Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-12
DERoULEDE AND THE LEAGUE

dispatches of late about the Patriots
League" that it will be of interest to
learn Just what it is that the French Re-
public has condemned. For there can be
no question about this action being very
important event in the history-making
now going on in France Paul Deroulede
is the nephew of NJ. Emile Augier He is
a poet, was a soldier, and is a man of brilli-
ant Imagination. His Chants du Soldat"
won him the Cross of the Legion of
Honor. Ten years ago his songs became
very popular in France, and SO continue,
for they have responded to the sore hurt OF
the reverses of French arms. The young
man was an Imperialist at heart, but was
forced to conceal his real sentiments
in the early days of the Republic.
Nevertheless he became a great ad-
mirer of Gambetta, and the latter
saw how useful the fiery poet could
be made to his fortunes. The poet had for
years cherished the idea of league or
brotherhood of Frenchmen, to foster ath-
letic games and exercises, with d view to
lettering the physique of the men who
must become, under a Republic, the de-
tenders of France, in fact, the chief ele-
ment of her armies. Behind this purpose
was the secret one of keeping alive the
idea of the recovery Of the lost provinces
that Germany wrested from France in
1901. Deroulede finally organized his
League" and it took" at once, and in a
few months had a monster muster roll
Nearly all the men in the present admin
istration were few years ago members o.
the organization. The founder of the
league was greatly depressed by the death
of Gambetta in 1882, and gradually fell
into the ways of the Radicals.
When the Tonquin difficulty came on,
the poet lamented that the treasures and
the soldiers of France were being wasted in
"a silly foreign policy" and would not be
comforted by Minister Ferry, who insisted
that the Tonquin policy was necessity,
and that France must maintain her as
tendency in Cochin China and advance her
commercial interests in that and all other
directions. 1t was no use Deroulede
looked upon the Cabinet as the enemy of
his country, and denounced Ferry as a
traitor, and much through his influence
the downfall of the Ministry was
brought about. The League in the
main has taken its political color from
its founder and leader, and so it too
became embittered against the Presidents,
and the Cabinets they named. But it was
very wise in IFS method and preached only
peace, order and liberty" though all the
while cultivating among the people the
hope of the recovery of Alsace and Lor-
raine. This work bore its fruit, and as
the German hand more and more pressed
out the French spirit, tongue and thought
in those provinces, the more bitter became
the League in denouncing Germany, and
the more mournful in weeping over the
losses of France.
In 1886, the Freycinet Ministry of
Observation-Disclosures came into power, and
among others picked up the youngest Gen
eral in the army and made him Minister
of War. lie was popular with the SOL
diers because he had introduced barrack
reforms, lightened the marching accouter-
ments, and abolished certain levies that
had been forced upon the officers by an old
lmperialist custom and that really went to
foster Imperial schemes. As Tener says
in the Forum, he rode beautiful horse
wonderfully well and came in with song
and hence into popularity with the Pa
risians. Boulanger was phenomenon in
French politics, for with the least mani
festation of ability, he attained in the
shortest time the most widespread popu-
larity. But, as the intelligent Paris cor
respondent of the New York Post well
explains, it is to be accounted for by the
fact that the General is the voice of the
discontinued, and also of the traditional
enemies of democratic forms of govern
ment. To Deroulede, more than 10 trans
lation into the Cabinet of Freycinet,
Boulanger owes his prominence. The
poet soldier saw in him plastic material, a
man in whom the very absence of sterling
qualities was an evidence of strength with
the protesting elements, which needed a
rallying-post more than a leader So
Deroulede took up Boulanger, and the
League began at once to shout the Gen.
erals name and to present him as the
coming redeemer of France from that con-
servatism that kept the nation at peace
with her greatest foe. But Jules Ferry
stood in the way of the new hero. and the
genius of Deroulede conceived the idea of
"howling him down. and it was so effect
lively worked that the elevation of that
able politician to the Presidency became
impossible, without imperiling the peace
OF Paris, if not OF all France. and Sadi
Carnot was chosen to succeed Grevy. Bat
Carnot has proved, as has many another
man taken up because of negative quail
ties, disappointment; he has developed
as a peace-keeper also-a ruler who pre-
fers prosperity TO war and the strength of
organization to the weakness of a policy
that is fashioned to please all elements.
Under Carnot, Derouledes automaton has
been driven into exile and the League
dissolved and put under the ban of the
Penal Code
OF the rcver>es of Boulangism, it is
TO be said, that they are more the re-
verses of Deroulede than Of Boulanger, for
he made the General possible. His songs
have done more to fire the French heart
than all else, and TO them is to be at
tributed most of the unrest that Boulan-
eism has sought TO ride into power upon.
Deroulede is one OF the most gallant SOL
diers modern timss have given France he
is splendid orator; his poems burn with
the fires Of patriotism, and his genius for
managing men is unequalled in his day.