The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1886-08-06
THE FRENCH PRINCES.

Their Expulsion Sign of the Insecure
Foundation Of the French Republic.
The expulsion of the heads of ths
French royal houses throws a curious
light upon the French republic. In
this country we have been so accus-
toned to repose upon Jefferson's say
ing that the utmost expression of erroE
may be tolerated, so long as truth is
left free to combat it, that the exile OF
persons, not for overt acts or declared
intentions, but for what may be called
a dangerous personality, seems to bs
only a confession of conscious weak
ness. But two recent events in France
reveal the situation in that country.
The Government of the republic has
power, at its discretion, to decree6 the
exclusion of the Princes. A feWfweeks
since, on the same day, ther& was
Communist demonstration in Paris a ad
an election in a royalist department in
Brittany. Last year it Ghost Republic
an representatives, but this year it
supplied vacancy with lMonarchist
by eight thousand majority The eyc
treme Radicals held that such, an incl
dent showed that the exigepcy had
arisen TO deal with which the power to
exclude Princes had been GRANTED,
and demanded that it should tbe ex.
ercised. But President Grevy pre-
ferred to leave the question with
the Assembly. NJ. Freycinet, the
Minister, brought in bill to
Danish the chiefs of royal houses.
Some of the extreme Radicals de-
manded the exclusion of all Princes
and the confiscation of their estates
But the limited bin was adopted, and
the Count of Paris and Prince jerome
Bonaparte had to leave France.
It is a proceeding which recalls the
old revolution, and Prince jerome
goes, indeed, saying that he will pres
emily return to save those who baniah
him from being guillotined by their
associates. But history does not re-
peat itself in preciselY7the same way.
The Government yields, probably, to
propitiate the extreme Radicals. The
Count of Paris is a gentleman who has
been living quietly in France, not as
conspirator against the Government,
but as a French citizen and patriot.
But there is no doubt that French poll
tics always tend to revolutionary
condition Tho old monarchical ira
ditions, which in France are very
strong, and princely families, the do
scendants of recent Kings, living in
princeIy splendor, with all the etiquette
of a court, and allying themselves in
marriage with reigning houses, are
undoubtedly disturbing in a re-
public which is established less
by positive preference than by
the fact that it is more prac-
ticable than any other form of
government. In such a situation the
actual question is less of the admins
tration of the Government than Of its
existence, and whatever threatens it
may be wisely removed.
The republican situation in this
country can hardly be taken as a
standard by which to test that of
France. The English colonies and
States in America were always prac-
tically self governing. They have had
the habit of free assembly, of popular
discussion and of popular election.
But constitution republican liberty is
little known in France. IL is a country
in which the rights of the minority are
practically unknown, and in which
there is great impatience of the Just
regulation of liberty by law. The ex-
pulsion of the Princes is an event that
can not be fairly judged without clear
view Of the situation. which i'm any
other country Is difficult TO obtain
But it shows distinctly that the French
republic is not yet securely founded
upon the popular conviction, and that
it still breads monarchical reaction
HqrpsT's Weekly.