Affairs in France

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 13, 1879

Affairs in France.

Another French revolution, but with no violence, and with hardly more noise or excitement than the ordinary advent of the morning makes. Yesterday President MacMahon; to-day President Grevy. The “crisis” which the provisions of the Constitution proved competent to cover, was this, as briefly stated by President MacMahon in his letter of resignation: “Being in disagreement with the Ministry, and being hopeless of forming another Cabinet, and unwilling to assent to the measures which he regards as contrary to a good army organization, he withdraws from power.” The measure proposed by the Ministry was the dismissal from the army of a number of Generals in command who are known not to be in sympathy with the Republic. Thus President MacMahon positively refused to do. As the Ministry in presenting to the President the demand were acting under instructions from the Chambers, nothing remained but for the Congress to accept the resignation and elect a successor. This was immediately and quietly done, M. Jules Grevy receiving 536 votes out of 670. According to the Constitutions, the term of the Presidency is seven years. The orderliness, dignity, and grace with which, obedient to the popular voice, this presidential transition has been effected, reflects the highest honor upon the French people of to-day, and affords a happy omen for the future “government of the people, by the people, and for the people” in France. May God’s own voice give verity to the enthusiastic shouts of the people: Vive le Republique!

Gambetta, who was too wise to allow himself to be elected, now, President of the French Republic, has been elected President of the Chamber of Deputies (the popular legislative assembly). Dufaure was chosen President of the Senate, but declines to serve; and M. Waddington has been called upon by President Grevy to form the new Cabinet, himself being Minister of Foreign Affairs. The Ministry, which consists of nine members, are as a body responsible to the Chambers for the general policy of the government, and individually for their personal acts. The salary of the President is $100,000, with $60,000 extra for household expenses. President Grevy is in his 76th year, was born of poor parents—farmers—near the Swiss frontier. He is described as “the French Aristides, with a dash of Franklin.” He is a lawyer by profession, of a judicial cast of mind and manner; terse and lucid in his style of oratory; from his youth an unwavering advocate of Republicanism; and since 1848 a prominent leader of the “moderate Left.” In his own curt phrase, which was in 1868 a kindling watchword throughout the country, he has been “neither dupe nor accomplice” to imperialism. Prime Minister Waddington is a Protestant, born in Paris of English parents, in 1826; and educated at Rugby, Cambridge, England. His wife was an American lady, Miss King, of N. Y. How much is due in this new era of French Republicanism to the timely infusion of the Anglo-Saxon element cannot be exactly told. It is at least remarkable that a man of English birth and education should, in these eminently critical years—since 1875—have given him positions of such peculiar responsibility. It was due to M. Waddington, three years ago, when Minister of Education, that measures were inaugurated which tend to detach the public education from the control of the Romish authorities.—The Advance.

A Phenomenon in the Gulf.

A statement which at first made its appearance in a somewhat untrustworthy manner has at last gained the credence of trustworthy authorities, to the effect that an extraordinary change has taken place in the waters washing the western coast of Florida, whereby the Gulf of Mexico is poisoned to the distance of 150 miles from the shore. The fish are killed in enormous numbers, and the pestilential stench which arises threatens serious consequences. The poisonous outflow seems to come from the inland waters of the everglades, and spreads in strata of dark reddish color into the blue gulf. The fishermen, who carry cargoes of live fish in wells to Havana, find it impossible to make successful voyages, as their fish invariably die in transit. The only explanation offered is that the poisoning is the result of volcanic action, and the recent earthquake reported in Florida would seem to give color to this theory. At all events, the matter deserves investigation, and the U. S. Coast Survey officers whose winter stations are in that vicinity would seem to be the proper persons to search out the mystery.—Christian Union.

Praise as well as pray. If you would arm yourselves for trouble and duty, recount the marvelous acts of the Lord, as well as supplicate the communications of his grace. Before they parted—the Redeemer to the terrible agony, the disciples to the dreaded separation—the last thing was to sing a hymn, a chant of thankful psalms.