Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1881-09-03
! Vw AHn.s.IU
/. THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.
lErom the Chicago Times

from the Chicago Times
The election of a new represents.
tive assembly In France is an event
full of instruction. 1t marks the suc-
cessful attainment of another stage
in the latest and most promising Ell
fort of the French people to establish
q republican constitution. 4.
Since 1892. French history has been
the history Of d people in a state ei
political transition. Tho first repub-
lie, so-called, covering the period
!: from 1892 to 1904, comprised three
4dlstiuct forms of government. The
Observation-Disclosures for three years;
the Mfectoryoo for four years. and
the ssconsulate" for four. In 1904.
Consul Bonaparte set up as emperor,
and the empire endured, after q fash
ion, for a dozen years. Then the Bour-
hon r~estoration covered the period
from 1877 to 1880, when the Orleans
dynasty began, and lasted eighteen
yeara- HhesperiodSof forty-four years
between the first and the second re-
publican experiment witnessed three
':leyoiHAehs Of the French constftu-
ton. The. second 'srepubIic" lasted
only four years, and, like the first,
ended in the usurpation of absolute
power by the republican executive
in both cases q Bonaparte. The Sec
ond Nspoleonic empire had the same
duration las the Orleans regime
eighteen. years.-Ehe ,decheance o.
Louis Napoleon in 1870 brought III
the third republican experiment.
which was prefaced for q year by the
soacslled '''governaieht of the nation
al defense" The present constitution
of France bears date February 25.
1875, the time ofits. formal rromnlga-
ten, though the republic Of which II
fB the organic law really began with
the presidency of M. THEIRS in 1871.
1t has existed ten years, nearly as
long as both the previous republican
experiments. ga
= In its most essential arrangements,
the French constitution is modelled
upon the English aud the American.
The principal American features are
Q representative assembly chosen by
s'manhood"'. suffrage, and All elective
chief magistrate. Ehe u principal
English features srs. the movaLility
Of the eTectlons, requirement that
every act of the president shall be
countersigned by q minister, respou-
sibility Of the cabinet to the repre-.
sentative chamber; and power in the
president (the senate concurring) to
dissolve that chamber. The ':presi-
dental term'. IS seven years, but is
not, as in this country, arbitrarily
fixed and dated as to its beginning
aud ending. Whenever and however
a;;vacancy occurs In the presidency, it
is filed by AN election (by the two
legislative chambers) of an incumbent
for seven years. The absurd Ameri-
CD hQperhuity called the vlce-presi-
dent, seen to be an sppendage neith-
er useful mol ornamental, has been
wisely omitted.
The legal isterm" forvwhich repre-
4eeqtatiYesgares chosen is four years /;
but q dissolution Of the chamber
wound abbreviate it, aud the new
chamber, chosen after q dissolution,
would be chosen for q term Of four
1nr.s beeiDning at the date of its
election.
Tho late chamber of deputies was
elected IN October, 1877; but since
then nearly asqnarter of the constit-
uefeies have had to hold special cleo
tt0best0 ill vacancies. In all, since
the general election of 1877, there,
have been 159~speciai elections OF
deputies, and the results of these
have foreshadowed, in accessions to
the different~republican factions,
especially the moderates, the out
come OF the elections last Sunday.
The special elections have shown a
steady increase of the republican and
decrease of The monarchical and Ben-
apartist sentiment during the last
four years. The outcome Of the pres
emit elections, which has reduced the
.legitinist" faction 10 q mere baga-
telle, aud shown an almost total OBJ
liberation of the Bonapartist faction,
1s therefore plainly no spasmodic
movement of French feeling, bnt the
effect of causes which have been
steadily operating, for q series of
years, to produce this result. The
obliteration Of the Konapartist fac
ton is the fitting .concomltant Of the
obliteration of the Bonsgartes, anil
IL the appropriate conclusion Of the
history Of that Corsican family which
"Went up like . rocket and came
down like She stiek.n IL
But the increase Of the republican
factions is not wholly at the cost of
the iegltipists aud Bonapartists. The
nerce democracy of fanaticism aud
disorder also appears in diminished
strength. Extremists of both the
right and the left have lost ground,
a9d tho men. whoslOld that to be the
sersetR progress which makes haste
slowly will fluid themselves In undis-
puted control of the new chamber.
The lesson of the result piaiay is
that the French people are making
hopeful and healthfuf progress in fit
ting themselves to do the things
which the maintenance of representa-
l " institutions requires TO be done.
Moreover, the outcome has done
much to decide q most important
iquestion as to what the French con.
stltation, i'll its executive part, really
"a Like our own,J it formally vests
the executive power III the president.
There have been three French presi-
dents, each of whom has held a diff
ferent theory OF. the office in relation
to the actual business of government.
N. Theirs construed his Office as if he
had been a minister. He attended the
legislature, defined his own policy,
and reslgned his office when he was
no longer able to bring the majority
to his views. MacMahon did not at.
tend the legislature. He had a min
1stry, but also had a policy of his
own, and took the American view
that as the executive power was
vested in the president, it was incum-
bent on him to act az a personal ex-
ecntive, and on his ministers to be
his humble and obedient servants in
carrying forth his own policy against
an opposite policy, of the legislative
majority. The same notion, held by
James III. and George ILL.,. involved
those English presidents in no end OF
trouble. Had they been able to ex-