New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-18
THE NEW FRENCH PRESIDENT

The unexpected has found France we'll pre-
pared. Nothing could have been more sudden.
moro startling more unlocked for. than the
resignation of NJ Casimir-Perier 1t was such
a shock as might have caused revolution in al
most any country Among ii people so mer-
curial and cxciablc as the French. the gravest
results were TO be feared. Six months before
the nation had risen as one man against the
shirt which had murdered its President. Now
if permitted a revival of that spirit to drive lis
new President from office What was To be
hopcd for such weathercock: Would the
morrow bring Caesar or the Commune: To such
doubtings and quesionngs Versailles gave yes
tcrday strong reply This mercurial ana eX-
citablc people acted with calmness Il s'eadi-
ness Of nerve and soundncss Of Judgment That
may well provoke the envy of more phlegmatlc
nations France has again disappointed hor
enemies and given her friends cause for nope,
if not for confidence.
The issue before the National Assembly was
n single and simple one The line was distinctly
drawn On the one side Repubcanisn. on thc
other Socialism 1t is true that NJ. Brlsson IL
moi q Socialist 1t is also true that he was the
Socialist candidate The Socialists had cast III
his favor the deciding votes which made nm
President of the Chamber of Deputies. Ana
since they could not as they wished. at once
abolish the Presidency of the Republic. they
soupht as the next best thing 10 serve their
nurnosos TO nut him into ii. His election would
have been universally recognized as victory
| for them and for their cause. This the true he
nubcans realized and therefore they opposed
NJ. Brsson. though they knew him TO be man
Of high ability and unbemished character On
tbe first ballot they were divided between NJ.
Waldeck- Rousseau and NJ. Faure. On the sec
ond they rallied TO NJ Faure. In whose
| favor NJ Waldeck- Rousseau had withdrawn'
and elected him President OF the frencn
Republic The choice was good one, II
not the best that could have been made. NJ.
Faurc has not shown himself political genius.
ua has been. how an excellent executive
officer in various important places and his non
ostv is above SUSPICION He is also loyal sup
norter of those principles Of true Rcpublicansm
u,bich Loon Gambctta impressed upon France
and which Sadi Garnet made triumphant. His
ro,;t,caI affiliations are indicated by his official
record. from the undersecretaryship Of Com
,,orco in ,ho Gambetta Cabinet Of 1881 to the
Ministry Of Marine in the Dupuy Cabinet III
Casimir Pcrier's brief term
NJ Faurc has been elected by the Republican
|
ma iority. while it includes the great mass OF the
| cono,o comnrises merely minority OF the
chamber of Deputies The majority of the lat
,o t. NOW distinctly Radical. And it Is upon
tho favor Of the Chamber that the existence Oh
= Ministry dcncpds NJ Faure, therefore. begins
h,s administration in the face Of hostile ma
ioritv in the Chamber Of Deputies: a most EN-
harr,ssing circumstance. NJ. Casmr-Perei
WAS elected in tn same way ana had 'he saii''
dmuItv to meet. He chose 10 desert his posi-
rather than 10 meet 1t. NJ. Faure VIII propapi'
No, doscr,. but will meet the difficulty and en-
deavor to deal with it in some way 'he way
would no 70 Weld TO the Chamber. and appoint
u Radical Prime Minister who would De ac
cc,,oh,o 70 the majority That. however, would
amount to something like self-stul'ihca'ioh a"o
II is scarcely probable that he Will do IT, All
other way. and apparently the only alternative
would he TO nominate a Prime minister vi h''
own political school. and on his rc)ecnoh' "
dissolve Parliament and appeal 10 the COUNT!
II at the general election il Republican ma)ori'!
wore chosen. the President could select Prime
Minister after his own heart. II a Radical ma
; ioritv were returned he could yield to the pop
Mar mandate and appoint a Radical Prime Min
;stcr. or he could resign the Presidency and lc
the NatlOnal Assembly, '"'' i'""'"' w "
coed him.
What is perfectly clear is that Republican
President and Radical Chamber cannot GO
along together under the present Constitution
This weeks crisis has, indeed, confirmed III
belief that that Constitution needs some amend
; ment i'm the CLAUSES defining the relationship
} between the Executive and the Legislature Tn
nrcscpt system is an Illogical attempt at com
nromse between the systems Of England AM
America In England there Is a permanent
hereditary Chief Of State. whose functions ar
nominal. The real Executive Is the Ministry
which is purely the creature " the House o
Commons. The House Of Commons Is praC
: ticolly supreme. In America the Chief Exccu
five Is elected independent of the Congress. AM
is neither responsible 10 it nor dependent upo
II. and the various Ministers are similarly In
dcpcndent Now the French have Il President
. i'm imitation Of America. and IA removable Parlia
mentary Ministry. In imitation Of England. I'll
Q mixture is illogical 1t has caused much troubl
in the past. 1t has contributed largely To In
@ great crisis of this week. And 1t threatens I
+ imperil the Republic itself In Tie not disan
4 future
The French nation must decide whether it
to be- governed by Dictator or a Convention
= | or by a coordinate Executive and Legislature
) In fear Of a Dictator they made the Executiv
!, | the creature of the Legislature. Thus. as r,
o cent occurrences demonstrate, they have brougl
: | themselves perilously near to a Convention. Til
latter would prove In the end as intolcrable an