New-York tribune., 1886-03-08
UURDER IN FRANCE.

The recent defence of the murder of Nj.
Watrin, which radical member undertook Oh
the floor of the French Legislature, has been
made the text for many articles taking gloomy
view of the future of the French Republic. The
murder Of NJ Watrin WAS peculiarly atrocious.
He was a manufacturer and had dispute with
his employees; and they attacked his house,
threw him out of the window and the mob
outside killed him blutally. The anarchists and
extreme radicals appear to take the position
that the man deserved his fate that III TACT the
workmen only executed justice upon him be-
cause he had been hard employer, and would
not raise the wages OF his men. Such doc
trine, of course, is monstrous. 1t strikes at the
roots of all social organization. 1t is re-
version to the manners and customs OF simple
savagery. The admission that there was room
for doubt Or discussion on such question
would indicate an alarming deterioration In
French public morals and the acceptance OF
the theory by any considerable political element
would be a confession of national retrOgressiOn
and decay.
There is, however, no evidence that any
element in the Chamber accepted the defence
of mob murder so impudently advanced, and
the more rational presumption appears To be
that the anarchist member spoke only for that
very small minority which represents the Wild
est survivals of the Commune. The presenta-
ton of the rabid views of this element in 50
public a manner is probably calculated to do
more good than harm, since it must convince
all thinking men of the absolute hOpelessneSs
of expecting any rational propositions from
that quarter. OF course the anarchists are not
faithful to their own principles. For it, as they
ccoutend, any majority has a right TO execute
Judgment upon individuals, even without the
form of investigation, nothing could be more
thoroughly in accord with anarchist doctrine
than the extirpatiOn of the Commune by the
national forces in 1871, and no logical protest
would lie against the application of similar
measures to the Communists of to-day. Like
all one-sided people the French anarchists only
believe in the sacredness Of force when they
themselves are exercising it. When society
employs it against them they abandon their own
principles and complain that they are
oppressed.
Unless there is real danger thai the small pro-
prietors of France will become infected with
these outrageous fallacies, however, it does
not seem likely that their bold promul-
cation will effect much harm; and such
contingency is scarcely thinkable. We
have always found in this country that
free speech is the best and quickest cure for
fallacies of every kind, and though the
French temperament differs in many respects
from the American, there are certain funda-
mental ideas held in common by all nations
that have passed beyond the savage state.
Respect for human life is necessary to the
stability OF any social organization. and there
is no ground for supposing that it has ceased
to influence the French masses. Should ii
ever do so there will be many other pater
signs of approaching national dissolution. But
the mere fact that an anarchist member has
made himself notorious by an insult to all civ