Year: 1874

What May Happen I'm France.


President MacMahon declares very plainly
his intention to occupy his position 'up to
the last day with unshaken frmness and
scrupulous respect for law" He has been
appointed for seven years, and, no matter
what laws may be made to the contrary, he
will hold his place for that time, with military
force if necessary. He thus presents to the
country one fixed point. around which it may
construct a government, and gives the guar
antee of his word that that point shall not be
disturbed meantime if he can help 1t; and
with this assurance he urges the Assembly to
mature the constitutional bill SO long under
consideration. 1t is evident, therefore, that
the conflict is to turn at an early hour upon
the passage or defeat of the schemes for or
ganized government thus referred to, and that
the trial Of the strength of respective parties
is to be made in support Of favorite constitu-
tional projects on the liberal side and against
all such projects on the side Of the monarch
lists and the radicals; and equally evident
that the important alternative Of dissolution
is in the balance.


II is alleged that seventy Deputies Of
the Extreme Right are committed against
the constitutional bills, and, further, that
Chambord's recent intimation as to the proper
conduct of "true royalist" may determine
q number of adherents Of the Right Centre to
q similar opposition. No doubt the first state
ment is true, and the truth Of the other is, at
least, highly probable. In addition to these
elements Of opposition the measure has also
to encounter the hostility of the whole Of the
Extreme Left and of q large section of repub-
licans nearer the Centre, who, though not so
red as the radicals, are of q sufficiently posi-
tive hue. With these accumulated difficulties
in the way the constitutional bills cannot
pass, and the likelihood is imminent that OBJ
stacles enough will be found to insure their
defeat at least in any form in which they have
yet appeared.


The constitutional projects are propositions
for the organization Of the existing govern
ment in more or less positive constitutional
form; and at the same time that they give
to the government that organization and au-
thority which it demands they define it's pow
ers, and the most favored of them also extends
the vitality Of the present Chamber to the year
1880, and assumes, as part of the scheme, on
electoral law by whose provisions new Cham
Der will be chosen. On the one hand the ele-
ments Of the Right oppose this because it
definitely accepts the Republican name at
least-and ends the provisional by solu-
ton not to their taste; while the radicals op-
pose it because they allege that the Assembly
has not constituent powers and cannot justly
constitute even the Republic; the more mod
crate of the Left are against it because it con-
tnues the Assembly, and they favor dissolu-
ton; and other republicans, not far from NJ.
Theirs in the political distribution. make an
opposition to the project which is mere
cover for personal opposition.


And if constitutional project of some
character is not carried what then? Then
the Centre Gauche or conservative republicans
will apparently give up the hope they have
hitherto indulged of organizing the Republic
around the Septennate. Filled with appre-
hension over the possibilities Of personal
government not restrained by system and not
accepted by law as an expression Of the
national will, they will favor an appeal to the
country. They will vote for q dissolution
with the whole Lett to the furthest extreme
Dissolution con be carried with the vote it
will thus receive, as can also whatever enact
ment may be necessary for proceeding to the
choice Of national Assembly with constitu-
ent powers. With the board cleared and the
country called to elect an Assembly Of that
Instead Of resulting from calm discussion Of
political principles the next Chamber would
be the issue Of an enthusiastic delirium OF 70.
pubIcanism.


Any new Assembly, 30 created. would be ct
direct issue with the present government, and
President MscMahon might bs called upon to
give practical effect to the declaration that he
will hold Office for the seven years for which he
was chosen by force II necessary. Without
regard, however, to what might be the con-
duct Of new Chamber, we must at present
recognize the fact that dissolution is no un-
likely result Of the present situation. Timidity,
however, Is now an important element in
French politics, and 1t the last moment
whole factions seem suddenly to aban-
don, from mere want Of resolution, q def
nitely formed purpose and, unless calcula-
tions come to naught through the operation
Of that influence. we may safely declare that
the conflict in France has reached stage
where either definite constitutional scheme
will be accepted or dissolution will be voted.





Loufsfana I'm Congress.


It has been trumpeted far and wide that the
Louisiana question is one Of the first that will
be taken up by Congress, and that Morton
has been telegraphed to and is fastening
from California to Washington to defend