The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-05-04
THE FRENCH INDEPENDENTS
Discussing ,hc Formation Of Constitn-
tioua Opposition.


There is enough. however. that is distinct
i've about the latest addition 10 the list--the
Independents to justify rather more atien-
tion than is ordinarily paid TO such arrivals.
The Independents are fraction ot Tue
Right, the point Of difference between me
two being The attitude that ought TO DC
maintained towards The Republican iorin
of government. The Independents hold
mat the time has come for the formation oi
a constitutional Oppostion-an oppositloh'
that is which shall he directed against the
Administration of the Republic, not against
the Republic itself. They are not Repubii.
can bv taste OF convictions; they would
doubtless prefer monarchy If monarchy :
were TO be- had. But political life Is not IN
their judgement. a matter of pure theory.
THE POLITICAL BEST.
The political best is the attainable, not
he ideal best. They see, as, indeed,
fhcv cannot help seeing, that what more
tpan ANYTHING else has made the admins
iraiion of the Republic what II Is, has necn
the refusal of the right 10 dissociate policy
from institutions. The Republican govern
ment so the Right has argued has been
arbitrary. intOlerant wasteful; therefore let /
ms do away. not with the Republican gov
eminent. but with the Republic. tniortu-
natelv for the success Of this policy. the
country. though il shared in the dislike OF
the Republican government, did not snare
in the dislike of the Republic. ON The con
trary. whenever it has had 10 choose, II has
chosen. though by dwinding maiorties. 10
keep both rather than lose both.
PORN AND SUBSTANCE.
To the pure Right this preference has been
"A matter of no concern. With them The form
is more than the substance. They would
rather live under a bad Monarchy than under
u II IA ipIlnlf4Ignt- = /
is different. They are not prepared TO acqui-
esce i'm being ill.gOyerned, because 10 try TO
be better governed would involve recognl-
tion q, the Republic they have come AFT
last 10 see that the Right live In world OF
the past and the future which has no conncc-
ton with the actual world OF the present
and that if they are to influence the present.
they must recognize the difference between
facts as they are, and facts as they would
like them 10 De. The Independents are
anxious not to break away from the party 20
which they have hitherto belonged. But IL
takes two to maintain union as well as u |
make quarrel. and we suspect that III ihis
case the co.OperatiOn Of one viii be- want
ing. The Right will re1ld The programme Of
the Independents with something more IMAM
indifference. OF. rather, they VIII not lroU-
Die themselves 20 read II. IL Is the Work OF /
men who have determined to accept the Re-
public. 10 De content with things as they |
are. to let the nation impose on them the in- |
stitutiOns II happens 10 like. TO The gene /
uine RoIalist. "A man who accepts the r. /
public. no matter i'm what spirit, Is as bad /
as a Republican.
TIE PROGRAMME.
Yet the indepedcnt programme. wien |
looked at with uniaIndiccG eyes, Is IN almost |
every particular a profession Of thorough /
reasonable Conservatism. Ii is. in fact, Just /
such programme as the Republican eoN-
eminent. if It were Wise, would lons ago
! have nut out on its own behalf The Object !
| of the INDEPENDENTS j. 10 help on the torila- !
| ton of a new Ministerial majority. and with
that view TO support necessary reforms
without reference 10 the quarter from Which
| they come These reforms include financial
| economy. no new loans and no new taxes;
| the repeal Of the laws Of exile; liberty a.
| the cOmmunes 10 set up Olunilry schools
where they prefer them; permission % lnin-
| istpr. of religion To give religious lu-irir-
| ton in elementary schools 10 children wl..-
| ing to receive il; "a rendering of the mali
| itarv law which shall secure ihe
cultivation of the higher studies
and the maintenance Of the supply
of Clergy: protection of agriculture.
| and careful study of questions relating iD
| labor. With the exception Oh protection.
which is now the common property OF ali
1
that can De objected 20, nor that j. even
strange to French ears. On the contrary. 10
is precisely what the Nise,l Republicans
have for years past been urging upon men
of their own party. Men as diverse a. VI.
Jules simon and NJ. Chailemel iacour have
preached the dangers ID the Republic oi in-
tolerance and extravaganza. the necessity
Of Cancellation and public irugaliN. nay
we hope thai now that these eminent it-
]. q Inn if. D..
nendents. they will by degrees gain strength
i'm the legislature, and either make !he
present government what il ought 70 Dc, on
replace il by another: .
MODERATE MEN OF ALL PARTIES.
Reasonable a. this inquiry sounds. 1T j.,
not one that can be answered with conf
dence. \ government administered ON
these principles would command the com
ldencc Of moderate men OF all parties and
no one who is not fanatic doubts that
moderate men form a majority Of the French
people. But government administered Vu
these principles is not so easily mad. II Is hoi
enough that the Ministers in Paris preach
cancellation. and desire all their suborIi-
mates to practice IL. What is wanted is
some guarantee that these suhordiuai--
will do what their chiefs bid them. VIZ
lister can but give general directions; IL
rests with the subOYdinatcs 70 put them into
effect. 4 subordinate does not reply Ia The
Minister with an express refusal to be con-
cilatory.
Ifheh has torcply at all. it is with proluse
assurances of his determination 20 carry
out his supcriOr's wishes. But IN eacn par
ticular case he has q, decide for himself
what Cancellation means, and in all proba-
bility his reading of the term is very diiler-
ent from that which would bee accepted al
Paris. lie is ignorant, preiudiced, aud
perhaps brutal. and such a man can hardly
! be cOnciiatOry il he WEI. Bui .n All lioha-
| bility he does not wish to DE .coociliaiory.
He is himself legacy from days when
merely 20 talk OF Cancellation marked a
man as "a traitor 10 the Republic; and the
peopIe 10 whom he is to show himself con-
ciliatorv are not ROyallsts and Catholics 100
the abstract. but men with whom De has
been at bitter cnmity all his life.
Consequently, the directions OF the Minis
ter are not ODcycd, or obeyed very imlDl-
fectly. or Obeyed IN great things and dis
obeved i'm those small things which really
do more than anything else 10 make gov
eminent popular or unpopular. IL may De
objected ih-f self-iniercst will ALWAYS make
an official anxious 10 do what his chief tells /
him: but in the present case tins general
rule Is qualified 10y two considerations. ~
the first place. the subordinate, even
if he il convinced that the Minis
Ter means WHAT ne edAo, j. hpt dt
MI sure that he will long be in posi-
lion 10 say il. lie looks to the efforts Of the
Extreme Left to make it impossible for a
Moderate Minister to keep both his opinions
and his Office and it must be admitted hat
for the most part he does not look IN vain.
II is so long since the Republic paid amy
heed TO Thiers' c0unsels. the Len Centre
has 30 long ceased TO have any place i'm
French politics, that disbelief III any rcu
and permanent change Of Republican pol
lev is very natural and very obstinate. In
The second place Cancellation. ii il serves
for his immediate interest, does not make
at all for b,- ultimate interest 1t is not by
any process Of natural selection that he got
his present post. There are many |
men i'm the town or in the district
who are Tar more respectable as 10
character and far better fitted to do the !
work. They were passed over, and he was
appointed because he was able and willing |
10 recommend himself TO the Radical gov
eminent while they were not His chance |
of Keeping his place, or OF seeing his son
succeed 10 H. depends on the continued ca |