New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-04-29
BoULANGER's SIDE OF 1T.
THE CREATURE OFCIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND
ga., Ills CONTROL

B0ulanger IS coming INTO INC Nn"""0h ""e S"'
perhaps, to be the electoral, fayorite OF FRANCS
lie is now q nero citizen, and does not w',no 90
return to the Army unless q war storm should
hurst on France. He aims at the Presidency OF
the Republic It is said Well, what II he does
Gambetta aimed at il, too, and II he had hieo
Il, would have been more autocratic, domineerihg
and dangerous than Boulanger. My feehng Is
that the General will not succeed half SO wei
as his friends hope, but that he Will succeeo
enough to put the Republicans OF the Cnamoc,
on their good behavior. The fear OF the de''i
has often been a stronger motive than inc love Va
God. That part OF Parliament which has don'-
mated the Executive wanted dy-wheeL iho
overshadowing presence Of Boulanger, let us hope
viii serve as one and force the Republic into
new departure Of the democratic SORT
I met General Boulanger at friends mousse
some days ago. He spoke thus want 10 oe'
it is true, Deputy 1 want, 1t is true TO head
National party; want, It is true, that parry 70
be closely united in National lnterest-.nA' '.
defence. People in whose way stand say ""h'
to be Caesar This is grotesque cnaree
Nature did not mark me out for the place, ana
tho rrcvailine currents Of the time would be
against mo were to try to get up an Empire
The situation have now is the outcome simply
Of these currents have been pushed by circum-
stances to where I find myself ana am tne
creature Of circumstances. Why fight against thae
which has borne me on? / have seen enough
NJ the internal mechanism OF government under
the present regime, of Ministerial councils con-
claves in committee-rooDls, debates IN the Onaocr
and In the Senate, TO know that IN tne prcSenO
state Of things the interests OF the country 40
not and what is more, cannot count a rush III
the estimation Of the political men In ONCE ana
of those who impose polcy-or perhaps IL Wouiu
be more true to say a non-policy-upon them'
Each party and each politician lives from mana 10
month The wishes Of the country, as eApresseu
in the votes won by clearly defined programmes
ot elections are the last thing any one pays neeu
TO- An instance: After the general elecoions u
1ss1-elections which werc clearly In 1avof Oh Oh
organization of the Republic other than that given
!. h., the Constitution. which was made against
the Republic-' LIE Temps and other OpportuhisO
ord ,noderate journals preached to Deputies that
their first duty was to forget their pledges be-
CAUSE they were not realizable. And why thatr
Tho Senate was in the way Of their reanzation'
which besides would not suit the interests OIL
any marty able to get into office. l deny that the
will Of the country prevails, or has any influence
worth talking Of under the present mode OF govern
ment Ministry wanting to place Natonai
interests above lobby interests, would have no
chance"
General Boulanger says that American forms
% government are not only possible, but impera-
tively needed in France, which must be democratic
or die In his opinion, there sh@lld De aon'ihiS-
tratiye stability for fixed number OF years. 10
in the United States; and that the senate oush'
to be- not the drag that it Is In france on 'ho
Legislature. but mechanism to keep the Execu-
tive in gear, by seeing that certain high appoipC
ments are not given to discreditable persons
The vav brilliant and prominent posts have oeen
obased by the men who fill them under thls he
nublio is one of the causes Of reaction against
Parlamentarism practised here.
Recurring to the United States, General Bou-
LANCER spealxs to this effect: General Grant had
the largest army that, in his time, ever eAlSoeu'
under his command. 1t was an army greatly
made I'D of men Of alien birth. But he couid no
more have turned it into Practorian CORPS hor
used IL against the liberties Of the American nation
for selfish ends Of his own, than he could nave
nv the power of decree stemmed tho force OF
Niagara
General Boulanger has resigned as he said he
,vorld the seat to which he was elected last
Sunday. He took himself the letter containing
his resignation to the office Of the Secretary OF
the Chamber and got q receipt. 1t is bad sign
that he recommended to the electors Oh the
| Dordoqne. NJ de Fortou, who was as bad
member as there was Of the 9th OF May gang.
But we should remember that MN. Rouvler ana
Ferry sought the alliance in May, 1887, Of
Baron Mackau, the representative OF the OounV
de Paris. and of Paul de Cassagnac and, as the
latter often boosted, governed according TO thelr
orders One Of the orders the Orleanists gave
was to show no mercy to General Boulanger' VINO
! had deprived the Princes of their grades; ana
so no mercy was shown. Never was ANYBODY
| life so sifted as his for the purpose Oh puDno
| exposure after he left the War ONCE. lie salo
70 me some few days ago: The Bonapartists
would be q redoubtable party to govern wltn'
But it is no part of my plan to do that. II the
movement Through no seeking Of nine which has
grown up about my name succeeds, l shall gov
| ern nv the support Of all parties, and chiefly OF
the Republican, because it is the most numerous
and is really the only one on which i could
| permanently lean How could l go in for the
hereditary or the aristocratc principesp How could
| set ND to have Chamberains and Ladies OF Hon
| or and Mistress Of the Robes for my wife ana
! daughters? The thing Is absurd on the race OF
| r. 7 have no son, and Daniel Wilson has used
ND sons-in-law Why, then, set up an empire in all
but name. or why set up anything approxlmatng
to one?'
What don't like is the manner in which Cen
eral Bouanger, in his letter to the electors Oh
the Dordogne spoke OF himself as though he were
the incarnation Of France. Gambetta certainly
did the same thing in his times In his natNe
department and in Normandy in 1881. remeui-
Der being shocked at the manner in when
heard Gambetta, at the Paais Bourbon, speak Oh
himself as the incarnation of France and its hlgn-
est representative On that occasion asked Ill"
why he showed so much favor to the BonapartiSts
in recent electoral campaign, when his influence
got in ct Montaigne q very out-and-out BonaparV
ist named Dugne de Ia Faucennerie' uainoeO'"
distinctly told me that there were eighteen DC
partments In France In which Bonapar'ism ""'
! rampant and that he meant to have them Dy d
return to the plebiscitum through the scrutin
de liste suffrage. He could not get them unless
by Bonapartist help. He showed his preference
for General de Gallifct future War Minister,