But this moderation of the Republicans has not prevented the
new Minister for Foreign Affairs, M. Waddington, from giving a salutary warning to those subordinate intriguers who never will regard any solution of the Constitutional question as final which does not please themselves. On Thursday week, he assembled the staff of his department, and reminded them that the Repub- lican system was no longer on its trial, that they must imbue themselves with the spirit of a new situation. If any of his staff objected to act in this way, they would do well to seek another career, and leave one in which they must either misrepresent to other Governments the resolve of France or violate their own convictions. This attitude of firmness mingled with moderation, is precisely what is needed, at once to imbue the opponents of the Republic with respect, and yet to
extinguish in them that fear which is the source of all intolerance. M. Waddington has also explained to the representatives of foreign Powers that while he, as a Protestant, is not in the least likely to be even suspected of leaning to an Ultramontane policy, he intended to do all in his power to show his respect for the Catholic religion, and to relieve French Catholics of the fear that any attack upon that religion is to be expected from the Administration of M. Dufaure. We should add that language of respect for the patriotism of the Marshal in giving way, has signalised all the Ministerial utterances, and that one of the most insolent of the prefects, who accompanied his resignation by an attack on the Marshal's good faith, is to be prosecuted by the new Government.
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