The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13
TIE.

work. What prospect have the Monarchists or
the Bonapartists of overthrowingt the Third Re-
publici 1t is acknowledged by our author that
tho late Duo d'Aumale personifed tho three
traditions which arc as potent as ever to evoke
the sympathies of tho French nation-the ira.
ditions. namely. Of military glory. of order
and OF tho Revolution. 1t ID NOT. there
foro. because his granddaughter is q member
of the House of Orleans that tho young Prince
is doomed not to possess them. Tho rcvolu-
tionary tradition he inherited 40 his birth.
right, but. having Joined with his father In
cutting Off tho entail by q recognition of the
Comte de Chambord's divine right to rule. that
patrimony 10 dissipated; and. though his kins-
men have been gallant soldiers, bis own name
has no association with the glamour or with the
authority OF the army. II the Duo d'Orleans
attained tho throne, 1t would be as o c~onstitu-
tional King; for. in spite Of his reputation OF
tho name of Louis Philippe and of his antique
trsvesties. he would have to accept o charter
with q better grace than did Charles X. and on
the wider basis of universal suffrage. The prac-
tical effect Of such a change would be the
perpetuation Of tho parliamentary system.
in the hands either Of inexperienced re-
actionarics or Of moro expert repubh-
cans allied to the monarchy. Thus all
tho Ills that now disparage the repub-
lie would be repeated with the addition at the
top Of tho new fabric OF q court. and in 1t the
monarch would have to create innumerable GER
emonial posts for persons Of the class which.
next to the politician. is at the close Of the cen
fury the least creditablo element OF French So
ciety. Aristocratic from the viewpoint neitherof
heraldry nor Of philology. that class would have
all the unpopular attributes of an aristocracy.
For its brief duration It. would be the apotheosis
of the cosmopolitan plutocracy which has over
wheln,ed fha apcn brilliant a0rfety of Pnria
whore it first found q footing under the un-
toward auspices of the court OF the Second
Empire, whereof this revival would be a dc.
Perforated copy without the support of q mil.
itary autocracy.
Mr.. Bodley docs not deny that a court may be
OF active benefit to a people even in n modern
democratic State. The character and taste of
the sovereign may make the palace the centre
Of the highest life Of tho nation, adding q lustrc
to lofty pursuits. which otherwise are doomed
respectable rather than brilliant. and elevating
the views Of the whole community. In our
authors opinion the death Of tho Prince Con.
sort. by practically dcpriving England OF n
court, was the most important national event
in the last half Of the century, withdrawing the
only influence capable Of checking the agRres-
sivo march OF plutocracy which has transformed
the character of English society. Consider
ing that the whole achievement of the united
monarchical party. no longer rent asunder by
Legitimist and Orleanist factions. or rivalled by
Bonapartists. has been to identify itself with
the ~triflers Of tho capital. who are destitute of
influence. and with the ~recluses and rural sports
men OF the chatcauX. of i'll tradition in the eyes
OF the peasantry. Mr.. Bodley deems 1t not sur
prising that 1t has driven out of its ranks tho
electorate Of France. At the elections in 1885.
when tho deaths OF Gaml.etta and of the Comte de
Chumbord had removed tho only popular figure
In the republic and the most unpopular obstacle
to tho monarchy, the country showed that. IL
skilfully guided, it would be willing to try a
change Of regime. OF the votes polled.
AS per cent. were given to tho reaction
aries. and IL they had obtained one-half of
tho abstentions the republic would have
como to an end. In the next eight years the
Comte de Paris and his followers managed to
e~xterminate the monarchical sentiment in the
nation. Scandal after scandal had meanwhile
discredited the Government of tho republic,
yet In 1903, on the morrow Of tho Panama af-
fair, the electorate of two evils preferred the
doubtful probity of the republicans to the GER
tain incapocity of the royalists; 80 the reac-
tionarics obtained only 10 per cent. of the votes
recorded, and II every elector who ebstained
from the poll had voted for them. even then
they would have been in a hopeless minority.
In 1885 thirty departments in every region of
France had declared for the monarchy. In 1893
two in Brittany and ono In Normandy alone re-
turned n bare majority of royalist Deputies.
II the restoration of q parliamentary mon.
archy be improbable. 1t does not follow that tho
republic Is established In perpetuity. On the
contrary, the main purport of the book before
us 10 to prove that there 10 an element in tho
French nation whereof the importance cannot
be gagged by the characte: OF the shadow par
ties or groups which in quiet times presume
to represent 1t. The Bonapartist. revisionlst
and other plebiscitary organizations are for
the nonce insignificant coteries directed by in
significant people; the principle. on tho
other hand. which they obscurely advocate
Is u sentiment latent In tho people. which
is brought to the surface not by tho intrigues
or the arguments of propaganda. but by
periodic currents of popular feeling. Such a
tide, when 1t sets In, may carry some individ-
ual to tho throne Of France. 1t may DO an
Orleans, it may be a Bonaparte. but, whoever
1t may be. no will be placed on the perilous emf.
nonce, not as q member of this OF that dynasty;
he will attain IL because his figure and his per-
sonal character. real or supposed. have touched
the imagination of the people Of France.
or because he is the nominee of the hero
OF the hour. who prefers to delegate TO another
the supreme power which he himself might
N''''F $3.50 sNS SohN ~ tSOA
brought back as king by Gen. Boulanger,
1t would not have been as a rightful heir 70.
stored to the throne by q Gen. Monk. as was
suggested at the timo. He would not have re-
turned as the successor either OF Charles X. or
OF Louis Philippe. He would have assumed the
crown because II soldier OF fortune. finding tho
kingly otfico inexpadiont for himself. chose him
as It's titulary, as he might have chosen Prince
Napoleon or. indeed. some parsonage destitute
OF d~ynastic pretonsions. To our authors eye
tho contrast between the situation of the
plebiscitary cause and that OF tho roy.
Alists is remarkable. The r~oyalists form
IA conspicuous section of tho population,
both In the gay society OF the capital and
in tho secluded chateRux OF the provincesi
but, prominent without importance and wealthy
without influence. 1t Is pronounced improbable
that they will ever bring back to France as y
constitutional monarch the pretsnder OF their
hopes. The plebiscltary doctrine. on tho con,
Lrary. though 1t can scarcely DO said TO be pro
fessed By . party. and though Of BOnHpsrtiStl
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