Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1906-02-01
SHALL THE FRENCH
ROYAL TIES RETURN
THE REPATRIATION OF FRANCES
ExILED PRINCES PROPOSED.
Amnesty for DerouIede the Basis of a
Plea for Justice" to Victor Napo-
leon and the Duke of Oreans-M.
Fernand Engerand Explains His
Motives for Espousing Their Cause.

Translated from lie Figare.-M
Fernand Engerand's bill to soften the
rigors of the law of 1886 as it bears
upon the members of families who
once ruled in France is certainly one
of the most important political enter
prise undertaken for long time, and
the quiet way in which it has been
laid before the chamber awakens no
! little curiosity. Nor does the curios.
ity in the least diminish when we real.
ze that M. Fernand Engerand advo.
Gates not the abolition of the law, but
merely its attention. His bill seeks
TO abolish article |. of that law, which
eXiles the princes and their direct
heirs from France. 1t would permit
them to return to their country, but it
would still maintain the other provl-
sons of the law regarding them, and
would permit the government to exile
/ them afresh 'if they should seek to
change the republican form of French
institutions. The other members of
these families are restored to respec-
liability before the law by legislative
measures long ago taken in their be-
| half.
NJ. Fernand Engerand at our re-
quest thus explained his position.
For a long time | have wanted to in
troduce this measure, but / have hith-
erto been prevented from doing so by
the question of amnesty, for | was eX-
/ tremely reluctant to take steps that
would tend to balk the discussion of
that question. This difficulty no
| longer exists. Deroulede is once more
, in France, and, / rejoice at his return.
/ Now that we have put an end to our
injustice toward Deroulede, we have
free field for our efforts to repair
that other and eql ally intolerable in
| Justice which makes outlaws and eX-
| lies of Frenchmen who have commit
ted no other crime than that of bear
ing illustrious names.
1T seems to me that the psychology
ical moment has at last arrived for
raising this question. The circum-
stance that brought the law of 1886
into being was the marriage of the
king Of Portugal, our present guest,
with the Princess MarieAmeI1e of
Orleans The ceremonies attending
that union and the subsequent demon,
STATIONS at the Hotel Galliera not
only caused the prescription of the
princes of Orleans but 'by a senti-
ment of equilibrium was the
lovely phrase employed by the pre-
mier at the time-the Bonapartes
were included in the prescription.
though they had nothing to do with
the business AMI We're not even in.
vited to the wedding.
"The law Of 1886 is unjust and use
lessl-unjust because it Furnishes
French citizens not for what they do,
but for what they are; useless be-
cause, as anyone will admit, there is
no longer any sense in talking of the
monarchical peril. The country is
thoroughly accustomed to the repub-
lie. The so-called pretenders have
| for twenty years shown that they
mean to respect the laws of the coun-
| try from which they are eXilel. Mum
beress opportunities for an opposite
line of conduct have been offered
| them. There have been times when
the government was very much like a
vacant house, and yet the eXiles have
rightly refused to take advantage OF
\Irhnt fhnn
to do. When shall we put an end to
this ostracism, and what, pray, is our
motive for maintaining it? Is their
exile to be perpetual? If not, what
must we do to bring 1t to an end?"
do you mean to say that the
princes are prescribed merely because
of the names they bear?'
Precisely. And yet those unfortun-
ate gentlemen didn't choose their
names Moreover, those names are
closely associated with the history OF
France and are among the most glori-
Gus names the country can boast Do
we ever think of prescribing men who
bear evil and deteSted names, names
that recall treason and high crimes
against the fatherland? Is it not true
that a man bearing such a name
rises to some brilliant post of author
| ity?
You see the absurdity of the pres
ent situation. The eXiled princes have
never lone anything directly or in
directly, TO menace the established
powers. Their exile has lasted twenty
years. ami no one has ever suggested
bringing it to a close, During this
period only one attempt has been
made TO overthrow the government
not the republic, It is true, but the
present constitutional system and
those who maintain 1t. This was
done by Deroulede. whom love with
all my heart for the Frenchman and
the patriot he is. His exile lasted
Ave years and everyone. whether
friend or foe admits that his punish
ment was excessive. The amnesty
was profound relief for the public