New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-07-24

SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OF CONSERVATIVE
RtPI' BLICANISM

IN . cloeo I. - q necessity of the sltuatloh'
the work il not finished, but senators '", .,rns
ties are needed to engineer the coii"s -, ,a.
in their Departments. The present
have carried on the methods Of the ios' '"on''
years. These are the Radical or upiVo"".
methods, and to be expected III ''''
nings Of a Republic which sprang from revoiu-
ton. 1t is perhaps not altogether o"i"e " 49,.
methods that the Republic has finally grown In'o
the vital existence of the French peop~' 'i"'' ~
itself has been slowly but surely removing '"e
partisans Of the old regimes People are now
beginning to ask whether the fever OF radical
ism. if continued. will not uproOt what the he-
public itself has planted
TIE events which have been happening ou'Siue
the Chambers during the last few monuis nave
far-reaching significance which ! do not reiheni-
Ter to have seen noted in the foreign press ~
the mind OF one who has had years OF cioSe coh-
tact with the minds OF France, II Is in"c"
weightier than the deliberation Of the Assembly,
itself II marks nothing less than the SLOWLY
vatbern0 tide OF "A reaction-not in former
wears reaction against the Republic, pu'
reaction in the Republic against Radical methods.
In late number of the Revue des DeuX MOhueS
a writer has wisely remarked that Cohser '!'Sui
is an instinct and is exercised on what Is acIu-
allv before it. The new Conservatism, therefore,
which the Republic has already gained and which
a continued Radicasm, also an instinct con-
,tantly demanding satisfaction, tends TO nproot.
So far the growth OF Conservative Repubh-
csnism has been a movement Of public opinion,
chiefly among the young, rather than the f0rna-
ton Of new political party, but il Is bound 70
lie heard in years 10 come in the National Assem-
blv The most striking illustration Of the power
il has gained was seen in the events connected
with the election Of Professor Ernest LaVlsSe W
the French Academy Writers unacquaintei WIN
the Inducements Of French thought could hot
understand this choice of a mere professor, whose
literary work i. little known abroad, ana VINO
occupies no theatrical position at home 10 lar
a. have been able 10 gather from the press out
side u France his election was referred 10 me
Acadcmy'- obstinate desire 10 exclude VI. I0a
from seat with the Forty Immortals: some few
correspondents thought that the painNtaking anu
really remarkable work Of NJ. Lavl-'e on TIE
recent history of Germany warranted the choice
In reality. Professor Lavtsse, moee than any
other one man in France. represent thar element ol
Young France which thinks; and tins thlhhIls'
though far enough from being Clerical or Mon'rrh-
IL. i. decidedly Conservative lie is properly the
ounder the giant Association Of Students, when
spreads through all tnr university centres of the
Academiciau that he invited to preside over the
banquet in Nancy. where the university students
of all France were assembled with their guests from
Bohemia and the other parts of Europe Which are
in sympathy with France. The presence OF Fresl
dent Carnot and the carefully ordered chance NlSlt
Of the 1T ssan Grand Duke may have had more
p,.ttrL sieI tcance but they did not more really
rcpreent lie new spirit which Is c'in'h- over tho
Younger and healthier part OF this great nation
The tumultnous celebrations in the Latin Quarter
on the nigh' of NJ Iavis-e's election would have
told thoughtful man what II meant 10 the great
student life " Paris and Paris, with lis Norb)nne
aud multtudinOus colleges Of every faculty, Is SIN
the centre Of that life Of youth and study from
which the greatness OF France has always sprung.
In the first place, the new Conservatism does
not he .ieye that the vital struggle Of the French
Republic is To- be against religion Professor La
wise is 50 far from being Clerical that all his
political affiliations OF the past have been in the OPP
poaitc camp: but. like his fellow Acadcmcian, the
historian lane, vino Is n rank POsltiNist, he has
nothing in common with those politicians who now
rule the French Chambers, and 0y continual pre't-
batting and other annoyance OF French Catholics.
do their best 10 prevent the peaceful union of all
Frenchncn in the Republic. |, il 10 this paciiico
tion ~ necessary 10 national strength and well
being that much of Professor layisse > work has
been directed. few years ago IL required some
courage the part OF IL student Of the university
to MA he any public display of his religion. To-day
the Catholic Students Association ut the Luxem- |
bourg i, one Of the most popular and influential of
It's kind Perhaps the mind of the new movement |
in regard t. present meddlng with religion the |
part Of the Government il bes; represented in re-
cent cartoon OF one Of the comic papers Of the |
boulevard The Minister Of Justice and Public |
Worship is standing abstTactedly before black |
board on which he crosses Oh one after the other !
the pecuniary appointments Of various refractory |
bishops Meanwhile Of the victims of the !
Panama Canal tasco is vainy begging for a hear
Ing We are evidently far from the time when
Oamhetta gave the watchword which has been too
blirdly followed: E" Le clcricasm"-v.ia len
ncml,
Another point Of union for the new party, is
the conviction which mas been gaining ground !
that a reform or a rc-mahinp Of French morals i,
imperative Here Professor lAvssr is perhaps not
SO well known rs VI. Melchor de Vogue WHOSE
introduction of the Russian novclists into the
literature Of Western Europe has made of him
a kind of French Tostoi VI. de Vogue has re-
Gently explained in IIarper's Magazine" the
present status Of the Neo-Christian movement in
France Its influence is not merely that of =
literary school. In that ease IT might be limited
10 the mystic romanccs and misty poems of some
clique in the Latin Quarter. IL has in reality
taken hold OF large portion OF the students
and Younger thinkers of France who are not
willing 10 accept the full Catholic position In
such body of men il il evident that movement
Of minds will presently turn to positive action.
W. Paul Desjardins. in MS recent little book on
/" The Present Duty" has announced the lines
Of future action in general way. One of the
editors of the " Revue DIES Dcux Mondes" who
is in hearty sympathy with the movement, informs
me that particular action is to be taken during
the coming year. probably under the form OF
ethical conferences Whatever may be thought
Of the possibility Of morals without some bos,s