Year: 1872

Il "


Plane for PerPetuating the RePub.
lie.


We are gratifed beyond measure to author


itatively announce that the statement circu-


lated here respecting the alleged resignation


OF President Theirs and the appointment of q


triumvirate, with MacMahon at its head, is


false in every particular. France is in the


midst of genuine crisis, and the fact that


anything seems possible at such a time will


account for the anxiety this canard created


among those who hope for the preservation of


the Republic in France and the progress of


republicanism in Europe. In our cable de-


spatches will be found the old material out of


which the new and baseless sensation was


manufactured


Of great consequence in this connection will


be found the various plans put forward in


earnestness to place the Republic on firm


foundation. 1t is recognized on every hand


that the present position cannot last. The


Bonapartists, Orleanists and Bourbons de-
rive their hopes Of success from this
palpable instability, and nothing but the
gulf of revolution into which all might be


tumbled restraints each from laying hands on
the government in struggle for the mastery.
This is the trump card which M. Theirs lays
down each time he threatens to resign! The
Left Centre is the party In the National As
sembly from which he receives tho most
useful support. as it is the party of conserva-
tive republicans. Although he receives the
vote of the Extreme Left, or radicals, on all
questions touching the fundamental form of the
government and can generally count on the
vote of the Right Centre or more advanced of
the monarchists, the majorities he has gained
have been all founded on the spirit of COM
promise, which means timid acquiescence by
numbers in what they have the desire but not
the courage to oppose As this has put the
Left Centre in the position of being the
only positive party in the Assembly
voting on its absolute convictions, their
plan deserves consideration It's first
provision is the appointment of committee
of thirty to draw up organic laws. The ne
cessity of this is obvious, for before any step
con be made the basis Of law must be firm on
which they tread. The most important fen-
lures, however, in view of the status Q,so are
the proposals to prolong the term of NJ Theirs
for four years and to nominate Vice Presi-
dent. The intention in this is firstly to let
well alone in the person of the Executive for
four years longer and to provide
against the danger of disorganization
which might follow the demise of an
oll xu1,n Ill
cariously depends. The creation of second
Chamber, probably on plan somewhat simi-
lar to the United States Senate, is their next
and one on which conservatism
in all well-regulated governments relies for
rash and hasty legislation Of the
mode of election to this Upper Chamber we
are not informed. The foregoing prop
ositions are those on which they pro-
pose frustrating the plans of Napoleon
lists and Communists alike. They pro-
vide for an easy and gradual transition
to settled government. The two parties which
lie at the extremes would hope everything in
q period of sudden change. The next propo-
sition, which is meant to meet the vehemence
of the radicals, provides for O partial
or complete renewal of the Assembly;
and, lastly, q pledge is throw out of minis
terial responsibility to- the people at large
The monarchists are already disheartened in
their cause In contrast with this we OBJ
serve that the extreme Left endorse the
declaration of Gambetta, who says that the
dissolution of the Assembly is the sole remedy
for the present difficulties. The radicals,
by the republican successes at the
late elections, believe that q new Assembly
would be still more strongly republican, and
the indications are that they are right The
old gentlemen Of the Right, whose
heads are in the past quarter of century OF
o century ago, will find less and less place in
the representative councils of q great live
nation as France is to-day. But the virtue of
caution should not be disregarded, and where
the success Of the republican idea is assured
the radicals would do well not to push matters
too swiftly at the beck of their able, but hot
headed leader, Gambetta.


Meanwhile, we learn that the jury bill has
been passed by an immense majority. which is
very satisfactory. The motion to restore the
confscated estates to the Orleans family
will bring out the strength of the royalists
and perhaps air their pretensions little.
It looks as though they feared that
even this boon was as much as any s.family"
could expect from State so rapidly settling
into republicanism. Let France persevere in
her course Of guarded republicanism, avoiding
the violent changes which give the elements of
evil chance, and she may soon in safety look
back over the days from the fall of the Bastile
to the foil Of Sedan as the checkered time in
which full liberty and government by the
people were nursed rarely in friendly arms,
but which reached perfected growth in spite
of all.


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