Year: 1873




The Situation In France.


The members of the Right in the French
Assembly have, according to q statement
made bya Paris paper which is favorable to
the monarchists, agreed to limit MacMahon's
term of Presidential tenure to five years, and
accepted the proposition that he shall be
officially designated by the title of the Presi-
dent of the Republic. These concessions
have gained over one republican member to
the party of the Right, SO that it has now
majority in the Parliamentary Committee on
Prolongation of the President Powers.


Immediately previous to the accomplish
ment of this unitary tactic by the Right
an unexpected complication had given
new interest to the political game now in prog
ress in the French Assembly. It is not ap-
parent whether it was mere chance or q
stroke of political dexterity which gave to the
republicans majority of one in the commit
mittee on the proposition to prolong MacMa-
hons term of Office; but the fact that they
had such majority was hastily accepted by
the Right as defeat of their project, and de-
moralized the whole force for time, so that the
Ministry was only held together by the more
resolute Marshal. At least that is the aspect
in which the public is permitted to view the
event; but it may very likely prove that the
Cabinet designations, of the tender of which
we were told by telegram, were proffered
after previous understanding with the Mar
shal that he would not accept them. for the
Right and Right Centre are unlikely
to deprive themselves in the present crisis,
upon any punctilio of constitutional usage,
of the prestige that Office gives, if they could
avoid the necessity by an easy manouvre.
Whether the royalist party regarded itself as
really routed by one vote in committee and
was honestly willing to go out Of Office defying
the republicans to venture upon the formation
of Ministry in the presence of hostile ma
jority; or whether it was only shamming defeat,
as Theirs used to threaten to resign, in order
to excite the country and rally to its assistance
the moral support of public sentiment and
the conservative fear that if it should really
60 out there would be political cataclysm;
upon whichever horn of the dilemma we 60, it
necessarily follows that the compact force
lately mustered for the formation Of the new
monarchy has lost that complete confidence
that might have given it success and the cohe-
sion Of common purpose.


Chambord's detection has evidently shat
tered bis party by opening again the many
d;ffayop ooc f1,of xyora ba.1a5 ,rbox, ~ coon.oJ
temporarily amenable to human reason and
the possibilities Of politics. 1t was forgotten
for the moment how much had been done to
strengthen the royalist party by the fusion,
and it was thought that they could make the
monarchy and leave the personality of the
monarch still in doubt; but it is evident that
without Chambord there is no real unity
among the royalists The supporters of the
pretender are, like him, in the possession of an
unreasoning obstinacy that is only prevented
from being sublime by its absurdity. It was
the Orleanists that gave way in making the
fusion, of course; and now we see that
the others did not yield a step. The
supporters Of constitutional monarchy might
go over to the supporters of divine right and
welcome, but there could be no movement in
the other direction. Unity is very well if the
friends of the Count de Paris support
the Count de Chambord; but for the
friends Of Chambord TO support the Count
de Paris would be to purchase unity at
too high price. So when the chances Of
Chambord are seen to fail the unity Of the roy
alist party is seen to fail with them, for no
other candidate is possible in the eyes Of his
supporters. They go with him into the high
regions Of political and moral contemplation
in which the supporters Of divine right have
their being, leaving the more mundane believ-
ers in royalty to bite their thumbs like Sam
son in the play, and leaving political philoso-
pliers TO wonder if there can be compact
royalist party in France while Chambord
lives.
Upon no other hypothesis but that Of their
consciousness Of want OF unity can we under
stand the readiness of the Ministry to give way
IN the case reported. II Is true they had
staked their chances very boldly on the prop
osition to prolong MacMahon's tenure for ten
years, and this was in the hands Of commit
toe In which there was majority Of one
A0sinst them. Doubtless. herefQra. Jha com.