BACK PAGES: The Irish Timeskept a close eye on France in the early 1870s as the Franco-Prussian War was followed by the Paris Commune and the political machinations of monarchists, republicans and Bonapartists in the Third Republic, presided over by Marshal Patrice MacMahon, a descendant of Irish Jacobites.
The newspaper’s anonymous correspondent in Paris kept up a lively commentary on all aspects of French life and political intrigue under the heading “Continental Gossip”.
He or she also showed themselves to be well informed, as this report accurately outlining the political future demonstrates.
A STRONG impression exists in the south of France that All Saint’s Day is never unattended with rainy weather, and the legend by which the superstitious explain it, if not a beautiful, is a pretty one. They say that on the day on which they are collectively honoured here below the good saints come out upon the battlements of heaven to have a peep at the people living in this nether world, and so sad are the sights they usually see – so sinful, so silly, so insane the acts of the little human things creeping in the convexity of the revolving terrestrial globe – that the denizens of Paradise cannot refrain from shedding copious tears of pity and regret . . .
Indeed, indeed, there is enough of selfishness, enough of folly, amongst the people of this distracted nation to make the angels weep. Parisians went in crowds for the last two days to the cemeteries to lay garlands on the tombs of persons for whom in many cases they did not care a straw in life. Other crowds went out yesterday to the Bois de Boulogne to see the first day’s running at the inauguration of the new steeplechase ground.
Those two vast groups were made up of affected mourners, and equally affected merry- makers . . . But between the mourners and merrymakers, there was a third party devoting themselves not to devotions but to a different task . . . They were the 500 or 600 politicians who make up the various parliamentary factions at Versailles. I need scarcely say that the letter of the Comte de Chambord [pretender to the French throne who demanded the replacement of the tricolour among other things before his return] has thrown all parties, especially the Monarchists, into confusion.
An idea seems to exist in England that the Bourbon Prince only came out with his manifesto at the last moment, when he thought the chances of a majority were slipping from under his feet.
M Edmond About is the sole writer, as far as I can see, of the French press who endorses this opinion, and yet it seems to me to be now pretty clearly acknowledged by the Republican organs that the Monarchical majority was secured.
At the same time, some want of decision must have existed in the mind of the Prince to the last; otherwise, it was very base to permit his friends to dream in a fool’s paradise to the last moment. I am still of the opinion that it was Madame Maria Theresa [his cousin and wife] who did it all: and her Royal Highness is wise, for it is quite evident that so weak a man could never balance himself on a tottering French throne . . . I believe all sections of the Monarchists are agreed today on the resolution to press MacMahon to retain his posts. I think I was the first foreign correspondent to announce from Paris that the Marshal was weary of his present provisional position, and under no circumstances would retain it.
Well, I may now say that MacMahon still holds the same views. But, if he be reappointed, with powers rendering him independent of a mere majority of the assembly, and fixing his tenure for a definite time, or for life, he will consent to remain president of the Republic.
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