Year: 1877

iatunS OF every possible type. but
that apprehension excited-that sense of
suspicion which respects. not even the
dearest friend, scarcely father or a SON
that sense fairly awakened, the French
elector resolutely hides his thoughts, con-
ceals them as scrupulously as he might the
greatest treasure, and bides the time when,
by his vote, he may take vengeance on
those who have driven him to such
resources. That is the situation in
France to-day. Repression of the
least discriminating kind, an application
of gag law-the unscrupulous use of all the
means in the hands of the government to
suppress the utterance Of opinion-all this
has made the nation dumb. If q project or
other official anywhere or on any occasion
said word or raised finger in indication Of
sympathy with the republicans, or even in
indication Of an intention that there should
be fair play between the parties in the coun-
try subject TO his jurisdiction, that prefect
or official was removed. If o journal in
dulged phrase Objectionable to the Min
istry it was prosecuted, and subservient
judges condemned it. Even q man 80
prominent as Gambetta it was sought to
bully and overwhelm by these tactics. If
projects, journals, political leaders were
thus suppressed by the Ministerial abuse of
power how readily might the government
bully into silence the timid mass of the
people That is really what it has done,
and that is the reason why speculation is at
fault. 1t does not receive its usual indica-
tions from popular utterance. simply be-
cause the people dare not open their
mouths. But it Is safe to assume that a
people thus dealt with has no good will
toward its oppressors !; and we are inclined
to believe that precisely in proportion as
the wise ones are without indication Of
what is to come in just that proportion will
the people pronounce against the sudden
tyranny that has overwhelmed the national
temper and cowed them into silence.


But whether the nation will profit by the
verdict Of the people at the polls we doubt
That the people will vote with the repub-
licans overwhelmingly we believe is as GER
tain as that the sun will rise. But, though
the sun rises the world may not see it.
Clouds may come between and mists
and storms; and the government that
holds France under its foot will not fail
to cloud the issue Of to-day's elections
if it be humanity possible That is the pur-
pose for which it removed all the projects
appointed by former governments and re-
placed them by tools and creatures Of
a. ,C<r With
others about them, possess the cleo
toral machinery, and they mean to
count in the official candidates, and will do
it. 1t matters not who really has the ma
jority Of the suffrages, the men the Ministers
want in office will be returned, unless the
republicans have taken against such frauds
precautions of which we do not hear.


The War-Reeent Fighting i'm Ar


meniA.


In Armenia Moukhtnr Pachas army has
been endeavoring to force the Russians
back upon the frontier, and at the same
time cautiously covering Kars from any
sudden attack which the Grand Duke
might attempt to make by movement
by the right flank Hence we find
the opposing forces aligned nearly par
allel to each other, and each holding
positions of great natural strength. The
Russians have been striking alternately at
Moukhtar Pacha's wings in the hope of
turning them back and enclosing the Turks
in position whence retreat would be as
fatal as to stay and fight. But the wary
Moukhtar is not to be caught mapping, and
retires when hard pressed with his forma-
ton intact. The abandonment of Kizil Tepe
by the Turks is inconsistent with their
claims Of complete success in the battles Of
the last two weeks. If, as they insist the
Russians have suffered enormous losses and
are in full retreat, how can the retirement
Of the Turkish army to more secure
position be reconciled with victorious
pursuit Of the enemy? We are inclined to
doubt the Turkish victories. Indeed, we
can almost believe in substantial Russian
successes if we base our faith on the in
formation furnished from Constantinople


The siege Of Plevna progresses without
any remarkable change in the relative
positions or strength of the belligerenis,
except perhaps, that caused by the juno
tion of Chefket and Osman Pacha. It is
calculated that the Russian army in
Bulgaria numbers two hundred thou
sand men, exclusive of the Dobrudscha
corps of thirty thousand men, and that the
Turkish force is of equal strength, but
divided equally into two armies, COM
manded by Suleiman Pacha and Osman
Pacha respectively. The Russians holding
the central position should now be able to
overwhelm either body of their enemy
without endangering their own po-
sition very seriously during the oper-
alton. Why they do not is the
mystery Of the campaign that time alone
can unravel. With damaged bridges threat
ening short supplies, on one side, and the
typhus scourge on the other, neither the