Year: 1876

At least one hundred of the Senators Just
elected in France are republicans of that
moderate sort by whom the reasonable re-
straints of government are not regarded as
oppression and tyranny, and at least fifty
of the seventy-fve Senators chosen by the
Assembly some weeks since are republicans
of the same character 1t results, therefore,
that in a body of three hundred members
one-half are men who can practically
operate in support of the new constitution
and the republican system; and all the other
factions taken together at most only equal
the republicans in number. 1t is not posi-
bic to conceive more salutary distribution
of parties than this presents. For all the
ordinary measures of administration, for
the legitimate, proper, effective legislation
in the Senate, the republican supporters
of the constitution have all the votes they
want. No merely factious opposition can
embarrass them, since the opposition ele-
ments, all further from one another than
from the republicans, will never act alto
gether on ordinary measures. But
if case arises where Bonapartists





republicans can all cast their votes
together in pursuit of some common object,
even then they cannot prevail unless sec
ton of the moderate rational republicans
shall act with them. If united, therefore,
they must be united in opposition to some
measure as to the wisdom Of which certain
republicans are themselves doubtful before
Al. l. !
just the time at which it is best that the re-
publcans should be restrained. 1t is well
that they should not be able to carry any
measure as to which any respectable section
of the republicans can be arrayed against the
party.


Evidently this result of the election must
have two important consequences. 1t must
affect very greatly the elections for the
choice of a new Assembly, and it must
change the Ministry In every country there
are great many who want to vote with
those who win but in no other country has
this disposition power in any way COM
parable to that it exercises in France and
hicts as that in the Assembly and
that before the people the republi-
cans appear to equal in number
all the other parties together will greatly
strengthen this party for another trial. But
the republicans have not won in any ordi-
nary conflict in the late elections They
have won against an extreme use of the
power of the government in favor of their
opponents, against a resolute and indisputa-
bic determination of the Ministry to give all
possible aid and comfort to a party COM
mitted to the support of monar chy. They
have also won in defiance of distribution
of the electoral power which directly and
hagrantly assisted the Bonapartists. Facts
like this imply and prove that the repub-
lican party is the party that has deep hold
on the confidence of the people and this
must appear more clearly still in the vote for
the formation Of the House that is supposed
in all political systems to reflect more faith
fully the temper of the nation. As to the
Ministry, NJ Buffets exclusion is, of course,
the necessary result. In the late ''crisis"
that gentleman endeavored to force the re-
tirement of NJ. Say and NJ. Dufaure because
they were republicans, and therefore not in
sympathy with the will of the nation. Now
he must retire, acknowledging that this rule
applies to him, because he is not repub-
lican.