Year: 1872

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PARIS Dec. s, 1872.


Should the Committee Of Thirty, appointed to.
day accordance with the proposition OF Dufaure.
to sit as sort Of coroners jury on the mortal re.
mains OF the Republic, perform adequately the
functions expected OF IT, It's report can scarcely be
other than an outline OF constitution for France;
for 1t must declare apparently either for or against
a Ministry responsible to the Chamber; for or
against q second Chamber; for or against the
separation OF the executive from the Legislative,
by the exclusion Of the President from the tribune
and finally for against an appeal to the country
in the dissolution by gradual renewal Of the pre-
sent Assembly One way or another, therefore, its
report must be constitutional programme and
determination and WILL in future be cited az such,
and for this reason It's appointment, though
proposed by the government, Is the most
substantial victory YET gained by the Right,
which has always claimed against constant
contradiction that. this Assembly had constituent
powers. But the most significant point is not this
victory Of the Right 1t is the implication that the
Bordeaux bargain Is OF no further force; that the
truce between the hostile elements is at an end;
that the revolution begins again at the point where
the declaration OF that political pact paci1ed the
parties, and that the contest Is practically re-
opened, from which each party anticipates the
triumph Of its views, even though this may induce
new appeal to arms and general civil war.


In the state Of agitation provoked by the Pres-
dents Message and the Kerdrel proposition to
answer it, General Cbangarnier opened the lists by
aiming blow at the government over the shoul-
ders of Gambetta; and the government, deploraby
unskiful In parliamentary tactics, chose that in
opportune time for demanding q vote of conf
1dence, and suffered itself to drift into the false
position OF making itself the champion of one OF the
parties against the other instead of standing apart
and adroitly knocking the heads ofthe two together
More than this, the President, led away by that
temptation to be demonstratively logical that Is
a weakness Of the French intellectual, ran into
some untimely commonpaces in reference to the
actual existence OF the Republic and the common
duty OF all to assist in keeping this actual Republic
In conservative groove; and out Of such small
material suddenly starts up great crisis in the
Arabian stories wonderful demon takes shape
from the cloud OF vapor that rises when some inno-
cent person with the best Intentions throws a
pinch Of incense on the tre. In these events con-
sidered by themselves, there was nothing to pro-
woke collision OF the parties out Of which might
come sweeping constitutional changes; but these
They must be viewed with reference to the cOndi-
tion Of things that underlies them, for this 1t is


THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY.


Elected at o time when the Empi re and the Re-
were
made and the other had continued q war in which
France could only be driven from one hopeless ba t.


tie to another and when the monarchy was the
only government that had done no recent wrong
the Assembly was an expression OF the popular
spleen-a declaration made in III temper against
both the prominent parties and In favor Of barty
that was by common consent impossible, but on
which was cast the duty OF making peace. But
when the spleen, chagrin and III temper in which
It was chosen was soothed q little and the nation
began to recover its normal tone the first dis
covery made was that OF the entire want OF SYM
the country upon every topic OF general interest,"
and upon the fundamental ideas OF national poll
on bsr sa% na sne aad not to
hands Of keeper than whom not even the Prus-
sian sian himself could be more ruthlessy at difference
time until this every hour has only widened the
chasm that yawns between the two, and for the
tence that it represents the country is simply
nagrant outrage Every election-no matter how
iiny nec no ac matter member dis
given In whatever form, expresses the common
1, spirit Of republicanism So confident are the
before the country that a proposition has been
made for the resignation OF eighty-six republican
demonstrate that the popular will is SO clearly with
them that they could at this time return republican
every yonG 5s o and this ex
that 1t would leave the Right in -claar majority,
70 1ns %S"a %
definitely shut out these eighty-six republican
votes.


But though the republican party is thus the con.
trolling power in the country-in popular opinion,
in public gatherings in the ca,es. the streets, the
together yet the Right, which looks npon all re-
publicanism as direct emanation from the devil
controlling power In the Assembly, and Just now
the possession Of the Assembly is OF more con-
sequence practically than the possession Of all the
ground on which the battle Is to be fought, and
holds the force TO fight it, there Is but little profit in
some other place, and that Is just the view the
Right seems now disposed to take. 1t means to
fore the legions can come up that would turn the
scale against 1t. 1t means that this Assembly, be-
cause the Right holds SO fair proportion OF power
in 1t and may never hold so much in another shall,
country. And "what are you going to do about
III" How can you help III VIM you dissolve the
Assembly by military force and go to the countryf
Can good fruit grow on that particular sort OF tree
sr nas ts the rs and m @ Empires
pecialy afraid to seem to initiate the second En-
pire Can the Assembly be dissolved otherwisef


Sers and the Le S' sccede and Gssoye
leaving the Right as rump parliament; but this
also Is obviously only step toward the eventual
element comes in It win be a scramble and toss
up who shall win; and oil accordingly hesitate TO
take the nrst step in that direction.


M. Theirs policy has constantly kept In view
the position OF parties as here stated, and
he has tried to hold the balance so as
to oppose the weight OF public opinion out
side the Chamber to the preponderance OF
the Right inside. Recognizing the condition OF
Importance to the popular win as interpreted by
himself than as interpreted BY the votes Of the
members. Against his right to do this
the members whose influence on the government
ia thus oversaughed have furiously protested, and
their clamor for ministerial responsibility starts ex
actly here. They declare, not unnaturaly that for
any man TO presume TO interpret the popular will
is simply the institution Of personal power like
the Empire, while TO govern with Ministry drawn
Chamber ID an open defiance OF the majority.
Hitherto though c1amoring against this, they have