Omaha daily bee., 1889-03-25
BOULANCER'S TOURS SPEECH
He Affects Conservatism and Rec
1spect for Religion.
WILL NOT HELP IMPERlALlsrs!
Refuses to BE a Battering Ram ia
Destroy the Republic or King
Maker to Restore Mon
archy,
Criticisms of tho Press.

tCoppr'tpht 1889 bu James Gordon Bcnnst,.1
PARIS, March 24,-TNew York Herald
Cable-Specal to THE BEE. General Bou.
langer's Tours speech has been during tho
last week the subject Of daily comment and
discussion in the Paris press. 1t is interestt
ing to notice how the monarchical sheets, or
those which, with more or less enthusiasm
or resignation, have accepted the electoral
alliance between their party and the Bou.
langists, receive the republican profession Of
faith so energctically formulated at Tours.
1t is evident that the journals and monarch
lists of this stripe are not at all pleased
with Boulanger's declaration that ha
would not give them any kind
of assistance IN their restoration
projects, and that the duty of batterinG
ram for the destruction of the republic, or
of king maker, that they had complacently
assigned to him, was not at all what suited
him. Monarchists of this category have not
on that account thrown Boulangerism. They
have persuaded themselves into the belief
that after Boulanger has aided them to re-
tain their seats in the chamber and to secure
now ones, they will be strong enough to
throw overheard their powerful ally and pro.
tector. They indulge in the pleasant antici-
patton that it will then be in their power to
force the president of the republic to con-
vene a constitutional assembly and to
so shape its action that the result
will be in accordance with their wishes.
These monarchial hopes and combinations
are treated with much incredulity by inde-
pendent conservative journals. The Figaro,
in an article which attracted much attention,
pointed out the weak points of these plans,
and expressed the belief that the scheme
could only result in the consolidation of the
republic by bringing into existence strong
government of which the head would be
Boulanger 1t is also interesting to observe
the Interpretation that the radical elements
Of Boulanger's supporters put upon
the conservative declarations and mod
crate ideas expressing federation al
respect for religion that are contained
in the Tours speech. An article by Nj. Na-
quet merits attention from this point of view.
In the article NJ Naquet says that the adj
herents Of the national party, as the Boulang-
lists now call themselves, should not be either
clericals nor Jacopins, and he blames those
who have followed religious questions and
for the petty warfare they have waged
against the clergy. The republican press has
not failed in this connectionto recall the fact
that radical members of the Boulangist party
took very active and willing part in this
anti-reI1glous policy; that M. Laguerre. Le
Herrisse and Naquet himself, showed them
selves very warm partisans of the seculariza-
ton of public schools, and that military
service for seminary students and priests
has all along been an article of faith with M.
Naquet.
All these discussions show how difficult it
is for Boulanger to have programme which
will bring into accord his followers, who
have come from the opposite corners of tho
political horizon. In spite of this the alliance
of monarchistc aud radicals is still kept up
under his leadership. The former submit to
hearing the republic lauded as the only pos
sible form of government for France and
the latter consent TO forget for the present
that war on the clergy has always been tho
first and most important plank in their plat
form.