M. Thiera' visit to Havre last Saturday was turned into
a sort of modest counter-demonstration to the festivities at Berlin,—an offi- cial attestation that France still believes in herself, and is not without external friends. Everything was done to make the spectacle a fine one, and two English ships from the Channel Squadron cruising in the neighbourhood,—the Northumberland and the Sultan, —were ordered by the British Government to anchor in the port "in honour of the visit of the President of the Repub- lic." An Am nican ship-of-war, the Shenandoah, joined in this act of official courtesy ; and M. Thiers returned the attentions of the two Governments by sending for the British officers to break- fast with him, and himself paying a visit to the Shenandoah. M. Thiers declared to the Mayor of Havre his belief "in the gran- deur of France," told the Municipal Council that he had " good news from England" (in relation to the Commercial Treaty), and that he did not wish to destroy Free Trade ; said that the depart- ments of the Marne and the Haute Marne would have already been evacuated by the Germans had the barracks in the neighbouring departments been ready, and that they would be ready in two or three weeks ; and assured his audience that peace with foreign countries was " assured," and that he should endeavour to establish ' peace at home,' and continue to govern in the same spirit which had actuated him hitherto. He inspected some of the shipbuilding workshops at Havre, had the plans for a vessel to carry trains between England and France explained to him, and modestly ended his visit by inspecting the aquarium, instead of holding a review. M. Thiers shows great tact in hitting the exact tone for the President of a ' Conservative Republic,' a Republic in adversity indeed, but not in dismay.
