M. Waldeck-Rousseau on Monday delivered a very strong speech at
St. Etienne, which is evidently intended as a bugles call to the voters at the elections of next April. He declared that when he accepted power a factious party, composed, of irreconcilable enemies of the Republic, was "prepared to itecept office by practically a tyranny." The new Cabinet, however, rallied all its friends, "a deep and lasting calm succeeded to the material and moral disorder," and the Government, by reorganising the defences, by energetic action in the East, by inviting the Czar, and by conciliatine. Italy, has restored the influence of France in all foreign relations. He believed, therefore, that the coming elections would be 'for the Republic a victory the more signal "because we shall know how to impose on ourselves a firmer discipline." The enemy is always the same ; it is Caesarism, which is sought by coalesced factions who have learned the art of concealing old objects under new and disguising names. The present one is Nationalism. The speech by its daring and its firmness has produced a profound impression, and it is said that all parties except the Republican are becoming hopeless. Englishmen can only hope, for the peace of Europe, that it is so.
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