New-York tribune., 1899-02-17
THE SITUATION IN FRANCE.
NEED OF A STRONG MAN N THE PkhSi'
DENTAL CHAIR.
1cr .rcTIoN OF A sUCCEssOR-REVIEW OF
THE DEAD EXECUTIVES AD-
MINfSTRATION.


President Faure's sudden death from apoplexy
Is calculated to deter others from ehteri"e
lightly upon the duties which nave proved 'o'
heavy a burden for him to bear Three OF MS
predeccssors namely. Theirs. Marshai MAJ
Mahon and Casimir Perier found the ONCE so
,ntolerable that they resigned before the com
nIo,,or Of their term. The fourth, Jules Grevy'
was driven from the Elysee by the unsaVory
scandals I'm which his son-in-law, Daniel VIII
son. became involved. scandals which may DC
said 70 have had their origin under the roof OF
tho Chief Magistracy OF France. The fifth. Sadi
Carnot was laid low by the knife OF an an
archist. and now Felix Faure expires while IN
office and three full years before the end or the
period for which he had been elected.
His death at the present Juncture brings
France face TO face with Crisis or uhprece-
dented gravity. For since the last Presidential
election in January, 1880 the people have had
their confidence shaken in the two most I'M
portant Of the national institutions, namely the
army and the administration Of justice. In the
minds OF one-half Of the population there IS
doubt as to the loyalty Of the army to the ke-
nuhllc In the minds Of the remainder there ~
sill greater doubt as to the impartiality ana IN
tegrity of the highest tribunals In the lahd'
The army distrusts the courts Of law, and the
latter distrust the army. and in this way the
Republican element no longer presents united
front either to Socialism or to monarchy, ana II
the Republican ship OF State rides III sately
through this crisis 1t will be mainly because
there is no Pretender who has the mingled lack
of scruple and the courage to stake his personal
safety as we'll rs the lives and liberty Of his
friends upon a bold venture for the crown
THE PREMIER's STRONG CHARACTER
Fortunately for the Republic there is at the
helm rs Premier at the present moment a man
Of strong character, and who, having been
Prime Minister both at the time Of the assas-
sination Of Carnot as we'll when Casimlr-
Perier resigned the Presidency in so startingly
sudden a manner, possesses the experience
needed to carry on the Government during the
Presidential interregnum, and to provide for the
defence OF republican institutions against any
nOnarchical enterprise He is all the more de-
termined to fulfil his trust with the utmost vgor
and sincerity since he himself is known not only
by his friends but also by the general public TO
be filled with ambition TO become President OF
France He has been candidate at each OF the
two last Presidential elections, and one or the
reasons why both Perer and Faure kept him
in Office as Premier after their inauguration was
In order to console him, after a fashion for the
cruel disappointment which he had sustained.
His principal competitor at the election. which
will take place at Versailles in all probability
on Saturday next. will be ex-Premier Ribot, who
is married to an American woman. native OF
Chicago, and, like Dupuy, is one or the Few
statesmen I'm France who are. 50 to speak. with
out inconvenent skeletons in their closets, and
who have managed to keep their good name un-
soiled bv anv Of the great scandals which i'm the
last ten years have besmirched the reputation
OF 50 many eminent statesmen in France.
RELATIONS TO THE DREYFUS CASE
Without in any way wishing 10 dsparage the
dead President who in private life was most
estimable. kind-hearted and sngularly honor
abls man. it cannot be denied that the advent OF
= strong statesman such as Dupuy or Ribot, 10
tho rlvs6e at the present juncture would be OF
distinct advantage not only to France, but like
wise 70 all foreign Powers who are Interested In
the maintenance Of peace. As stated above
nubllc confidence In the two principal insutu-
tions Of the nation has been severely shaken
and what Is needed now is the presence in the
Presidential chair Of a statesman possessed OF
sufficient boldness and energy to Srapple with
difficulties instead of avoiding them and 10 IN
snire his countrvmen with trust in his ability to
maintain order, no matter at what cost.
There &c no doubt that President Faure for a
ti,,o had # in his power 10 nip the entire Drey-
FMS controversy in the bud. and to prevent It's
Incoming source of disturbance. lie was 100
anxious. however for popularity to care 10 Dur
den himself with any responsibility in one way
or another in connection with the aIlair' anu
declining to take sides either FOR or against 'he
retrial OF Dreyfus, confined himself 10 merely
countersgnng the decree which the Caonet IN
office submitted TO him in relation TO the aiar'
This was. perhaps, strictly constitutional But
II was unfortunate for France. and there IS TO
doubt that It has vastly contributed to augment
| ,ha GRAVITY of the entire situation arising out
of the Dreyfus case.
POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY LOST.
strong President would have forced all OF
the national institutions in France TO conhne
themselves to their duties, and would not nave
rerritted the army 10 usurp powers that be-
longed to the civil administration How easily
President Faure could have accomplished this
s saep a. few weeks before the fall Of the
Rrisson Cabinet when the Premier, by merely
| ,mporting q strong detachment Of gendarmes'
nv rural constabulary. from the provinces man
aged to auell what threatened 10 develop into a
full-nedeed military coup dctat Every French
man be he civilian or soldier is brought up
from early childhood to look with certain de-
qree OF respect upon the gendarmes as the
Guardians Of order. and. ridiculous though 1t
/ may appear. the presence Of these quantity uni
formed constabIes was sufficient to stihe all the
asriratlons Of dlsanectNd and ambitious gen
erals TO play role
II is this as we'll the tried strength Of
character and courage Of Premier Dupuy, which
renders so improbable any move on the part OF
the military element to interfere with the cleo
ton Of a new President on Saturday at Yer
sailes while the mere fact that Prince Victor
! Bonaparte and the Duke Of Orleans are on for
eign soil instead OF in France. and certain to be
arrested the very moment that they cross the
frontier. renders any danger OF monarchcal