New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-01-11
cTILL A RIBOT MINISTRY.
~ UNEXPECTED TURN IN THE FRENCH
CRISIS.
.,oprIyr CHANGES MADE IL THE CABINET
cur CASES OF NJ. DE FREYCINET AND NJ
,orpEr-M. FLooUET's TRAGIC FALL.
(BY CABLE TO TIE TIIBrNE.)

c.,v,iont; 1893: By The Tribune Association.
,-;s Ian 1O.-The crisis has taken an unex
80 trrn and there is a new Ministry, though
r.m a Ribot Ministry, bat with very important
go The resignation and reconstruction OF
~. Cabinet we've well-kept secret. 1t was
,-.ur 70 nobody this morning outside the Ely
o. T. certainly was not known at the hest In
...r,ed Embassy in Pars-an Embassy which has
..,ons of its own for learning AT the earliest
..oment whatever concerns, as this does, the
r.nch Foreign Office. No morning paper had
.s,cested this obvious way out Of the difficulties.
scme of the difficulties. which beset the situa-
VA, Everything is obvious after 1t has hap
...d II was first proclaimed in an evening
..r.r which signalizes itself most often by
.,..dfast abstinence from truth
ca completc was the surprise that the first re-
u.,r IN every side was that it was cocarde,
-,,ch is now good French for canard. Presently
:. hocame known that, although it had appeared
~ tbe "Cocarde." it true. The hvclest
..,;actures were heard on all sides hat the true
..n,onaton is the simplest. The alternative
I;oh l.v before the Cabinet collective
..;,r.tion or the political execution of at least
.no ~ ,ts members and probably two. II was
nsnxbt hos. that everybody should resign. NJ.
p;hot included The paper above named, which
rin car ANYTHING, says that 1t is Carnot coup
Ts,at. that II will fail, and that its failure VIII
.omnel the President himself to resign quote
This because it will give you good notion OF
the nonsense which certain people and papers
= po,;. think it worth while TO talk, and to
print. ,o,;.;o,, mn
ro.uvre. il is none the less perfectly parlla-
m.ntarv and constitutional act, in strict accord
ance with precedent. 1t conforms both 10 the
letter and the spirit of the law. The effect OF
1t is another matter 10 Is TOO soon 70
Judge of its effect on public opinion; nor is
,h.re anythirg in Paris which can be called
public opinion in politics There are opinions
ss MANY of them as there groups in the
Chamber, plus the still more numerous groups
in the streets and sections of Paris.
The plain truth is that Vi. de Freycinet would
have had 70 CO. lie was saved the other day
only by the intervention of VI. Carrot. aud it
WAS known that even VI. Carnot could not
rescue him permanently from the consequences
Of his own fault. Panama lies behind him.
II is the end of q brilliant, if not Of great
career, which VI. de Frcycinct has long hoped
would end in the Presidency. Ii is also real
misfortune for France. She has not had so
competent a Minister Of War since Carno: or
ganized victory for the First Republic. As Prime
Minister, as Foreign Minister and in many an
other high Office NJ. de Frevcinet has shown great
capacity; but it is row believed that he had not
capacity enough 10 see that he could rot touch
Panama without being dehled.
NJ Loubct's case is different. He had simply lost
the confidence of his colleagues and of the public
His latest mistale-the interviews in which he
undertook to carry ". Rouvier his back-was
not his greatest, but il was the proverbial straw
Nor was ne strong enough for the Ministry Of
the Interior at such a moment as this France
wanted Minister who would maintain order
N. Lnubet was Minister who would maintain il
beautifully, so long it not disturbed or
threatened. Nobody felt quite sure what he would
do in crisis.
" Ribot's first act in forming new Cabinet
is TO appoint himself Minister of the Interior
That is at least an act of courage, and courage is
to-day invaluable If NJ. Ribot be not an IDEAL
Minister for anxious tines not a Constans, he at
least has record of timidities, vacillations and
uncertain temper behind him, like the estimabe
NJ Loubet.
The third point Of interest was the Ministry Of
Justice, which Bourgeois retains: or, technically
speaking, resumes. II could not be otherwise
There are those who say that this short-livc1
Cabinet has been frcm the beginning more
Bourgeois Cabinet than a Rbot Cabinet That
Is an cxasecration, but NJ Bourgeois has taken
strong line Of his own on Panama, and oil some
other matters lie has faced and almost chac"d
N. Brisson, who at one time seemed on the point
Of monopoizirg the powers Of this Ministry with
bis committee. To leave NJ Bourgeois out of the
new Cabinet would have been surrender to NJ
Brisson. and again the question would be raised
whether the Brsson Committee or the Ribot Min
iary was going to govern France There was, In
truth, question of leaving him out am but
stating in its strongest form the necessity Of keep
Ing him in. The new Minister of War will
probably he an eminent general, while
NJ Develle is indicated as the new Foreign Min
ister
Seldom has Paris sccn nuieter day than TINS
Tuesday which had been appointed for reTo-
luton. There has been a political sensation, but
nowhere the least sign Of violence or agitation
no gathering in the streetG, mono on the Place dc
10 Concorde or about the Chamber OF Dcpn-
ties. There were not, at o'clock this after
noon 100 persons at or near the entrance 10 the
Chamber. The approaches TO the Chamber looked
exactly as they look on ordinary days. No force
Of police or troops was visible. Precautions had
been taken agaIrss the Impossible anu
against tho Unforeseen: but the forecast
Of the Project OF Police proved accurate, and his
precautions were of no avail except 70 quiet his
own mind ard Others. The columned front OF the
Palais rose gray and still against the gray after
noon sky, and tho flow of the gray waters OF the
Seine beneath the bridge is az tranquil as ever
Such commo.ion as there is occurs inside. Inc
question which raises il Is. OF course the question
whether ". Floquct shall be reelected President
OF the Chamber OF Deputies. the third Office OF the
Republic in dignity. There would Seem t. be-
difculty IN opposing man aeainat whom thcre
Is no canddate hut the French genius for poll
ties is superior 10 such trifcs that. He IA al
lacked by abs.eaton. The Right resolved on Two
hings-to demand iha: the - should be taken
oy calling the rcll, and then 10 refuse to answer
70 their All III, reactionary papers nave
oeen saying for days that there is widespread
feeling thu, ho mas mn lonc.r . candidate. An