Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-29
The French Situation.


The gaze Of Europe il fixed upon Parts
10. day, and the question OF the hour is, What
next! B%oulanEIsm 10 on top 10 the French
republic, and IL would be pretty safe TO pre-
dict that It will remain in the a,cendsncy for
some time 10 ceme were the French a less
mercurisl people and did not French history
admonish us to he constantly on the lookout
for surprises. The defeat OF the Government
In Sundays election In tho Department OF
the Seine, which includes Psrls-aad Paris
IL Frsnce-was overwhelming. BOuLAN-
oER's majority was over 81. 900, and Tell but a
trIne short Of wha, his most ssnguine adj
mrers had predicted the ssures rsuld reach.
And what Ia B%oulsngisml We knew what II
claims 10 be, but what II r.slly 10, what it will
lead TO, and what IL portesds for the reptb-
lie constitute o serious aud interesting pro-
blem which time slose cas solve. Whs,eyer
the solution, however. It will be awaited
with the despest solicitude by the friends OF
France. BoULANGkR declares that he hiss
no other aim than the maintenance OF
an honest republic and the bringing
about OF certain constitutional reto.ms.
The election cry Of his adherents in
answer to the charge Of the Governments
following that he desires to be dictator was.
.sLong live the Republic! Dissolution. reyi-
sion, n constitutional convention =" Yet the
fact remains that BOULiNGER was supported
by the reactiouarics II every kind-in-
cluding the B%onapTti'ts. the Orleanists,
- A.. IIo.f..f.- la .rtah ntpthSrs ac IL
css, suspicion upon the sincerity
~ bis platform, il platform 1t
can he called. As will be seen from our
Paris dispatches tins morning, one OF the
immedlste consequences OF the Govern
mept's defeSt was the rendering OF the rcsig'
nations Of the Mmrters. which resign,,ious,
however. President CAsNOr declined 10 ac-
cept. CaRNor appears TO h,ve developed
comnendable firmness aud balance in the
crisis, although IL Is stated that FLoUeuET,
who Il especially Objectionable 10 the Bou-
l~augis,s, will Insist upon retiring, thus de-
priy,ug the President Of one of his main
props. what appears now 10 be 3
more distant but none the less logical re-
sult IL general election that Will place
BorLASGER AZ the head OF the affairs
OF France. Certainly tuere seems at present
10 doubt that he il on the crest Of a popu.
lar wave bearing him To awards that goal and
will att,in il unlsss some unexpected
~ebeck-and the unexpected frequently hap
pens In Frsnce-shsil be encountered.
And should he attain Il, what thenf
lie, Us grant that B0ULASGER is not the cox
comb be has been 50 often pictured lei us
grant ihst be Ia honest in sis profession OF
Loyalty to toe republic; let us grant that no
v,sion OF dictatorship lures him on and that
no prophecy REGARDING "the man on horse-
back has turned his head; let us grant
tlst the suspIcisn be has incurred by reason
Of sope OF his political associations Is ia.
just and yet It 10 eompetent TO ask, Is he
the leader 10 keep France at peace with her
ne,gbbon and hold her 10 a course OF happi-
ness and progress! Could he sink the
soldier In the stssesnnan, resist the cry
for revenge upon Germany. and suppress
bis " snsit.sn for military renown.
Though Gsrnaay N on guesdshe IL nevsrthe-
less defiant, ssd bsw losg would ~BouLAsGER,
intoxicated with success and egged on AS
well bv the sssmies Of the republic Is BY its