New-York tribune., 1899-02-27
pOTF, GOES THE "LEAGCE."

There are many signs Of promise in France
The crisis which has just been passed has de-
yeoppd fortlud" and a stability Of purpose
in that nation with which the world at large
bas not been wont to credit il. The conflict be-
tween the civil and the military power is rapid
" subsdng and those who most fOmcntcd II
are dsappcaring from public view in fog or
jgnominy Til" prospect is that. whatever
finally becomes of DreyfuS, justice will be done
10 him. And now at last comes In" croWling
good work. though in some respects the small
est since the capstone Is usually smaller thah
the foundation The leaders Of the "Patriouc
League" have been locked up and their organ
jzation prescribed. That is a fine and inspr-
ing earnest of tie new Presidents policy. II
IS also a surprise to France We do not mean
that this display Of Presidential frmncSS ana
good sense is surprising. but rather that ii has
been followed by no woodworking cataclySin.
For il is no eXaggcration to say that an lm-
prcSsion has widely prevailed in France ana
out of it that the League of Patriots comprises
that which is best in the republic and Is the
suprcme repository of pure patriotism. and that
10 Law violent hands upon it would he to desc
crate the Ark of the Covenant and TO destroy
the Palladium and TO commit all other concciy-
able sins against the Fathcrland the instant
and inevitable sequence of which would be "thc
wrecks of matter and the crush of worlds.
For there are those. and not n few. who take
Harlequin most seriously.
What we now soc, however. is that Harlequin
is only Harlequin. His sword is only painted
lath The portentOus bomb which he rolled
forth upon the stage was not a bomb at all but
the empticSt of bubbles. and at the first firm
touch il has not destructvely exploded. but has
harmlosslv burst with "pOuf, more comic
/ than impressive. The touch Of the polccmans
hand has been upon the "Patriots shoulders,
and the door Of the poice-sation cell has been
locked upon them. And yet there is no revo-
luton. No outraged myriads spring to arms
! against such tyranny. few brawlerS sing
songs and shout "COnspucz Loubct. on the
! boulevarls until the police tell them to move
on when they 90 10 the cafes and drown their
woe in eau sucree As for the French Nation.
! 4 does not appear that II pays any attention
10 the episode other than TO note the passing
| Of n farce that had become tedious and per
| hans 10 wonder in what form next the proean
HARLEQUIN Of disorder Will appear. If interest
enough be taken in the subject 10 lay wagcrs
upon II. the odds will doubtless be that the
next manifestation Of patriotic" posing will
be less Formidable than the last
Let there be no thought Of injustice in reck-
oplng this Patriotic League TO bc mere harle-
ouiradc Some Of its leaders are men Of parts
no doubt NJ DerOuode waS a good soldier
and has written some literature worthy Of scri
Gus notice NJ Millcvoyc is n man Of ability
and so we may say Of others Of their comrades
But even such men are not exempt from aber
rations. from love Of posing and from mono
mania that IS at once mischicyous and ludi-
crous Nor are they essentially entitled 10 the
credit Of sincerity. That is n plea too often
| put forth in behalf Of mSchicf-makerS. Given
| that a man processes 10 be sincere. rs Of
course every one does. some think that there
| fore all he does must he considered right nj
| least excusable. No notion could be more mis-
chievOus. The sincere murderer or the sincere
| incendary gets and deserves no immunity.
| Neither should the sincere traitor. And the
man who plots against the Government of his
| country is n traitor And NJ. Deroulede con-
fesses that he has been plotting for the over
throw Of the French Republic. To what OK
tent he would have put his plots into execution
had opportunlty been offered we may not pre-
sumo TO say. But The indication is that he and
his fellows have not looked for such an oppor-
tunty or at least have not expected execution
Of their schemes They have plotted not as
| men who wanted their plots 10 succeed nut rs
those who wanted them TO be discovered and
| frustrated. so long as they could get themselves
advertised and talked about and kept on the
| public pcdestals where their gorgeous vahiiy
makes them so love to pose
At the outset this Patriotic League had an
air Of real patriotism. 1t aimed TO ad tho re-
| habilitati0n Of France after the Terrible Year.
! Then II degenerated into mere vehicle FOR the
rft nf 1fYn
against Germany. From that II went on in It's
mad progress TO assai all Frenchmen who did
not take up with Its extravsgant notions. II