The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-09


have been exposed, and that its authors or
accomplices will be deprived OF opportuni.
ties TO persecute innocent men or to
threaten the public pence.
II will have been observed that the now
Minister OF War, General the Marquis De
GALLIFFET, although lie is known TO he
man OF fearless and lint-likc temper, eked
out tho lions skin with the fox's, and pro-
cccdcd with the utmost caution until Par
Lament had been proroRued No sooner
had he got rid Of tho ptlcirs, by
which term, undoubtedly. ho IN his
mind describes the Deputies, than no
rudcly disciplined certain commandments,
who, presuming on the supposed omnipo-
tcncc Of their protectors at headquarters,
had ventured to forestall the Judgment Of
the forthcoming court-martial by proclaim
ing their distrust OF DRrYrrs in orders OF
the day. Tho Marquis, also, on the theory
that he comes too near that comes TO he
denied" removed from Paris to cooler
atmosphere tho General whom DERoULEpE
invited. on the sion Of FAURE's funeral,
TO execute coup dttat.
These admonit!ons have eliminated in q
notice to Gen. ZuRLNDEN. who for some
time has been behaving as II tho French
capital belonged to him, that he is super
seeded In the Military Govcrnorship OF Paris
by Gen. JOSEPH BRUGERE, who. we may
rely upon it, has been selected by Con. GAIL
L1TFET for excellent reasons. BY this time
tho Parisians arc thoroughly alive to tho
significance Of placing at the head Of the War
OGcc an old soldier, who not only is certain
Of being obeyed by the rank and file but
also knows his fellow Generals from their
head to their heels. Even with their rank
and honor Mt stake mon will think twice
before essaying military coup d6tdt
while the War Office Is occupied by DE
GALLIFFET who would no moro hesitate to
shoot rehellious General than he did to
NOV down the Communists in May. 1871,
twenty-eight years ago.
There Is no doubt that q crisis fraught
with grave danger to republican institu-
tions was dispoled when Premier WAL
DECk-RoUssEAr, having extorted from tho
Chamber of Deputies tho scmbance OF
vote VI confidence, fastened to brush 1t
from his path bya propagation OF Parlia-
ment Not only in the month of june
but for upward Of n twelvemonth past
the French Republic has been in jeop-
ardy, and there was too much ground
to fear that President FArRE. had he
lived, would through sheer weakness
and timidity, have been an accomplish in q
military coup dftdt. so far as the official
leaders OF the army were concerned, the
situation was more favorable to reaction
airy movement than it was on Dee. ., Sol.
Had any OF the Generals deeply implicated
in tho persecution OF DREYFUs and
P1CouAKT. and. nevertheless. intrusted
with supreme military control been of the
stuff whereof De GALLIFIEr Is made, we
should have witnessed second 18th of
Brumaire. Nor would thorc have been any
very violent popular protest, for the pres
ont Chamber OF Deputies Is regarded with
far less respect than was the Council Of
Five Hundred in 1900.
The failure OF tho Generals who had
much to fear from revision OF the Drey-
fus affair to bring about cour dttdt must
bo ascribed not only to their own compare
tive feebleness Of character, but also to the
normally patriotic and law-abding spirit
OF the rank and file. or tho numerous revo-
lutions which have taken place in France
since 1889, only three can he ascribed to tho
military, and tocomplcte tho trio we must
include the triumphant return OF NAPoLEoN
from Elbn, a return acclaimed with scarcely
less enthusiasm by civilians than by
soldiers. 1t reflects high credit on the
habitual sclf-control OF the French Army
that only twice in hundred and ten years.
to-wit: on the lsth OF Brumalrc, 1899, and
on tho I'd OF December, 1851, can it be ex-
clusivcly charged with shattoring the polit-
col structure OF the STATE.