New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-06
proof of subserviency, and to wait until ne1'
year for its pay.
ROUL1NGER'S MODEL.

Roulanper was somewhat of a mystery man"
70 NO NAV use Mr.. Brght's phrase but there
,.,s ora thing that was unmistakable in him.
ue was a Frenchman. He has been described
az Catiline plotting against the Liberties OF DIS
country AZ a Gracious counting the favor Oh
.ha lower classes. az Frederick the GREAT
osnirino 70 ayenge national disaster, and as
General Monk intriguing for the restoration OF
monarchy. All these parallels are at fault.
Roth in his vices and in his genius-for he could
not have attached thousands to his cause and
have been. as he was at one time, popular
hero without having genius-he was CHAR
acteristic product of French SOIL WhateVer
inspiration he drew from the examples OF others
whether great men or conscienceless adventur-
ORG was not borrowed from classic models nor
from the figures of German or English history
but from men of his own blood
Boulangers double was Napoleon ILL., Inc
.,,o mon were not unlike in their characteristic
traits and methods and in their sinister am
bitions. The crowned intriguer, who cheated
France out of its liberties, was utterly shame-
less in his private life, and so was 'Boulanger.
Napoleon III affected military genius courteu
popularty with the masses, BATTERED the army,
appealed insidiously to national vanity anu
promised restoration of military prestige among
the European camps. Boulanger had all these
traits AMI like Louis Napoleon between 1S4S
and 1851 he intrigued with all factions and
identified himself with none, displaying con-
summate talent for trickery, delighting to brood
in secret over his political projects, and pre-
ferrine to confuse and mislead his allies rather
than TO put confidence in them. Boulangers
political adventures were travesty upon the
career of Napoleon III in the sense that he
failed to accomplish his designs, whereas MS
double was singularly successful for twenty
wears in everything which he undertook; but
the spirit and motives of the two plays were
wholly in accord.
The crisis of Boulangers fortunes was reached
when he entered upon popular agitation Tor a
revision OF the constitution, and rallied about
him an enthusiastic army Of Socialists, Radicals
Clericalists, Imperalists and Royaists, That
was the only stage of his career when he seemed
to be destined to play a great part IN french
history and how characteristic of Louis Napo-
1oon was his attitude in that crisis He was
elected from Department after Department, pre-
ciselv az the older intriguer had been, and when
he took his seat as Deputy he had no policy
maiden speech, precisely as Louis Napoleon had
Numbered under similar circumstances, When
Theirs contemptuously derided him as having
wooden head. But with revision as con-
hiring phrase he continued his political agita-
ton. and carried election after election without
ernlainne TO any of his followers what were his
Interior purposes. 1t was the Napoleonic method
reproduced. Before the coup d'etat Louis Napo-
leon was not eligible to reelection to the Presl-
dency, but his partisans began an agitation IN
the Councils General for revision of the con-
stitution, which became national movement
Boulanger's tactics were those OF the sinister
genius which deliberately planned and carried
ont the crime of the I'd of December.
Boulangcr failed where Napoleon III succeed
cd. His overthrow, humiliation and exile were
signal proofs of the development of civic cour-
ape among Ministers and of the progress OF self
government in France since the downfall OF the
Empire Renan not long ago was complaining
that France, built up at the cost OF thousand
wears of heroism," was ruled by talents OF
commonplace order and guided "by an made
mlate conscience, ignorant of the past and re-
oardless ~ the future" What better answer
to his oueruous TRADE can there be than the
oollanse of a career like that Of BOulanger?
He was another tricbster like Louis Napoleon
working on the same lines and for purposes
equally selfish and unpatriotic' With all his
destinations of manner and political dexterlty
he was soon found out and exposed to public
contempt What was practicable in 1851 was
impossible forty years after. France had come
to have too lucid political intelligence, too
sound conscience, to tolerate so hollow
NapoIeonic travesty as Boulangism.