Year: 1870

In Paris the Prussians are for the momen


forgotten in great outburst of the popular


will that sweeps away the remaining rubbish


of the empire and sets up yet once again the


French republic. Upon the reception Of the


news of the disaster to MacMahon Paris wai


in that state when function is smothered in


surmise;" but she soon saw that there was al


least one thing that could be done, and she


rushed to do 1t. and the republic seems tc


have sprung from an impulse common to every


thought. There is something very touching


in this instructive act of the public mind when


for the moment that mind happens to be free.


How many times have we been told that


France voted the coup dftat, and the empire


voted herself the creature OF despot


by seven millions Of suffrages; but
we see the moment restraint is away-the


moment the power which held her is beaten


down and she can make free choice-she


calls for the republic. She returns to the


dream Of 1898. Though 1t may be but for an
| hour that she is to be the mistress of her


destinies, for that one hour she will have the
form of freedom; and thus she will put upon


her conqueror, who comes to stamp out q
bastard empire, the necessity Of stamping out
instead people essaying self government.
She has no )egions, no generals, none of the
ordinary means of resisting conqueror, but
she sets up the banner of the republic, as If


with some strange faith that in the very name


of freedom there is power greater than that
of armies.


But what will the republic do for France
1t cannot stop the Prussans. Even if the
name of the republic could move France to
such efforts as those she once made against
combined Europe it would not help her; for
the Prussians now hold her with force equal
to that which won the battle of Leipsic; they
are in numbers against which France could
not successfully struggle even under the
greatest of all her soldiers. Although France
it would not avail, and we need hardly say
that she cannot; for this is republic of very
different mettle from that which stirred the
world in the last century. Jules Favre is no
doubt man of respectable talent and moral
courage; but 80 much cannot with any GER
tainty be said of any other man
named in the provisional government.
All the rest are of the temper of Gambetta and
Keratry, who have given their own measure
in the style of the opposition they conducted
in the Corps Legislatif-an opposition pitiful
in its aims and contemplate in its utterance.
They are the smallest sort of demagogues.
From such men France cannot effect much.
for there is not much in them. She will be
happy if they do not betray her and, instead of
organizing that resistance which the nation ex-
poets, make any terms with the enemy, how
ever humiliating, that will leave them in a
position to crafty their lust of power.


But will Prussia treat on any basis that |
the actual or possible existence of |
the republic? Having crushed one govern
ment will she treat with another, and suffer to |
grow up as consequence of her own success |
a chronic menace to the peace of Europe? 1t |
does not appear likely. But suppose the re-
public should call for the Intervention of
Europe. Just now its government is as much
a usurpation as ever the empire was. But |
suppose it could be made clear that it spoke |
for France in calling upon the other Powers
Austria, Russia, Italy and England are not |
fond of republics, but they cannot be willing
to zee France altogether in the dust They
cannot be unmoved spectators of Prussia's
startling demonstration of her power. Their
Intervention is all that Prussia fears
Left to himself the German would carry Paris
by storm and dictate terms that would embrace
the dismemberment of France and rebuke
French greed by utterly surprising it with
specimen of German greed. He would try by |
this and other means to cripple France in the
future, that she might not stand in his way
for schemes even beyond the absorption of |
South Germany. Against this all Europe is
in making definite provision and |
it cannot refuse to hear the call of France and |
come to her rescue. Only England has de-
clared herself entirely ready to recognize any
government that France might choose as her |
own; but the other Powers ought to regard a |
republic in Paris as small evil by comparison
with other accessions to the power of Prussia
than such as are now inevitable.


1t is easy to see what reason would dictate
to the provisional government or to any others
into whose hands the power may fall. France
is at the mercy of an energetic foe that has
beaten all her troops, and since she could not
successfully oppose him when she had the
armies Of Bazaine and MacMahon how can she
oppose him with neither these nor any other
force worthy the name Of an army? Reason
therefore would dictate that she should imme-
diately make the best terms she can through
the Intervention of the other governments,
Or otherwise, in the absence Of such interven-
ton. But unfortunately, passion sways her