346 



FRANCE. 



vere animadversions against clericalism, which 

 exposed him to considerable criticism. While 

 he disclaimed hostility to religion or to the 

 secular clergy who have, he said, " their du- 

 ties to perform toward their flock, and all 

 that Republicans ask is that they shall not 

 forget that they have duties also toward the 

 tate " he demanded that existing laws should 

 be applied to them. Addressing himself then 

 to the clergy of the monastic orders, he de- 

 manded that the laws should be applied to 

 them, and that favors toward them should be 

 suppressed, and particularly that they should 

 no longer be excused from the conscription. 

 Advantage was taken of these expressions by 

 M. Gambetta's adversaries to present him in an 

 unfavorable light before the loyal Catholics, 

 and it seemed for a time as if his influence had 

 been harmed by them. Later, M. Gainbetta 

 made a speech at Grenoble, advising the elec- 



tors to vote against all members of the De 

 Broglie Cabinet, and for men only whose an- 

 tecedents were uniformly liberal. He privately 

 expressed his satisfaction with the situation, 

 said that he would no longer recommend a 

 continuance of the mistrustful system of voting 

 the budget by twelfths, and defined his pro- 

 gramme as being for a pacific and progressive 

 republic, which may be obliged sometimes to 

 halt, but never to retrograde. On the 16th of 

 November, during the discussion of the validity 

 of M. de Fourtou's election in the Chambers, M. 

 Gainbetta and M. de Fourtou quarreled respect- 

 ing a question of the interpretation of M. Gam- 

 betta's speech at Komans, and a bloodless 

 duel took place in consequence between the 

 two. 



The elections for Councils-General in August 

 resulted in gains for the Republicans in six de- 

 partments in which they had been in the mi- 



nority. The elections for the successors of the ity of 25 in the Senate after the final elections 



ody of Senators, who were to retire un- of January 5th. The Senators of the Right 



constitutional law at the end of the issued a manifesto on the 20th of November 



fixed for the 5th of January, 1879. in reference to the approaching elections for 



; Senators numbered 75, of whom Senators, deprecating the designs of the Repub- 



jre Republicans and 56 Monarchists. The licans as mischievous, and advising the elec- 



t to have the elections post- tors to discountenance them by returning the 



latest legal date, in order to put Conservative candidates. In the last week of 



ng ns possible the time when the Re- the year, M. Gambetta, in a speech at a banquet, 



1 acquire an undisputed ascen- predicting a majority of 25 for the Republicans 

 ?nate Ihe were overrul " 



?nate They were overruled by in the coming senatorial elections, said, "On 

 lent, who appointed a day satis- the 5th of January the republic will enter into 

 jepub leans, and thus again ac- a new existence, with an unprecedented free- 

 eel anew title to their confidence. The elec- J - 

 ri of the delegates who would form the ma- 

 | V ft o~ i 6 e l e j*' on of ^e Senators took place 

 7th of October. The Republican vote 

 was very heavy and the party carried 46 out 

 oi tne lodelegat 



, 

 assuring to itself a major- 



dom, and by prudence, wisdom, and patience the 

 country will overcome all her difficulties, and 

 once more be happy and contented." He de- 

 nounced the idea of making the republic a 

 propaganda of its doctrines abroad, declaring 

 the question to be one for France alone. 





