New-York tribune., 1885-03-31
THE FRENCH SOUDAN.

| Inc FRENCH udNN pNSh ~"''"ifNN'
in their own Soudan. General Negrlers defeat
at Langson proves to be a disaster OF startling
magnitude. His brigade was attacked In the
hills by an overwhelming force OF Chinese ana
| driven back with heavy losses to the delta
The commander -in-chief of the French army IN
| TonGuin had sent into the interior every
battalion which he could spare, and when the
bad news came he was unable to retrieve the
disaster by pushing forward reinforcements.
Annarently he will have difficulty in holding
his yositions on the delta with an army
demoralized by defeat and docimated by
disease. His demand for 10000 additional
troops is a humiliating confession not only OF
failure but also of lack of adequate prepara-
ton. 1t has sealed the fate OF the Ministry. NJ
Ferry and his associates have been forced to
resign. Luck has been on their side for II long
time in their career of foreign intrigue and
adventure. but il has turned against them at
last.
The present Chamber of Deputies was elected
| in 1881 when NJ. Ferry was at the head OF the
| Government. The Republicans made great
| gains, but the Ministry which had appealed TO
the. country most successfully had so little
| political authority that it resigned as soon as
| tbe Chambers assembled. NJ. Gambetta was
| compelled to assume the responsibility which
| he had persistently shirkcd, and III the course
| of a few months he was himself driven from
power by factions that were jealous OF his
ascendancy. After the successive defeats OF Nj.
| de Freycinet, NJ. Duclerc and NJ. Fallieres. Nj.
Ferry returned to power in February, 1883,
with a Ministry recruited largely from the
Gambettist group. During his administration
| NJ Gonnhattaig chief
proposals respecting constitutional revision
| and electoral reform. The Scrutin dc Liste has
recently been adopted by the Deputies as a
substitute for district elections; and likewise
( the scheme of limited revision of the Constltu-
ton and the reorganization OF tho Senatorial
electorate, which the Chambers have sane
toned, were genuine Gambettist measures M.
| Ferry has been the political executor OF the
master genius of the Republic; and he has had
| n foreign policy of the Gambettist type, devot-
ing his energies to acts of aggression III remote
quarters of the world.
| NJ. Ferry's success in securing the support OF
great majority of the Deputies has been
/ attributed to the impracticabilty OF hnding
substitute for him. This view was not wholly
lust, since he had shown great administrative
capacity and had never been deficient IN
courage and firmness. The political power of
the Premiership has increased during his ad-
ministration and be has restored the balance
| between it and the Presidency. AT the same
time he has been constantly staggering under
the burdens of foreign campaigning. and no
| rival statesman has cared to succeed him.
While there have been signs OF dissatisfaction
with his policy Of reckless adventure and
audaciDus reprisals in the East, the factions
have steadily refused to sup1lant him. Prob
ably there will be great difficulty in organizing
a new Ministry possessing sufficient authority
TO order the general elections, which cannot
long be deferred. NJ BrissOn, President of the
Deputies, is perhaps the only French statesman
who can form Ministry that will command
public confidence; and he, like NJ. Gambetta
before him, prefers to WELD authority without
incurring Ministerial responsibility. He may
well hesitate before accepting the burdens of
government at the present crisis. The time for
coast operations and the bombardment of island
harbors has gone by; and the disadvantages of
campaign in the interior of TOnquin are
manifest. The Ministry that will replace M.
Ferry and his fellOw-Gambettists must be
prepared to send an army of 10000 men to
Pekin, or else negotiate dishOnOrable peace.
This is responsibility which neither NJ. Brisson
nor any other French statesman will hastily
Assume.