
sock rc'upcratiOn through the only possible
channols-thc pursuits Of peace. 1t WIS the
Darwnian thcory-thc struggle for existence
Give any people Of industrious habits an hon
est government. peace. liberty. economy. and
prosperity must surely follow. When Franco
lost the empire and gained the republic. when
it exchanged ts old costly and corrupt system
for real self government. it really gained by the
war
But some Of the minor causes are interesting
enough 10 be called TO the special attention Of
thinking Americans. Their application cannot
fail to be striking. Take. for instance. the
question Of national credit Considering the
enormous debt no people on the globe have n
better credit than the French. II was with their
credit that the whole cost Of the last struggle
with Germany was raiscd-at least 5000 .OOO. 600
Of francs. 1t was their national credit that
raised tho other 5000 COCOON which had 10 be-
paid as an indemnity 10 the Germans. Nothing
could illustrate the excellence of their national
credit better than the fact that even Mt that
moment. when tho passions and preiudices
II the two races were aroused to an unparal-
eled degree when Franco seemed to many
upon the verge Of inevitable national bank
ruptcy. private German bankers stepped
promptly forward. Offering hundreds Of mil
lions ns "a loan upon no other 4ccurity than the
simple word " the French Provisional Govern
mcnt. Why? Because. however often the
French have changed their rulers and systems
of government within the last century how
over Il ghty and unreliable they may boz doomed
personally and politicaly-nnanciallv they have
proven themselves nation Of scrupulously
honest chara ter. When the Bourbons sue
coedcd the first Napoleon; when tho
July revolution succeeded tho Bourbons
and Louis Philippe tho July rcvolu-
ti1n when the revolution Of ~ drove
the Orleans 10 England. and once moro
established the republic; whonthat public was
first polluted by Nau,leon'- Presidency. and ar
forward assassinated by his coup d'Gtat; when
the second empire l)urishod for eighteen years
and suddenly vanished; when Gambcttl's die
tatorship sprung out Of tho gutter. as it were;
when Thicrss Provisional Government ruled.
ur since tho present third republie under
MacMahon has cNsted-neyer has there been
the slightest attempt made 70 question tho cx-
listing national debt. However bitter the hos
tilty between the past and present. between the
preceding and the succeeding rulers however
great the suspicion OF wrong attached To- the
manner in which the Bourhons and Bonapurtos
caused the accumulation OF the debt. or the uu-
popular and unpatrotic uses it was put tothe
succeeding Government accepted the existing
national Il Ut rs matter Of national honor. ana
without the remotost question or murMur.
II was this national honesty which proved
10 be SO beneficial to the French in
their hour OF distress II was their ma
tional credit which saved them from utter
ruin. Had there not been that absolute faith in
the Government, or rather the people-ior en-
tirely unlike other countries the bondhold"r in
Fran 'e feels secure no matter what revolution
or change Of Government takes piaco-n that
dark hour Of 1871 the five thousand millions
never could have been procured. And ever
since. e. this very day France. in looking al her
sound financial system, in comparing her paper
money. which is equalto gold. TO that II Italy.
Austria. Russia. or other countries. with their
enormous depreciation OF from Toto 40 per cent.
in pay ing lower rate ~ interest than the United
States, AMI saving thereby alon" tens Of nil
lions aunually-Francc may consider her : rt-
pulous financial honesty ~ the best policS She
could possibly have pursued. 1t certainly
proved 10 Doe not only tho means Of preserving
national Independence and preventing the cN-
trcmest national humiliaiion hut also Of r.
Operating her material resources and bring
ine back prosperity. 1t is a question which
those who twaddle about making absolute
money out 81 moonshinc ought to cons idor. To
a debtor nation credit is as necessary and aus
important A. gold. In fact it Is gold.
II national credit and sound financial losi4la-
tion were important in the wonderful rogrncru
uou Oi the French. We must not forget another
eause- equally important. NJ least liberty. Tho
fren'h republic is a fixed fact. | know the
general belief that i'm France nothing is certain
except change; and hope there will be many
changes rs there will have 10 be-. 10 perfect tho
republic. But that it will remain that II Will
grow In power and POPULARITY that there is uo
prospect for restoration Of either tho Bour-
pohs. the Orleans, or the Bonnpartos | am
firmly persuaded. All the peculiar cirnum-
stances OF France seem. fortunately Ia cnull0u.
not only 10 prevent the REIMBURSEMENT of mon
arrhicnl institutions. hut Ia favor the growth If
the republic. Even the Bonapartists prefer
to Bourbon rule. and the lcl;itiusts To another
NHpoi"un. All comparisons with previous at
t'mpie az soif-govetnm, ut are erroneous. Ma
lons chaneo. learn, and develop like indiyilu-
ais. The Franco Of lsiS ana the Franco of 1854
are as different a. day is from might. Not 10
have learned hy the momcntous experience
OF the last century would require an amount of
p"rv'rs" stupidity which NOT mathematics
WoFr'n'h Doom them capahtof. Whatevorthry
are" whatever iuiies they may display. as "A
|.. .