The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-03-02
The New French Cabinet.

lne Now rFcuCu SbDluets
The Ministry which President CARNor has
ut last succeeded in framing Is In three i'm
portant points identical with that which
NJ. Rouv1ER projected. NJ. ROUvIER HIM
self retains the post Of Minister OF Finance,
which he held in tho Cabinet lately over
thrown. and NJ. DE FREYCrNET and NJ. RI
DOT keep their former places in the War
Office and Foreign Office. SO far. then. as
the fiscal and foreign policy Of France and
the organization and management OF its
army are concerned. the crisis has had no
effect whatever. From tho viewpoint OF
Russia the French republic. however fiuc-
tuating may he it's attitude toward the
Catholic Church and questions Of internal
politics. can be trusted to fulfil the promises
which 1t makes to it's allies. aud to uphold
the guarantees OF efficient cooperation.
II We look at tho other members of this
Cabinet. we shall SEQ that it is the outcome
OF an effort to conciliate factions essentially
irreconclable. 1t was evidently such n
purpose that inspired tho selection OF the
new Premier, for Senator LouBET. though
he held one Of the less conspicuous posts In
n former Ministry. is as little known to the
French people as was NJ. SADI-CARNOT
candidate at a time when NJ DE FREYcINET
and NJ. JULES FERRY were contending for
the Presidency OF the republic. All that Is
known of NJ. LoUBET is that while occupy
ing q seat in the Senate he has consistently
and quietly voted with tho moderate Re-
publlcans. One could understand the desig-
nation Of such man rs figurehead and
stop-gap for the place OF President Of the
Council. but NJ. LouBET is. in addition. to
discharge the functions Of Minister of the
Interior. One can see two reasons for
choosing a relatively obscure and inoffen-
sive person for an Office which. in the
hands Of men like NJ. RoUHER and NJ. Con-
STAINS. has proved formidable IL not de-
cisive lever OF influence In general elections.
No one believes that dissolution of the
French Parliament can BIO long deferred.
and not only the monarchlsts and Bou-
langists. but also tho extreme Radicals. will
appreciate an assurance OF fair play which
they certainly could not expect from n.
constants. Then. again. rs the next Cham
Der will take part in the election OF Presi-
dent OF the republic. it is OF great moment
to M. CARNOT that the Minister OF the In
terror shall. in selecting and supporting
candidates. regard the interests OF the man
who made him rather than his own. That
might not have been the course pursued by
NJ. CONsTANs. who has for some time been
posing as the right man for the Chief
Magistrate. Senator LOUBET, on the other
hand. who has made no impression on the
country and has had no following OF his
own, can probably be trusted to carry out
the wishes of his dlscoverer and beneiactor.
There are two moro signs OF an intent to
propitiate the Clerical Conservatives on the
ono hand and the Radicals on tho other NJ.
FALLIEREs. who somewhat hastily and
needlessly prosecuted the Archbishop OF
AK and thus checked the natural effect OF
tho Pope's friendly overtures. has been
definitely dropped. The sacrifice OF this
man will be construed as warning against
the exhibition Of too much zeal on the part
Of the Anti-Clericals. On the other hand.
in the retention OF NJ. BURGEoIs as Minis
ter O. Public Instruction. the Radicals re-
ceive pledge that their programme OF
secular education will be vigorously i'd
hered to. BY these two concessions. made
to the Right and Left respectively. NJ.
CARNoT obviously hopes to avert n combl-
nation OF those factors for purely dcstr,ic-
two purposes. 1t must. however. be noted
that while no may have strengthened himself
on his two wings. he has weakened himself
in the Centre. All OF the 2ls members who
stood by NJ. DE FREYCINET in the division
which caused his downfall cannot be de-
pended on to support Cabinet from which
| NJ. constants Is excluded. That Is plain
from the indignant outcrics OF tho news
papers devoted to tho late Minister OF the
Interior. including particularly the Rfpub-
lique FRANCHISE. Nor Is there any doubt
that In their protests these journals repre-
sent the feelings OF NJ. JULES FERRY. whose
influence. though unobtrusivc. is still con-
siderable. The new Ministry will, there
fore. have to deal with an element OF oppo-
sition in tho ranks OF tho Opportunists.
who haze hitherto constituted the core OF
President CARNoT's supporters.
1t Is manifest from this analysis OF the
| conditions under which the new Ministry
| takes Office, that its tenure of power de-
| ponds entirely on the tolerance OF NJ.
| CLEMENCEAU. He can no doubt upset the
LoUBET Cabinet, as he did its predecessor.
| by compelling 1t to define precisely its In
tentlons with relation to the Church. IL
| this burning question can be avoided by the
| Government, the leader Of the extreme Left
may consent for while to keep his hands
| off In consideration OF his desire to keep NJ.
DE FREycINET in the War Office. and Of the
retention of NJ. BOURGEOIS in the Ministry
| OF Public Instruction. But how can the
question OF the attitude OF the French re-
public to Catholicism be shelved even tom
| poraiily. In view OF the Pope's recent oil
| cycllcal to tho French Bishops and OF Presi-
dent CARNoTs reply? What is to prevent
| n friend OF NJ. constants from forcing the
Ministry 10y an Interpolation to explain
exactly what the Chief Magistrate meant by
| the cordial terms in which no accepted the
Popes ovcrtures! 1t is absurd to sup
pose that man Of stern and aggressive
character. like the late Minister OF the In
| terror, will submit without murmur to DO