Marshal Canrobert having withdrawn from all Candidature for the Senate,
in order not to seem to wish to embarrass the Govern- ment of Marshal AlacMalion, the French Minister has thought it due to him to state that his return for the department of the Lot would be agreeable to the Government. The Moniteur states that "the Government deem it their duty to take up as a candi- date the illustrions,Idarshal,'Who has so loyally served France, and who is naturally- marked out for the Senate." This official candidature of an eminent Bonapartist, and of an eminent Bona- partist soldier, has frightened the Republicans, who know the popularity of the Imperialists, and fear them more by far than all their other rivals put together. Perhaps it is for that very reason that the Government are running the risk of sup- porting a Bonapartist. The most popular or least unpopular form of genuine Conservatism in France is probably the Im- perialist form, and if the Government courts the alliance of the Imperialists, they will gain much help at the polls, though they will find their ally somewhat imperious, as well as imperial, when they come to try co-operation. For the rest, the system of Official candidatures, though very open to abuse, has some great conveniences. For honest electors it is often really useful to know the men whom Government can trust, and whose return would strengthen the Government. Nor could anything be more explicit, as marking the loss of popular confidence, than the de- liberate rejection of such official candidates by the people. In Eng- land all men belonging to the party that is in power are virtually
official candidates, unless there is more than one of them. But in France this is not so, parties being so much more pulverised, —and official candidature would, therefore, if not abused, be especially useful there.
Previous page
