New-York tribune., 1905-03-05
MoNARnRICAL EOLIpSE.

The completeness of the monarchical eclipse
in France is strikingly indicated by q cur
rent incident. A marriage we are told. has
been arranged" between Princess Clementine,
daughter Of the King of the Belgians, and
Prince Victor Napoleon, son Of the late"Plon-
Plon." Belgium is a country which France
regards with peculiar interest. as one which
should come to her if ever Germany annexes
Holland, and, at any rate. as one with which
French relations are peculiarly intimate. AS
for Prince Victor, he is the official" Bonapart
list pretender, and has added to his claims of
descent the familiar Bonapartist proposition OF
q plebiscitum, so that he is probably by far
the most fornidable-perhaps it would be bet
ter 70 say least insignifcant-of all existing
espirents to the French throne For these rea-
sons time was, and not long ago, when such
marriage as this would have loomed portentous
upon the Gallo horizon; there would have been
interpretations, protests, diplomatic messages
q Ministerial crisis and visions innumerable OF
man on horseback But now? The French
government simply says, In an offhand way,
"BIess you, my children! Marry and be happy
France doesn't care row Of pins about itP'
There are various reasons for this change OF
sentiment One doubtless is that Of time The
longer pretender is kept from the throne the
weaker bis claim TO 1t becomes. Other genera
tons arise who know not Joseph. Another is
to be found In the deterioration OF monarchist
stock In exile. Louis Napoleon and "Plon-
Plon" were far below the standard Of the great
Bonaparte, and It is not unjust to say that
Prince Victor shows q further and marked de-
cline He is not the stuff OF which emperors
are made Louis Napoleon, with his tame
etrick" eagle and what not, was not an heroic
figure, though he did win the throne. But even
he was q splendid figure compared with the
pipchbeck puppets of Boulangerism and Prince
Victor is O derelict Of Boulangerism. No Won
der that his doings, even his marriage with
Belgian princess and heiress. are Of little con-
Germ to France. He is no menace to the Third
Republic.
Above all, however, credit for the salutary
and auspicious change is due to the republic
itself. which has found ITSELF" and to the
statesmen who in the last half dozen years
have had the direction of its affairs. There is
no disrespect to their distinguished predeces-
sors in saying that NJ. Waldeck- Rousseau and
Dr. Combes and their colleagues did more dur
ing their administrations to confirm the re-
public in perpetuity than all who went before
That was because former Ministers could not
entirely get away from the notion or the feel
ing that the republic was still on trial and
| was beset by dangerous foes. Even the master
| full Gambetta, when he cried lie Clericalisme
| VOLTA rennemi!' regarded that foe as one that
overthrow Iue anu against
which the republic must fight for its life and
| must vindcate itself But NJ Waldeck- -Rous
| seau changed all that. He applied to the re-
| public MacMahon's Crimean boast There it
was, there it would remain. He serenely as
suned that the republic was secure, immuta-
4 ble perpetual, superior TO all conceivable foes
| and its enemies, whether of mitarism or Cleri-
| calism or what not, were to be suppressed. not
| because they could possibly imperil its exist
| baaa
| to it-as man would brush away q gnat. not
| because he feared its bite might be fatal but
| merely because ii annoyed him. That was ma q.
nihcent, and it was craftsmanship. 1t sounded
for France new and clear keynote, and caused
| her. as we have said, TO find herself" not In
| agitated and tremulous self-consciousness OF
| weakness and peril but In the strong and
| laudably proud self-consclousness of Inherent
strength ana impregnable security. That is the