The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-25
CARNOT'S HONESTY
1t Is the Keystone of the
Republic.
HE CANNOT BE IMPEACHED
But With His Fall Falls France, and
This Is a Time When Com
spirators Spare Nobody.
Special to TIE MORNING CALL

NEW YoRK. Dec. 24.-Smalley cables TO
the Tribune from London as follows: The
moment has come in France when the quail
ity most needful to those who wish well to
the republic is GOODNESS. There is danger,
but the greatest danger of all is the belief
In danger. The same thing is true else
where for all wellwishers of the French
Republic. No real notion Of the situation
Is begot by ereduious acceptance of every
report or rumOr sent flying out Of Paris
There are those who send false reports
knowingly. There is quite enough Of the
Panama scandal which is true. but there is
not enough for the purposes Of the scandal
moDgers and coDspirators who are using the
Panama agitation against the republic. But
the ripening OF the huge plot takes time
There is not, down to this morning, any
outbreak against the Government. The
streets of Paris are quiet. The provinces
are quiet. There is only excitement, aud the
eonspirators who have created it and are
fomenting il are men who well understand
how TO play upon and how to play with
popular passions.
The hour has not. In their opinion, yet
struck for disturbances, nor does it seem to
be true that Prince Victor Napoleon is In
Paris. There Is very good evidence that he
is still In Brussels. Those two stories. the
story OF the riot and the story of Prince
Victor's journey to the French capital, were
current yesterday. They were by far the
most alarming OF many rumors. What is
more serious than any rumor is the rapidly
spreading belief that the republic has now
TO defend Itself against a very real and I'M
IMMINENT peril. Perhaps nowhere but in
France would this peril be serious, or no.
where, at least. but In Latin nation. 1t is
serious in France because of the excitable-
ness and lmpatienee Of the people, of their
proneness 10 accept charges without proof
and because, for more than 100 years, tur-
oulent minority In single city has over
and aver again showed itself able TO over
awe the majority, ierrorize the country and
set up pyramid on It's apex, and nothing
can be simpler than the scheme of the men
who are conducting the present campaign.
They mean 10 persuade France that her
rulers are corrupt, and to ask her to over
throw both them and the republic 1T is
the republic that has begotten corruption /;
send its rulers down with IL" Such is the
cry Of the men who are the political heirs Of
tie second empire.
The attempt to drag President Csrnops
name into the Panama vo rick has had no
success. A Deputy with the not very
French name of Caifarelli. after much bab-
bic in the iobbies Of the Chamber, finally
went before the Brisson committee and
swore that be had heard Ives Guyot say
that he saw CoDstans hand Carnot list of
the persons bribed. II Guyot said Il, and If
1t we're true, it proves nothing Guyot was
summoned before Brisson, and he refused
to 90 on the express ground that Caifareli
had played the part of a spy and had both
repeated and twisted private talk in order
&c in1uTe the President. CaTnot will survive
worse attacks than that. He has been good
President. He has done his constitutional al
duties under enormously difficult circum-
stances. He has gained the respect of
millions OF his fellow citizens, who, when
be was elected five years ago. had never
heard OF him or thought him a nobody. He
has shown prudence, good sense, devotion,
gagscty even. OF his honesty there has
been no suspicion. There is one now, but
this is moment when eaIumny spares no.
body. If be is attacked, il is because be is
the keystone Of the Republican arch. The
fabric will not fall while he keeps his place
Last Saturdays Cabinet meeting was in
the nature of a practical joke. Those san
guine persons who believed that Gladstone
bad at last resolved to take his colleagues
and the public into his confidence on home
rule were sadly disappointed. Other and
more reasonable expectations were also
disappoin ted. 1t is still uncertain whether
The Cabinet as whole know Gladstone's
mind on the subject of home rule, or
he theirs, or whether he knows his
own. There is much talk of a Cab
met committee which is supposed to
De wrestling with the home rule
bill. There may be such a committee, but
there Is no reason TO suppose that any act or
decision by such body would be held
binding by the author OF its official being.
Nothing is binding on Gladstone but the
necessity OF getting votes to carry his bill.
Ii anything may be asserted with con-
hdeuce about Saturdays Cabinet meeting.
It 10 that no decision was then taken about
home rule. The subject was not discussed,
or WAS only incidentally discussed.