New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-12-27
EMILE OLLIVIER'S DEFENCE.
FIXING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR 1870
THE SCAPEGOAT OF FRENCH DIS
AeTER-CRITICISMS AND REVE-
LATIONS.
Paris, December I.

Minister the most distinguished among the liberal
theorists of France This was NJ Emile oiilVer'
In his gold embroidered dress coat Whlch was thci
the uniform of the President of the Council of Min
,sters NJ oliver mounted the tribune of the Senate
IN Anru TO proDose the new Constitution. lie pore
himself with proper dignity, as became the most
ornate orator Of his time. the statesman VINO was
lust entering the French Academy, ana VINO hdh
already reconced the principles or the frehcil
revolution of 1889 with the rooted tradition OF
authority In view of the coming Vatican Coun-
ell he had even laid down accurately the exact
limits of the power of the Pope. lie was conscious
that he was laying deep the foundations o. 'he
liberal Empire
BY summertime all his fine reforms were
troubled by the growing difficulties with Prussia,
whore the already all-powerful Bismarck had
plotted with the Spanish Republican. General Prlm'
10 put forward a Hohenzollern prince as cahnl-
date for the vacant throne OF Spain BISMARCK
was bent on precipitatinS the war with France
which was sure come sooner or later By July
he had managed to puzzle thoroughly the ailhs
French Emperor and lead his Minister or FOR
eign Affairs, the Due de Gramont, INTO supplying
the material Of dangerous kilograms from MS
own head. BY a skilful manipulation OF 'heSe
dispatches he next persuaded his honest but stohd
King Wilhelm insult by a severe reprlmahu
Benedett. the French Ambassador to his court
and to refuse further communication with MN
Emile Olivier. with an air OF triumph on MS
handsome face. rising 10 his full height ana III '"a'
golden voice which lent such charm TO ms literary
exnostion OF the commonest subjects of politics.
was reading to the French Parliament the renun-
citation OF Prince Leopold OF Hohenzoern TO any
pretensions to the Spanish throne when the news
arrived. He had known nothing OF TINS ne" Ooi'-
n,cation The tumult in the legislative chamber
was Undesirable. Instead OF the philosophic peace
which the statesman OF the liberal Empire thought
he had secured n single cry arose from every part
of the House: ION to Berlin The cry spread
10 the streets all Paris illuminated its windows
that very night and till morning but the one cry
was heard. for vengeance on the PrusSiah' Eve"
liberal Empire could do no more than declare wal
on the spot.
In the first davs OF September Napoleon was
prisoner OF the Prussan King. and the Parsians
without further delay installed the Repuphc !"
Mace OF the liberal Empire. And VI. Emile oIi'le'
duly disappeared from public sight
Every one knows the successive disluslohHhs VI
the French people Instead OF advancing to Eerlh'
tbe, wore forced TO submit the Germans entering
paris and to see the unity of new German I'm
rire consummated by the GROWING OF haiSe' ~"
helm I in the halls OF Louis XIV AT Ners"''''S'
They were Obliged TO pay the expenses OF 'he wal
which they had so rashly accepted, ana the" Wo
cherished provinces of Alsace ard Lorraine were
.nnexed by the conqueror. All bat this last ueN
might have forgotten with time rs IL IS 'he oi''E
consolation of France has been. ever since 10 inv,
q scapegoat on which to throw Inc IeSpo''''''''
OF her disasters. .,, 90
=. NJ Emile olivier He evidently fears TINS MN
Golf although he has resisted for so man! years
the temptation TO justify himself. NO" '''' Nv =
seventy years OF he comes ior"a'u WIZ,
long, inded history. in seven volumes oil MS io
araI Fmnjre The first volume was puplshen d
week ago and the others are to follow at inter vars
of three months coincding with the twen'y-h'th
anniversary OF the liberal Empires rse-ahd iaii
To an eye witness OF the whole course OF eNe".s
in 1870 II must that the entire frehch peVP'o
are responsible for the war as 1t finally came ao'u'
II there Is an exception should he made IN FAVOR
NJ Nanoleon III himself. He alone Of those IN
power seems to have had msgvings OF 'he 'ed'
strength OF France and he delayed the ma oeo'a'd
,ion of hostilities until further delay meant 'he d.
Tentative of revolution at home. All the man
osuvres If bismarck would not have resulted in the
sudden outbreak Of war II the French popuiace
had not played into his hands Members OF fd'"'
mont military men, the bourgeois Of Paris. most OF
all the newspaper writers who led al the rest re-
solved the question for themselves. Not eNrh O"e
frs, NAPOLEON could have wthstood them.
To all this Frenchmen of the time, VINO may Wen
be suspected Of uneasy compuncuohS OF CoIS0'''O-'
are accustomed TO answer First II was Inc business
of Emile Olivier, who running the EMPIRE on
his own theories know Of the Bsmarckian iHac"-
nations Second he should also have known that
Prussia was prepared for immediate war lA''4'
and most OF ALL he should have known mat France
was anything but prepared FINALLY H. ~ ne 9"' .
his voice was not for in 1870 h should have put
In nractice the principles Of his liberal Constitution
and resigned his office when there was question OF
declaring This would. at least have shocKel
bubble sentiment into some slight dsuds' Oh Us
pwn overweening enthusiasm
Now all this is precisely what NJ olIlNicr GO ho'
know or do Unless his frs, volume Is ont OF agIe'-
ment with what is to follow he does not dcKho"l-
edge t. even now He is riding his general theories
once again. very gracefully. almost romdn.i'ai;y,
r. must be said He is by way OF illustrating the
made long sine at his d oy Of his
pOitca deeds all OF MS pOiltlcdI ms it"u
be defended by his writings. 1t is lucky that ne
ton reminscence and argumentative story 'nucn
OF which could be known only from himself mJr ISL
when the letters ana diaries ana otner '',eI"{ DO
mains of the actors in the same evenis are D,,nss
Which NJ olivier announces his work has drawn
out Important recoections OF this kind In the spdce
SSly C Which CHOW we can cheek of each article in The in
dctmen made Of him by ms ,5a c.
sion Is reached that Emile Olivers fault was the
sSere viii stl remain two Of The most curious judg
ments possible in history 10 be passed on contempt
The first is that Of brilliant Frenchnan Saint;
Genest the senior political writer OF .Flearo'
who is a friend Of Emile olivier This true bis
Change nothing in Grcncm public opinion, because
public opinion does not wsh 10 chang hd rho r,ssor
tune to give clear utterance in Parliament TO what
ali Frenchmen were hnklng and what %i Is, ,ne
on the struggle with Hight heart Heads as well
of $50 but Emile olivier the one TO say IT to
the world. How should the fatal man, senJihg
the French soldiers forward TO crushing defeat ever
be forgiven by the men who shared MS Illusions.
forced him to action. and only amid the ruins Tor
which they were responsible remembered how IN
errngly he had characterized his own and Their
foilvS '"With light heart'-never did word u axe
such fortune and ill-for;une, for its speaker
Tho present import OF this phase OF the puDc
oninion OF France is aggravated by the occurrences
Of The last month. The alleged treason OF Captain
Dreyfus stafY-officer at the Ministry OF war. was
Grst th,inderclap Week after week has passed ard
he is still as jealousy guarded from AL communca-
lion with others than mis- jaieTs II otherwise ne
MIGHT eyaporate with all his secrets into the hostile
ranks. I he public only knows vaguely mat ne -
accused OF abusing his position 10 sell valuable m
Formation 70 Germany. Just at this time appear
tbe,mernors OF Marshal Bosquet, showing i1at Tor