The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-10-22


in France seems to obey him; and in
the army there are found very good re-
publicans. and no one has the right to
assert that they conspire or ever will
conspire to bring back the king.
Monarchists of TWO sorts-Royalists and
mperialists-groUp themselves round
church and army. the latter being more
military. the former both military and
clerica. Minimizing republicans stand OF
but a short distance, which, from time
TO time, lessons yet more. all OF Us have
known the republicans who loved the re-
public, venerated it. and sang its hymns
under the empire They confided in the
republic TO raise up the nation, and they
defended the republic against all co2ii-
tons. But as soon as she was mistress
Of the field the republic broke ranks and
disbanded; in her midst parties were
formed and clashed together, and detested
each other. With disorder began uncer-
tainty. 1t is great reason Of discour-
agement when the future slips away; he
who walks stops short not knowing
whittier he may go; soon some force
draws him back-and he yields. We see
the representatives of this party in par
Lament making agreements with the
monarchist right, and lie old-time lib
eral bourgeoise making up 10 the church.
No doubt the causes of this recOneilia-
ton are numerous and diverse. but the
return TO the church, a conservative
power, is in part the preference given to
holy water over petroleum.
In the groups which have been named,
and particularly in the first patriotism is
uneasy and uncompromisiug. This species
of patriotism, pushed to the extreme, is
the programme of a particular group.
The nationalists profess an enthusiastic
devotion to the nation, and-for the rest
of the observation-disclosures or hatred
France is for them very old aristoc-
racy. which they wish to be pure from
all alloy; name with a foreign ending
is an object too Of suspicion TO them.
They are nearly all snti-Semites (all
perhaps with the exception of NJ. Derou-
lede), because for them the Semitic is
foreigner They do not love Protestants,
because Protestants have created dissent
While they do not explain themselves
clearly on this point. they seem to believe
that no one can be truly French unless
he has been baptized by a Catholic priest.
This idea of rational unity, this contempt
and hatred of foreigners, this moi seul
ct c'est assez makes them contemporaries
of King Louis XIV.
From this brilliant analysis of the anti
Dreyfusard camp, so cruelty misunder-
stood by the English press. Prof. Lavisse
proceeds to examine the composition Of
the Dreyfusard camp, which seems worse
than misunderstood. Especially import
,t,1o
holds together such heterogeneous ma
terial.
The groups which we have just passed
in review are allied with each other at
certain points; they all converge towards
an order Of things which is monarchial
The other camp is far more divided;
among it's groups rise barriers which
seem insurmountable. Leaving aside the
Anarchists. who walk by no ones side.
agreement between non-Socialist Republi-
cans and Socialists seems impossible.
They have no common idea Of a ''Tepubli-
can order which might rally together
all the enemies of the monarchial or
der [Prof. Lavisse explains that
the only community OF sentiment which
exists here concerns church and army1
In these groups the church is considered
as the most formidable adversary.
The church, in her philosophy, consid-
ers existence here below as a sorrowful
waiting. a passage through the valley Of
tears to the true life which is hereafter.
But another philosophy teaches
that life is worth living for itself. and
that social duty is TO make it more and
more tolerable for mankind. Thus on
one side. at the beginning there is the
earthly paradise. for ever lost, and for
consolation the hope of the heavenly
paradise On the other there is animal
wretchedness at the beginning. and per-
petual effort to realize paradise on this
earth. These are the terms of the con-
tradiction-and it is absolute. This phil
osophic opposition, this essential CONTRA
d!ction. however vaguely it may be felt,
is none the less real effective and eff
cacious. Obscure reasons and instincts
are the great leaders Of men. They act
as nature does. irresistibly. But the po-
litical opposition is clearer. more concrete
and vehement-the church IS conservative.
This is why some would put a bride
to her-they would keep the Concordat
as means of constraint and applX il in
all its rigor Others would cut the bond
between church and state; these two
companions of the olden time, attached
to each other from their far-off begin
nings. should be put asunder and each
should pursue fortune alone. For others.
without any doubt. even so grave an act
is not enough They are ready and re-
solved for acts OF rigor and persecution
Some hate the army because It is a
school of passive obedience in which the
citizen. they say. IS 6eformed. or because
they say again. 1T is a place Of eorrup-
ton in which arbi:rariness and favoriJism
reign and where apprenticeship IS made
to vice and laziness. They do not add.
but they think. that the army Is the great
conservative force and the obstacle 20
hoped-for revolutions They demand It's
suppression pure and simple, or else is
transformation into a militia which. in
our country as It Is today. would be
equivalent to its suppression.
Two Frances within the same frontiers
Is II civil war? No, There vii De the
struggle between the two parties. fierce
al times. and very long. The brightest
dream We can make for our France IS
that the struggle should 20 on IN liberty
anr by liberty. that Il should be ike an
immense suit pleaded before the rountry
and ending through mutual concessions
in the national reconciliation much d.
sired. But IL Il not In ou- virtues
that we mus; Pot orr hopes-it IS IN the
force Of things
4 restora ton Of monarchy he's never
succeeded. on the Other hand The
suppression % the church and the sup
preston % The arny-Ehat folly.
The extracts already cited give tast p5r-
49, - Tr,f Tsvtsse's essay vhira needs