President Grevy, in announcing his accession to office to the
King of Portugal,—and also, we presume, to other Powers, —says, "I know that to respond to the confidence of my fellow-citizens, as well as to my own aspirations, I must make every effort to maintain and promote the good relations between France and foreign Powers, and thus contribute to the consoli- dation of general peace." That represents, we believe, one of the most profoundly deliberate of the new President's in- tentions. He does not dream of revindicating Alsace and Lor- raine, but of securing to France peace, prosperity, and security against attack. And probably a genuinely Republican Govern- ment is the only sort of government which, under such circum- stances as those of France, would not indulge dreams of a war of revenge. Those who think that France is fitted only for "personal government," forget that a " personal " Government always relies on adventitious glory to make up for the many necessary failures in its attempts to anticipate the wishes of the people.
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