The San Francisco call., 1896-06-07

cry over 1t, which must De lmpresslng a
great number of minds.
Whenever persons whose business it is
to observe what is going on take note OF
the movement of social and political cur
rents among peoples there arise always
certain asses who suppose that these re-
marks are predictions and who bray
accordingly. 1 find myself quoted in
America as prophesying the downfall OF
the French republic, which is the most
ridiculous sort of nonsense. No one on
earth can tell whether the republic will
live ten months or hundred years.
What can be said, however, is that very
curious revival of-let us say-tolerance
for the abstract monarchical idea has been
observed in France for some years.
1t lay at the bottom of the popular whim
for Napoleonic plays and literature and
was the basis of the immense popular cult
of Jeanne d. Arc, which remains by far the
more important of the two just now. Thls
movement seems about to translate itself
into action. mentioned the other day
that Prince Victor Napoleon had fallen
out with Empress Eugene, who had
thrown in her lot with the Orleanlsts.
Now, it is said that Victor is to meet
Duke of Orleans shortly and also give IN
his adhesion to his cause, while Orleans is
turning over the project of marrying Vic
tors sister Letitia, the Duchess of Aosta,
who is only two years his senior and is as
clever as she is beautiful. A few years ago
these things would have mattered little;
now, perhaps, they mean a good deal.
Bordeaux had led the way in the new
- c4i I,r-o fr1l
bination of Royalists and Socialists in
politics and it is likely that the same queer
com bination will manifest itself elsewhere.
One does not pretend to be able to explain
such weird fusion OF forces. much less to
predict how far it may go, but the fact OF
its existence remains.
The Duke OF Orleans is meanwhile at
Marienbad, fighting heroically against his
inherited tendency to become fat man.
No young pretender can afford to be an
unwieldy mountain of flesh, especially if
he is nerving himself for an appearance in
person on the field, which is what he is
understood to have in mind.
Undoubtedly the Prince of Wales victory
at EPSON was popular in the broadest and
most genial meaning of the word. Not
radicals offer dissentive comments, and as
for the sporting public, it quite lost its
head with delight. The Prince himself is
believed to have taken in large pot of
money on the result, and otherwise fortune
is fsvoring him, not only in the wills of
deceased millionaires, but in new and
valuable friendships among living ones as
well.
Two victories at by-alections have pro-
duced warrantable elation in the Radical
camp, all the more as both were won by
candidates who ostentatiously put home
rule in the background and fought their
campaigns OH strictly English issues.
There is no doubt that the Governments
agricultural and education bills are excel
lent things for the opposition and despite
the ministers great nominal majority it is
already visibly frightened at the feuds ex-
listing within its own ranks, and at the
evidence of its unpopularity in the coun-
try at large. 1t acts as if they were afraid
OF falling to pieces even now. and if the
Liberal party were not itself in an almost
hopeless state of internal disorder there
might be prospects of exciting and evenly
balanced political fighting once more be-
fore the century closes.
AS TO the report that Rosebery is going
to retire from public life, it is probably
revival of last years story. There was a
time when he declared that he would with
draw, and if he had done so the history of
British Liberalism would have been al
tered for the better. But the information
of those who saw him only recently is that
hos lev i Il %
to the titular leadership. At least this
was his mood few weeks ago.
The excessive publicity given by the
Madrid press to the not unusual incident
of Martinez Canpos being challenged to a
duel has, am told, purely political ex-
planation. Campos as life Senator mas
the power TO make himself heard through
out the country, and it is understood that
he intends in the forthcoming Cuban de-
bate in the Cortes to deliver merciless
and crushing attack from inside knowl-
edge on the whole tragic farce Of Spanish
control in that island. h
The effect of this is dreaded, both by the
army clique now in the ascendency and
by the politicians working with them,
and they thought to head it off by Staying
Ndul pOo III d QuOIs L Alc CldIdCtST O1 Iu6
insult thrust upon Campos was so gross
that he could not refuse to fight, but other
influences intervened at the last moment
and forced the military authorities to stop
the encounter and to arrest both parties.
What will be done next no one knows,
but Madrid has been thrown into dan
gero US state OF excitement by the episode,
ana all sorts of stories and cabals of mill
tary plots and even of revolutionary con-
spiracies are a1oat. The Queen Regent is
reported to be seriously i'll which, naturally
adds to the distrust with which the whole
situation in the peninsula Is regarded by
outsiders.
There is much substance in the rumor
of revival of Fenian activity and that
certain well known men of that kidney are
or have been over here and have taken
rather elaborate pains to draw police
attention to the fact of their presence.
This means, however. as take 1t, moth
ing more serious than a contemplated
strike at McKinley's campaign fund little
later on. There is always an opportune
Fenian scare here in presidential years,
but this present one is the poorest and
most ricketty thing of the kind in the
whole series and if it succeeds in getting
even beer money during the campaign it