The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-26
France.

France has bad a republican form Of
government 30 long that we had begun 70
set her people down as capable OF govern.
ing themselves. But what shall we say oil
The present state Of things In that coun'
tryY The death OF GAMBErTA seems to have
left the people in state of intense excite.
ment. and some Of them fcarfully nppre-
bcusiye OF a change OF rulers. Or Is II
that they desire change OF rulers, and sec
In the death OF GAMDETTA an opportunity
offered thcmto have their desire realized
Is Il true that the republic OF France al
twelve years Of age cannot stand alonep
How different The case in the United
States i'm 1881 when the President OF this
republic was assassinated. self-poised ana
confident IN their rulers and in their own
strength. the people Of this country were
uneasy not for twenty-iour hours. They
all acted as II they had been personally
present ard had beard JAMES A. GARFIELD
repeat In 1881 what he had said in 1860,
" God rules, and the republic at Washing
ton liycs.s
And vet it had been but few years pre-
viouSly that Che United States Government
had acted as foolishly towards Journalists
and pretendcrs as docs the French Govern
men. now. II in 1865 Il pretender 10 the
Office OF prpsidcn. OF the United States
had appeared In This country, he would
have bocu silenccd, arrested, and impri-
soncd. Right here in Richmond The South
err, Opinion was suppressed, and in 1866
the editors Of the Dispatch were informed
that they had "bettcr not" publish letter
which had just appeared in the northern
journals-one from General EARLY, we be-
lieve Il was.
As in this country then, so in France
now these panics amongst the rulers are
contagious. The people contract them
from these TO whom they look up. such
panics can occur only where on the part
Of the rulers there is lack OF confidence
in the masses. and where on the part OF the
masses there is a corresponding eXpecta-
ton that boucyerscmont may take place
at any moment. The rulers feel as Il the
populacc were billowy political ocean
undermining their seats OF power. The
populace mistake their rulers fear OF them
for fear Of rival rulers, and 80 help to
make the panic all the more pcrvading.
Some such stale Of things as we have de-
scribed now obtains in France. Strangei it
may I've that GAMDETTA out OF Office could
have kept down such fears. Ii is a mo-
dern version of the story OF the Cid who
returned from beyond the grave to lead his
armies TO victory.
The Empress EUGENE, an old. heart
broken WOMEN; PLON-PLON, the crank;
the Orleans. princes, separately or con-
iointIy-who and what are they that they
should
sFrisit Che souls Of fearful advcrsarics?"
A panic in theatre or elsewhere some
times causes much suffering. and even
many dcaths-wc mean groundlsSs panic,
IS all panics arc, or ought 70 he. So a
panic amongst the rulers OF France may put
IN end TO the republic. But we would iain
rope not. France must he better prepared
low than she was twelve years ago for re-
publican institutions. And, too, there
must he in that country OF nearly forty mil
ions Of people many statesmen who, ii they
come to the front-as perilous times will
give them the opportunity to do-will be
ibe and willing to preserve the republic.