The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1879-02-07
FRANCES PEACEFUL REVOLUTION.

=
How II Was Accomplished-The Reasons for
macMahon's Resignstion-M. Grevy, the
New President Of the Republic.
Marshal Mac ahon, President of the
Republic of France, rendered his resig-
nation on the 30th ult., and L. Grevy
was at once elected by the National Par
Lament as his successor. In his letter
Of resignation MasMahon SAYS: Being
in disagreement with the Ministry, and
being hopeless of forming another Cab
met, and unwilling to assent to the
measures which / regard as contrary to
good army organization, withdraw
from power The ostensibls cause of
lis resignation was his unwillingness to
comply with the demands of the Repub-
hcan leaders for the removal of certain
high corps commanders in the army,
but the real cause hes deeper. M. Mac
Mahon has neven been Republican at
heart. He is very conservative in his
tendencies, and his sympathies are with
the Legitimists. His military services
left him with q strong admiration for
Napoleon. There is no utilization be-
tween him and the Radicals, and he has
never yet assimilated closely enough
10 the model of government adopt
ed by the republic to entirely abandon
the idea of personal power. He has
several times been in collision with the
Cabinet and lower branch of the Assem-
bly,, but when the people pronounced
against him he reluctantly yielded. The
recent Senatorial elections have con-
solidated the Republican strength in
the Assembly, and placed the party in
such powerful ascendency that it is in
a position to test the willingness of the
President to carry out the instructions
OF the Assembly. As the French Re-
public is based on the model of the
English system, which makes the ruler
SIMPLY the instrument to execute the
will OF the Parliament. representing the
wishes OF the people, it was his duty to
have obeyed the order of the Assembly
TO remove the corps commanders. The
moment that he refused, there was but
one possible issue to the struggle.
Either the system of government must
be abandoned or personal power must
give way. For MacMahon there was
but one way out Either he must carry
his point and retain the offensive officers
by coup d'etat, or he must resign.
Afraid to trust to a coup detat, he
did the wisest thing under the circum-
stances and resigned, though it would
have been wiser had he yielded to the
demands of the Assembly, which is the
constitutional power.
The new regime is undoubtedly the
work OF Gambetta, who is now the
power behind the throne. M. Grevy,
the President-elect of the republic, is
a very conservative Republican, and
Gambetta is Radical, though not one
OF the extreme sort; but it may be act
cepted as certain that he would no.
have inspired the nomination of Grevy
and taken the Premiership if there
were danger of collision. Briefly, it
may be said that M. Crews Repub-
icanism dates back long distance.
he acquired great influence by his
early opposition to Socialism and Bona
partisan, and, in 1848, gave expression
to his national views by advocating that
the Executive should be chosen by the
Assembly, and hold Office at
its pleasure, with the title of President
OF the Council of Ministers. In 1871
he was elected to the National Assembly
from three departments without oppo-
sition. so great was his popularity, and
was President of the Assembly from
1871 to 1878, but declined President
Theirs invitation to serve longer in
that capacity.