THE FRENCH SITUATION. (To THE EDITOR OF ran "SeXOTATOR.1 SIR,
—I have been in the habit for many years of reading your valuable journal, and of looking upon it as my chief authority on all political questions. But ha., 'ng resided in France for some years, I read with special interest your articles on French politics. 1 think the following extract from a letter which I lately received from a friend of mine, who is a proprijtaire in one of the most tranquil Departments of the South of France, will interest you ; and you may think well to treat the questions therein raised in a future article. I may say that my friend is a Republican. He says :— "I thank you for the papers you have been good enough to send me. Punch's caricature on the French crisis is very good (' the French Horse '). It was impossible better to render the situation of MacMahon and his now Ministers. With reference to the situation of our country, I believe that it is vbry alarming, notwithstanding the richness of our soil, and our immense resources. Gambetta said the other day, and with truth, that the struggle of to-day was a struggle between the Old Society and the Now. But I do not believe that what ho calls the Old Society ' will over abdicate. And it seems to use that if it did abdicate, there would always be found in France a class of priviWgi6s, be it on account of their fortune, or their instruction, or their education, always ready to combat the law of the greatest number, that is to say, universal suffrage. "As I am about writing to you, I wish to explain to you the present situation, as I understand it. The Empire worked universal suffrage by the aid of functionaries who operated in such a way as always to assure to it the majority. At that time, the peasant voted as the Government wished. Ho could not disobey. To-day it is very dif- ferent; ho votes as be likes. He knows the secret of his force ; ho knows that he is the number. I do not say that his vote may not be
different from that of those late years ; fear, any event, may change his inclinations, and lead him to vote for a dictatorship ; but in the last few years the peasant, that is to say, the greatest number, has voted for himself: If he has elected a Moderate Republican Chamber, in return he has reserved for himself all municipal functions. There are thirty thousand communes in Franco, and consequently thirty thousand municipal councils, of which the immense majority are composed of peasants, workmen, and small landowners, elected by workmen, peasants, and small landowners. Every one who had a name, in- struction, or a great fortune has been excluded without pity, when that was possible (I do not speak of the great towns), so that all those who looked upon municipal offices and local influence as coming to them by right are nothing to-day. Any gentleman will find that everywhere universal suffrage will prefer his carpenter, his butcher, his farmer, to himself. The municipal council of his little town, into which he was not able to enter, is composed of all his purveyors. You will under- stand that this is annoying. The small bourgeoisie is indeed at the head of the movement, but may we hope that all that is not small bourgeoisie will swallow se bitter a pill ? It is not probable. And in fact everybody of any pretensions in France is profoundly irritated to see the tail thus place itself at the head. Many people who were formerly Liberals would like nothing better than a coup d'état, and a very quiet, honourable person declared, to me the other day that if it were believed that a coup d'état would succeed, no scruples whatever would be felt as to over-stepping legality. A coup de force is not tried, because it is feared that it would nob succeed. It is not a struggle of principles, it is a struggle of interests,—of passions, above all, What will come of MacMahon's coup de tEte, and of the now elections, which will throw the country into greater confusion than ever, if that be possible ? Notwithstanding all that the Government will dare to do, the Republican majority will be still more overwhelming ; anybody, anything, will be elected; before all things, it will be desired to foil the Government, which has just committed so enormous a malactresse. Must we believe that after that tho vanquished will bow ? That will zot be seen for a long time in our country.
“As for me, my dear friend, I ri131 no longer militant. I look after my business, and cultivate my vines I try to become a philo- sopher. But my old blood boils at times, when I see the action of the clergy, who at bottom conduct the attack ; but I console myself, in saying that a people has always the Government it merits."
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