The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1891-06-23
the FRENCH REPUBLIC.
evsots Which show That IL ID Gaining u
Strength.

Feat. Which show That It ID Calming b /
Strength.
Two recent events in France tend to |
show that the Republic. instead OF
growing weaker as time goes on, is be-
coming stronger, and more, instead OF |
less, satisfactory to the mass OF the
French people.
One of these events was the election
of a certain number of Senators for
terms of nine years. In this election
a decided gain of Republican Senators
was made, by which the Republican
majority in the upper house OF the
French Parliament is materially
strengthened. |
| The French Senators are elected, not
directly by the popular vote las the
Deputies are). but by an indirect
method. A convention, composed OF
the members of the councils of the de-
partment, delegates chosen by the COM
muual and city councils, and the depu-
ties who represent the department IN
the lower house of the Parliament, as
sembles and chooses the Senator for the
department
This method gives better chance
than universal suffrage for the selection
of men of monarchical, or at least con-
sentative. opinions, and thus the cleo
ton of additional Republican Senators
is more significant than would be the
case with the election of Deputies
The other symptom of the increasing
strength of the Republic lies in the
declaration in its favor of number OF
. prominent leaders in the French Roman
Catholic Church.
, Foremost among these is Cardinal
Lavigerie, who has become famous IN
, recent years for his Jealous efforts to
, suppress the slaye-trade. He has de-
clared that the French Roman Catholic
. Church should not remain in opposition
1 to the settled government, and that 1t
| should not encourage pretenders VINO
/ are seeking to overthrow the Republic
D and set up q monarchy in its place.
I The stand thus taken by one OF the
e most eminent and liberal-minded prin-
|. ces of the Church has been adopted by
;. other eminent prelates, such as the
{ Archbishops of Tours, Cambray and
( Rouen.
4 It is also said that a very large body
4 of the French priesthood have submit
e ted to this view of the prelates, and
have declared for the Republic.
d The support of the Church is matter
= of high importance to the Republic: fol
j hitherto, whenever a republic has beer
h attempted in France, it has always hae
;: to meet the hostility of the great mas.
" of the bishops and priests.
,e They have always been monarchists
believing that the monarchy was thu
,r form of government whose interest
Il would best harmonic with those OF tn
d Church, and which would be the mos
ready to defend the Church from tn
n attacks of its enemies.
10 The French Church, it is true, gave
lukewarm support to the Empire o
h Napoleon I'LL; but even during tn
he prosperous reign of that sovereign, tn
e: greater number Of priests and bishop
D. were ut heart in favor of restoration
III of the old monarchy.
~ 1t is probably good policy for tn
is Church to rally to the Republic. III
te present Government has already show
its ability successfully to resist man
h; and formidable assaults It has no,
it nearly completed its sixteenth year, II
nR | CONSTITUTION having oSSh 'oeSN ~ -.
M National Assembly on February 2
alt 1878; while in reality it has existe
We since the overthrow of the Empire
Ter 1870; and it is much stronger than WI
at cny previous French Government OF Il
oh century, although it has attained
ed greater age than any of them.
ed The First Empire fell after it hi
an been II power about eleven years IT
nd restored Bourbon monarchy was owe
an thrown in its fifteenth year. The Q
eat leans monarchy and the Second Empi
me each lasted Tor eighteen years.
!. With the suppression of its dynast
Ike enemies, and the accession to its su
{ a port of the great body Of the bisho
put anu priests. which will doubtless bril-
au- to it also the support Of large numbe
uld of the peasants, the Republic seen
nd according to present indications.
ar have still long life before it.-fontl
ga Companion.