New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-26
" DELCASSE'S SPEECH.

The address of the French Minister lot oIelSh
Affairs in the, Chamber of Deputies on FRIDAY
contained little of ia gloire, but vast zeal Oh
good sound, hard headed, practical common
sense 1t must have come as surprise 10 those
who can think Of French statesman only as
lineal descendant Of Nicholas Chauvin-or rather
Of their distorted conception Of him, for the real
Chauvin was a true and gallant man, with far
more of bravery than buster. 1t was simply
gratifying TO those who sanely regard the
French people as men of like passions with the
rest of mankind-a little more mercurlai no
doubt. than those Of Anglo-SaXon blood. though
how little let some OF our own mad craZes teS-
tify but not, on OCCASION less reasonable or less
steadfast 1t is scarcely conceivable that war
Minister of any other nation could have handled
such military peril as France has been suller-
ing with more admirable and eii1clent comDl-
nation Of tact and firmness than has the Mar
ouis de Galliffet. And we should be put 10 1t
most hardly TO discover a Foreign Minister who
could discuss international affairs more temper
ately and more wisely than NJ. Delcasse has
DONE
There was q fine touch Of philosophy espe-
cially in his rebuke to those who find morbid
or a malicious pleasure in dwelling upon their
couptrys real or fanced humilations, and ID
his exhortaton 10 look rather upon the gains
and triumphs: and il is a philosophy commenda-
BILE TO not a few carpers and pessimists In other
lands than France and even In our own. There
are those. NJ Delcasse observes, who can see on
the whole man of Africa only one object, Fa-
sboda-like the man who could see fly on
harm door but not the barn itself. The wiser
vision perceives that In the partition of Africa
hy largest snare,
having undsputedly more than any two other
Powers put together and more than Great Brit
ain will have if she shall absorb the Boer States
Egypt and the Egyptian Soudan. NJ. Delcasse
secs a French empire stretching in unbroken ex-
tent from Cape Bon to Cape Verd, from the
Mediterranean to the South Atlantic in which
British and German possessions are mere en-
cayes With that, he well reckons, France may
be content.
Eouallv iudicious is his view of French inter
ests in Southeastern Asia. He does not utter a
single lament over the failure Of Dupeix's i'm
perial schemes. 1t is more to his taste to re-
joice in the acquisition Of the whole Empire OF
Anam and of half of the Kingdom of Siam, with
goodly lien of reversion upon the adjacent
provinces Of China. He does not wish to pro-
coed at once with the partition OF China which
would indeed be mad act, imposing upon the
doors OF 1t burdens too heavy to be borne, but
would maintain the open door and be content
| Herewith, and with the assurance that the prov
inces on the French frontier shall not be yielded
to the control Of any other Power. Seeing the
momentous fact that the population of France,
now none too dense, is increasing at ratio so
small as to be scarcely perceptible, he deems 1t
! wiser TO maintain and to improve what France
already has rather than TO seek vain aggran-
dizement in the seizure Of more colonies for
which the nation can provide no colonists. Nor,
in fine does NJ. Delcasse propose that France,
under his guidance shall Intervene everywhere,
find fault everywhere and "shake the fist at all
the world" No, but she will endeavor rather TO
smooth difficulties, promote friendly understand
ings and suppress sources Of conflict 'Bluster,
he reminds his countrymen, docs not mean
strength"
Now that. as we have said, was an admirable
speech. worthy Of the best traditions OF patriouc
craftsmanship in France or in any land. Bu'
tho sneech itself was not more admirable than
the manner In which it was received There
have been times when such sentiments would
have been greeted with scorn and execration, as
equally good sentiments have been greeted In
other parliaments and congresses. But on FRI
day NJ Delcasse had his audience with MIN
] When he said France should not grab Chinese
provinces the Deputies cheered him. When he
said that Fashoda was to be passed by in view
OF what else had been gained in Africa there
were loud cheers When he deprecated hector
ing and fist shaking and clustering and efforts 10
dictate to all the world the cheering was heart
lily renewed by all the Chamber save the Ma
tionalsts and Jew baiters. All others-Republ
cans Radicals, Monarchists. Clercals and So
cialists-unted in approval Of his words and OF
the policy which they expressed 1t was a most
suspicious incident. The firm, wise policy Of
the Government toward the army and domestic
affairs in general had already been approved
In this case similar approval was given to III