The new tone strongly marked the debate in the French
Chamber on Monday and Tuesday. Though the subject was the Fashoda incident, no one attacked England or went beyond the language of regret. M. Ribot, formerly Premier, only maintained that we were claiming too much in Mada- gascar, because France had annexed the island without "guaranteeing" the Hova Treaties—a statement only true to the ear—and M. Delcasse, the Foreign Minister, preserved throughout an attitude of melancholy moderation. " Melan- choly " is his own word to describe recent incidents. He expressed admiration of General Kitohener'e conduct to Major Marchand, denied that the despatch of the Major was an unfriendly act, argued that if all that belonged to Egypt stall belonged to her we had no right to conquer the Equatorial Province—a clever, though lawyerlike, point—exulted that the question of honour had not been raised, but declared that the Minister would be "criminal who should involve that honour lightly, and Who, when no essential interest was at stake, should lightly expose in an inexplicable adventure, incomprehensible to the masses of the people, the reserves of
force and money, the Fleet and the Army of the country." These words were loudly cheered, a Frenchman when he is sensible being as proud of his sense as he sometimes is of his extravagance.
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