The San Francisco call., 1896-02-23
Russia's New Position in the
Affairs Of the Globe Causes
UneasineSs.
ENGLISH STATESMEN WORRIED
At Present They Are Trying TO Pre-.
vent a Demonstration Upon
JameSon'S Arrival.
Copyright, 1896, by the New York Times


LONDON, Eng, Feb. 22.-The prediction
was ventured last week against almost
universal forecasts in the other direction
that the French Senate would not perse-
we're in Its fight with the Bourgeois Minis
try, and it comes out wholly justified by
the events. This extraordinary radical
Cabinet, which has nothing near a ma
lority of avowed followers in the Chamber
OF Deputies is yet not only able 10 COM
mand the support of that body for itself,
but thrice within a week had forced it into
position of revolutionary defiance of the
upper house, in utter and deliberate disre-
gard OF the latter's rights. 1t is, OF course,
revolution pure and simple.
The constitution says explicitly that the
Cabinet is responsible to the Senate
equally with the Chamber, and the Sem
ate has three times passed resolutions
which, according 10 the constitution,
should compel the Cabinet to resign.
Moreover, a large majority OF the Deputies
secretly sympathize with the Senate, and
would gladly pass similar resolution if
they dared; bat they do not dare, and
their cowardice has spread among the Sen
ators as well, with the result that Bour-
geois contem ptuousIy laughs at them both
and keeps his place. Such things do not
happen by accident. Bourgeois and his
radical Socialist supporters have only one
argument, but 1t possesses terrible force.
They say that the majority in the SEN
ate is made up OF thieves who occupy their
position of power 10 mold legislation and
ret8rd Justice solely by the operation
of a fantastic electrical machinery in
which the people have no voice.
On the other hand, the Cabinet, with
the Chamber behind it, represents uni
versal suffrage which has rights supreme
above any constitutional iuggIery of COM
munal electors and fancy franchises in
the name of the people. 1t stands on and
defends these rights and challenges the
President and Senate to decree dissolution
and submit the question to the people at
the polls. What the President thinks of
the situation thus outlined is not known,
but the Senate has shown the abiect white
feather.
On Monday radical banquets are to be
held throughout France to celebrate the
anniversary Cf universal suffrage of 184S,
at which this assertion OF popular will
paramount to the law will be glorified as
the sheet anchor of the republic. The past
decade of rottenness in high political life
and of government by corrupt syndicates
OF financiers has ripened the French popu-
lar sentiment for just such an appeal. No
one doubts that if the elections were a
month hence Bourgeois would sweep
France. When that month elapsed doubt
may be entertained whether he would be
able to hold in orderly restraint the pub
lie passions which his defiance of the
Senate has reduced. There was much
frightened talk even this week in Paris OF
probable mob violence.
Elaborate police and military precau.
tions were taken yesterday to protect the
Luxemb bourg palace from a possible riot
Gus raid. and the vast crowd which assem-
bled was anxiously kept moving by extra
forces Of gendarmes. As it was only a
few Kisses greeted the Senators on leaving
but the apprehension Of something worse
was plainly in their minds and On theil
faces England's interest in all this is
quite frankly selfishly confined to the
prospects of Berthelot keeping his post al
the Foreign Office. There is really not
much to base an opinion on, but the feeling
Is strong here that he dislikes the Russo
German alliance, switch ring of Paris
fnanciers so nearly committed France to-
and that he favors instead a friendly
com pination with England, Italy and
Austria to defend the civilizing interests
of Western Europe.
That these interests sorely needed de.
fense is being borne in on the people here
with rush. 1t is very likely that another
few weeks will witness a genuine national
panic here about Russia's new position in
Of he nIn ho ha &c ~,
and Manchuria, she is managing the
Sultan at Constantinople, she has taken
charge of Bulgaria and of Servia. England
would have regarded any one of these
things few years ago as "casus pelli, u
and now they are all accomplished events
England stares bewiloered at the magni-
tude of what confronts her. hardly know
ing what TO do. Very soon. however,
fancy the necessity of doing something
will rise uppermost in her mind and set
these islands humming again with en-
thuslasm.
To prevent the British public from wei
coming Jameson. as a sort of second Nelson
or Wellington, and thus giving the whole
virtuous official character of the country
away TO the rest of the world, is at present
the chief concern of the Government. A
profound mystery accordingly surrounds
the whereabouts in the channel Of theship
bringing him home and the cordons of re-
porters who stand along the southern coast
will probably find that he has been sneaked
ashore and hurried to London under cover
of night, without their knowledge.
How the authorities will keep the mobs
from shaking Bow street with cheers Mon
day and the following days does not yet
appear. This embarrassment is the ma