Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-10-13
rHr FRENCH VOLCANO.

citv--aye. France--rests upon sleeping
volcano. This statement Is neither new
nor original. It has been made so often
from time to time that IT has almost De-
come hackneyed. Indeed. We have come
TO expect Il occasionally and semi-occa-
sionally.
The practical, the interesting question
the question fraught with momentous i'm
port-is. VIII the volcano awake? VIII
there he an eruption? AS TO that neither
prophet nor son OF prophet would be safe
in assuming to venture a positive answer.
Modern observers OF the drift of affairs
and the conflicts OF passion In France
! have long since settled down to the con-
yiction that there was no counting one
week on what would happen there the
next. On perhaps a dozen occasions In
| little more than the same number OF
years Just past conditions have existed In
J France that caused despair among the
| friends OF the republic On some Of these
occasions the shadow Of the man on
horseback lowered menacingly over the
! gates Of Paris, anA revolution, with
repetition of the scenes Of the Reign of
! Terror and the sway OF the Commune.
seemed the only logical elimination OF the
! trend of events.
But the ominous shadow faded as quick
" as II had gathered. popular turbulence
subsidized as rapidly as 1t had developed,
and the clouds of threatened revolution
rolled back. leaving the republic still
bathed in the sunlight of confidence and
hope Indeed. 1t is not going too far TO
say that each of these ordeals seemed
TO have impaired strength to the repub-
lie.
But In the several crises so far discussed
the ouestion Of an upheaval turned largely
upon a single issue. One issue was mainly
responsible for the infiamed condition OF
the popular mind and to that extent the
agency likely to provoke an eruption Oh
tie volcano was restricted. Not so In the
present instance, however. There Is now
at work as threatening the established
order in France a most dangerous compl-
nation Of agencies and influences.
over sixty thousand Partisan workmen
are on a strike, and although the city has
been transformed into huge camp the
soldiers being bivouacked about the
streets and boulevards, the troops fra
ternize freely with the strikers, VINO
unite with them in shouting NNe
parmeer' The revision OF the Dreyfus
case is still a burning question. III the
court decides that 1t shall not be re-
opened there is likely to be an outbreak
among the revisionists, who are stahuing
I'D for the honor Of the nation and FOR the |
yindication of justice If the court reaches
a contrary decision the strikers, II Is SAID
will resent that reflection upon the |
army" and the troops could not be de-
nended upon to suppress a mob OF their
sympathizers. Pending decision ieehng
between the revsionists and the anu
revisionists is constantly growing ana
&c producing friction so intense that IL
NAV start a fame at any moment
Another contribution to the excitement
and the peril OF the situation is found In
the Fashoda affair. Marchand has sud
denly become a hero In Paris, and for
mdable element is insisting that the MN
istry shall not comply with the arrogant
demand" OF "Perfidious Albion" that the
Major he recalled from the Soudan. This
element argues that the recall OF the new
hero and the abandonment oil French de-
signs on the Wasp Waist" would also
be a reflection on the army, and out oil
that position they are making strong
capital against the government. Last, but
not least. cries Of ''Vive lie Roll" are
again heard in Paris, and we are told
that the man on horseback has once more
doomed up.
Thus is the French problem presented
to-day. and the world awaits anxiously
to see how II will work out. Despite the
hone inspired by the way the more acute
crises of recent years have been over
the most optimistic must take
gloomy view of the outlook. They cam
not shake off the apprehension that at
last the hour has come when the volcano
must awake 10 activity. Yet when we Ie-
member the earlier history OF French I'm
rest and the violent manner in which 1t
found expression, we cannot but admit
hat the nation has made tremendous
progress In the matter Of self-control and
II taking counsel of sober second thought.
This argues that the foundation OF true
has been steadily sinking
leeper in France; has been stea1 lily be-
coming firmer, and holds at least the pro-
mise that the current ordeaI will also DE
,afelv withstood. In that argument and
hat promise there is hope. not only for
he present, but the future.
PASSENGER DEPOTs.
Recently our City Council passed re- {