388 



FRANCE. 



dren would not forgive me for such an act. 

 I can not, where the array is concerned, for 

 which I am responsible before the nation, obey 

 the injunctions of newspapers like these," and 

 the Marshal showed some Republican papers 

 which for some days past had been publishing 

 lists of officials classed in political categories. 

 At a meeting on the same afternoon, the Cabi- 

 net determined to maintain their resolution. 

 At 10 o'clock on the morning of the 30th they 

 were individually informed of the Marshal's 

 resolution to resign, and at 1 o'clock, in the 

 Cabinet Council at Versailles, he officially an- 

 nounced it. The Ministers then proposed to 

 hand in their resignations if he thought any 

 other Cabinet could obtain the confidence of 

 the Chambers without obliging him to rigor- 

 ously observe the engagements accepted at the 

 sitting of the Chamber on January 20th. The 

 Marshal replied, with some emotion, that he 

 deemed such a step useless, and endeavored to 

 show them that he had not been aware of the 

 full bearing of the engagements to which his 

 Government stood pledged by the order of the 

 day voted on that occasion. The Ministers 

 then took their departure, and waited on the 

 Presidents of the Chambers to acquaint them 

 with the letter of resignation, and to concert 

 with them the measures thereby rendered ne- 

 cessary. The Chambers met at 3.20 p. M., and 

 M. Grevy read the letter. It was as follows : 



At the opening of this session the Cabinet laid be- 

 fore you a programme of measures which, while satis- 

 fying public opinion, could seemingly bo voted without 

 danger to the security and good government of the 

 country. Waiving all personal ideas, I had given it 

 my entire approbation, for I was not sacrificing any 

 of the principles to winch my conscience bound me 

 to remain faithful. The Cabinet, in the belief of re- 

 sponding to the opinion of the majority in the two 

 Chambers, now proposes to me as regards the great 

 commands general measures which I deem contrary to 

 the interests of the army, and consequently to those 

 of the country. 1 can not subscribe to them. In 

 view of this refusal the Cabinet resigns. Any other 

 Cabinet taken from the majority of the Chambers 

 would impose the same conditions on me. I accord- 

 ingly think it my duty to curtail the duration of the 

 trust with which the National Assembly invested 

 me : I resign the Presidency of the Eepublic. In 

 leaving office, I have the consolation of believing that 

 during the fifty-three years I have devoted to the ser- 

 vice of my country as a soldier and as a citizen I have 

 never been guided by other sentiments than those of 

 honor and duty and by perfect devotion to my country. 

 I beg you, sir, to inform the Senate (or Chamber of 

 Deputies) of my decision. 



M. Grevy next read to the House the arti- 

 cles of the Constitution providing that the 

 Chambers shall immediately meet in conven- 

 tion in case of a vacancy, to proceed to the 

 election of a new President of the Republic. 

 Pending that appointment, the Cabinet re- 

 mains charged with the executive power. M. 

 Grevy then announced that the Congress would 

 meet at 4.30 in the Chamber of Deputies, and 

 the session closed. At the stated time, 4.30 

 p. M., the two Chambers assembled in Congress 

 and proceeded to elect a President. Out of 

 713 votes, M. Jules Grevy received 563, and 



General Chanzy 99. On January 31st M. 

 Gambetta was elected President of the Cham- 

 ber of Deputies by 314 votes out of 405. Im- 

 mediately upon the election of President Gre- 

 vy, the Dufaure Cabinet resigned, and on the 

 5th of February a new Cabinet was formed un- 

 der the presidency of M. Waddington. (See 

 above.) 



On February 6th President Grevy sent the 

 following message to the Chambers : 



The National Assembly, by raising me to the Presi- 

 dency of the Eepublic, has imposed great duties on 

 me. I shall unceasingly strive to fulfill them, happy 

 if, with the sympathetic cooperation of the Senate and 

 the Chamber of Deputies, I am able not to fall short 

 of what France has a right to expect from my endeav- 

 ors and my devotion. Sincerely submissive to the 

 great law of the Parliamentary system. I shall never 

 enter into conflict with the national will expressed by 

 its constitutional organs. In the bills it will present 

 to the Chambers and in the questions raised by Par- 

 liamentary initiative the Government will be inspired 

 by the real wants, the indubitable wisheSj of the 

 country, and by a spirit of progress and pacification. 

 Its especial anxiety will be the maintenance of tran- 

 quillity, security, and confidence, the most ardent of 

 the desires of France, and the most imperative of her 

 requirements. In applying the laws which give the 

 general policy its character and direction, it will be 

 imbued with the ideas which dictated them ; it will be 

 liberal and just to all, the protector of all legitimate 

 interests, the resolute defender of those of the state. 

 In its solicitude for the great institutions which are 

 the pillars of the social fabric, it will devote a large 

 share to our army, the honor and interests of which 

 will be the constant object of its dearest preoccupa- 

 tions. Always taking vested rights and services ren- 

 dered into fair account, now that the two great powers 

 are animated by the same spirit, which is that of 

 France, it will take care that the republic is served 

 by functionaries who are neither its enemies nor its 

 detractors. It will continue to uphold and develop 

 the good relations existing between France and foreign 

 Powers, and thus contribute to the consolidation of 

 general peace. By this liberal and truly conservative 

 policy, the great powers of the republic, ever united, 

 ever animated by the same spirit, ever advancing with 

 prudence, will produce the natural fruits of the gov- 

 ernment which France, enlightened by her misfor- 

 tunes ; lias given herself, as the only one capable of 

 insuring her repose and promoting the development 

 of her prosperity, force, and grandeur. 



In the Chambers the reading of the message 

 was preceded by M. Gambetta's inaugural 

 speech. He said : 



In taking possession of the post of honor which the 

 Chamber has intrusted to me, I address to you my 

 warm thanks. Allow me to add that the historical 

 circumstances which preceded and determined this 

 mark of your confidence have rendered it at once 

 more precious and more formidable for me. I am, 

 indeed, succeeding the great citizen, the statesman 

 whom the suffrages of the representatives of the 

 country have spontaneously called to the Presidency 

 of the Kepublic, whither the irresistible adhesion of 

 France, the unalterable fidelity of Parliament, and 

 the esteem of everybody follow him. If he is now 

 the chief of the nation, he is still our instructor and 

 model here. We shall follow his lessons and his ex- 

 ample without presuming to replace him, witli the 

 steadfast design, however, of reproducing the princi- 

 pal features of his magistracy : vigilant attention to 

 all your discussions, impartiality toward all parties, 

 scrupulous care of our rules, and jealous watchfulness 

 over the liberties of the tribune. Elected by the Re- 

 publican majority, a resolute guardian of your rights 



