Year: 1872

closing them to necessary legislation.


President Thiers' Message to tho


French Assembly.


In all the great centres of population in
Europe and among the reading public on the
American Continent the message of President
Theirs to the National Assembly of France is
commanding attention and giving birth to
much earnest and serious talk. II is not won
dcrful that it should be SO. For some months
past all kinds Of rumors have been in the wind
as to the intentions Of the President Of the
French Republic. It was the expectation of
many that his message would startle the world
by the announcement that the Executive had
resolved to propose such changes in the con-
stitution as would place the government Of
France on more solid and enduring basis.
The anxiety was all the greater that the charac-
ter Of the rumored changes was unknown.


On Wednesday, in q full house, the Presi-
dents message was formally received and read
by deputy. In many essential points the mes
sage was all that could be wished. Thanks
were expressed to God for the work of repara-
ton and for the general prosperity of the
country. In speaking of the extraordinary
success which had attended the last loan the
message, not without good reason, says sthe
whole available capital of the commercial
world was offered to France" It was some
thing to be able to say that half of the loan
had already been realized; that, within three
months, Germany had been paid eight hun
dred millions of francs of the war indemnity,
and that in the month of December she would
receive two hundred millions more. The
budget for the past fiscal year shows deficit
Of one hundred and thirty-two millions of
francs; but according to the PRESIDENT mes
sage the equilibrium will be restored
in 1873, and a surplus may be con-
fidently looked for in 1874 The
next point touched upon by the President was
the late war with Germany. In allusion to the
disasters which had followed the war he spoke
of ''the cruel dismemberment of the country,
the frightful burden it had to bear and the
sudden establishment of the Republic" These
things might have led to national ruin if order
had not been maintained. Republicans were
asked to make sacrifices for their own
interests and for the present to set their
theories aside. Events had given them the
Republic; it was the legal form of govern
ment; any attempt towards different form Of
government would lead to revolution; but the
formal proclamation of the Republic the Presi-
dent deprecated. And SO on the message goes,
admitting the success of the Republic, but full
<,r 20, he 4
taken towards its establishment on a
firm and durable basis. There is not
in the message one word, so far as
we have it, regarding the creation of
an Upper House, the creation of a Vice Presi-
dent or the dissolution of the present Assem-
bly,, to be followed by general election. All
that he says in this direction is:-"To the As
sembly is left the initiation of constitutional
measures; the decisive moment for such work
has arrived !" and for himself he promises
Difference, cooperation and devotion. The
message concludes by invoking the blessing
Of God on the work they had on hand and
to render complete and durable a consumma-
ton which had not been attained since the
commencement of the century. We are not
displeased to learn that the message was ap-
proved Of by the Left, and that by some it is
thought to encourage the hope of an early dis
solution of the Assembly.


As has been said above, the message is, in
some respects, all that could be wished. 1t is
gratifying to us to know that France which
was found so much wanting in her last war
effort, is conducting herself so grandly in the
hour of her misfortune.


| II was wont 10 be said of France that she
was grand only when success was following
her banners. II is not disagreeable for the
world to know that this opinion must be
reversed, for it must be admitted that France
has never so much revealed her strength and
her resources as she has done since the close of
her latest, and, perhaps, her most disastrous
war. No nation in the days of her humilia-
| ton and sorrow has ever in the whole history
of the world behaved more nobly than she has
done during the last two years. All this we
admit and SO far we are pleased with the
Presidents message. But further than this
our approval Of the Presidents message can
not go. The first part of the message is
the condemnation of the latter. All the
wonderful things which France has done have
been accomplished under the Republic II