Year: 1874

politics, where neither party has any platform
of principles, and where the only Object Of
each seems to be to set traps for the other
without declaring its own purposes, has its
parallel in other portions of the world. In
England tho ill-health of Mr.. Disraeli and the
sudden absorption of Mr. Gladstone in theO-
logical discussions threaten both the great
parties with o loss of leadership which it
seems exceedingly difficult to remedy. la the
not improbable events of the entire failure of
the Prime Minister'S health, and the definite
retirement of MIR. Gladstone from the post ne
has 80 long occupied at tho head of the
Liberal party, there would ensuc, according to
tho opinions of large portion Of the press III
England something like q disintegration of
present organizations, and some entirely new
combination. The political chaos which is be-
ginning in this country, and is threatened in
Great Britain, is already in full possession Of
the Assembly in France. The Right Center,
the only section of tho Chamber which
is sincerely attached to the Septen-
nate, il wandering discOnsolatcly from
one end of tho house to the other
trying to find allies on reasonable terms who
will assist it in organizing the powers of
Marshal MacMahon. 1t could make Il bargain
in an instant with the Loft, but there is
something 80 revolving in the idea of acknowl-
edging the Republic that every possible effort
must first be exhausted to gain the assistance
of the "lght-horsemen" of the Right. The
Moderate Legitmists would be glad to compro-
mise upon the basis of tho Septennate, if they
only had moral courage enough to declare
their independence of the extreme partisans
of the COmte do ChambOrd. But the latter
take singular sort of pride in devOting
themselves to political suicide ut the bidding
of their King. He fOrbids them to recognize
the Government of MacMahon rs anything
more than temporary expedient, to be done
away as soon as it suits his convenience to
assume tho throne of his fathers. From one
quarter or another the MacMahOn party must
get votes, or government becomes impossible
with this Assembly, and after dissolution it
would be difficult to forecast the risks of
new election. But tho political color of the
Government party depends directly upon the
alliances which they are now seeking to make.
If they fail to consolidate tho Right in their
favor they must have recourse to the Left
Center and in that case they are irrcsistibly
absorbed by the Moderate Republicans.


Iuo Otputieo VI tuO IVY SNneSA oCVm III
clined to make matters as easy as possible for
their distressed colleagues. They do not call
for dissolution at present; they accept
MacMahon for the seven years for which he
was elected over their heads; they do not in
sist at this time upon the constitutional changes
which they think necessary. Everything which
can be done to facilitate the union between
the two Centers, tho Left Center seems
ready and willing to do, but as yet their
ueighbors appear to be more attracted by the
insolence of the Legitimsts than by the
amiable complaisance of the Moderate Repub-
licans. Meanwhile, all parties are trying to
make capital out of the recently published
dispatches of Bismarck to Won Arnim. The
German Chancellor, wisely enough, was of the
opinion that monarchcal restoration in
France would be step towards the beginning
of another war. The MoDarchists taunt the
Republicans with this evident fact, and the
latter are weak enough to be annoyed by it,
instead of accepting it, and announcing to the
world that they desire peace for their country,
and time for rest and recuperatOn.