The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1883. The Position of France.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1069, 9 October 1883, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1883. The Position of France.

If anyone ever attempted to give a reason for what the French nation might do, the present relations of that country with the rest of the world would form a puzzle more than ordinarily difficult to solve. Her sole idea appears to be to come to loggerheads with all and sundry, and unless we are greatly mistaken her vagaries will lead to disastrous complications. The French are perhaps the worst colonists in the world, and yet they are continually making experiments in that direction, which previous experience should long since have taught them must result in failure. Some time ago they cast longing eyes on Madagascar, and despatched a naval and military force there for the purpose of bringing-the Hovas to subjection. Nor .do the invaders seem to have been altogether successful in their operations, but even supposing they secure entire control over the island, it is difficult to see what they will do with it. One thing they have managed to accomplish which will possibly bear bitter fruit in the luture. The Admiral, in a most highhanded manner, arrested a harmless missionary, and subjected him to unjustifiably harsh treatment. This clerical gentleman happened to be an Englishman, and just now he is making capital out of his adventures by telling the people at Home of what he suffered, and thus raising up sympathy for himself and indignation against the French. In these degenerate days it takes a good deal to rouse the British' Lion frond his normal state of lazy indifference, but when once it is made clear that he has been insulted he is rather an ugly customer to tackle. If the nation chooses to take k up in earnest what is called the Shaw incident, dVen the peace at any price party which now rules the destinies of Great Britain will find it impossible to resist national clamor. And as if this Madagascar affair was not sufficient, France must needs lay claim to Tonquin, and the expedition sent to teach the Anamese their duty has met with still less success than that against the Hovas. China has determined to have something, to say in the matter, and the Celestial Empire is by no means to be despised. Her army is said to be well-trained and efficiently officered, while the number pf men they can put in the held is out of all proportion to any force France can send to Tonquin. So long as she is strong enough to enforce her will, China has an undoubted right to choose who shall be her neighbor, and according to latest accounts she does not seem to be inclined to abandon her timehonored suzerainty over the Kingdom of Anam. There are. only two courses open to the invaders : either the expedition must be abandoned altogether, or the whole country must be conquered and occupied by French troops. In the interest of Europe in general, it is to be hoped that the former alternative will be followed, as a war between

France and China would mean the

crippling of the very extensive trade between the latter country and the whole

of the European nations, from which event England would undoubtedly be the greatest sufferer. , Already we hear

of ominous disturbances taking place in

Hong Kong, which must make thal not over-energetic old friend of ours,

Sir George Bowen, the present Go.

vernor of the dependency, feel particularly uncomfortable. It is impossible to predict how things are going to turn

out, but it is to be feared that troubles are looming in the near future. One would have fancied that with these two wars on hand even France would have been satisfied; but it seems that this is not the case. The other day the young King Alfonso of Spain paid a visit to Paris, and the inhabitants of that city hooted him as he rode through the streets. The reason of this indefensible conduct was that the visitor had been made an honorary Colonel in an Uhlan regiment—a compliment ordinarily paid to persons of high distinction; but which the excitable Gauls chose to consider a direct

insult to themselves, although by what process ot reasoning they arrived at such an absurd conclusion it is impossible to see. The Emperor of Germany, in telegraphing his sympathy, stated his opinion that it was he whom

the Parisians wished to have a slap at; but however that may be, the King of Spain refused to be made a cat’spaw, and very properly turned his back on those who had treated him so rudely, and forthwith left Paris for his own capital. Since then the Spanish Government has demanded and received an apology from President Grew, but we all know that the sponge is riot made which will wipe out spoken words, and it will be a long lime before the bad feeling so rashly and foolishly engendered between the two countries will be removed. Quos Deus vultperiere ptius dementat wrote the Latin poet, and if this be true

France must be rushing rapidly towards destruction. Nothing but a theory of national insanity can account for the actions of that country during the past few months. Her sole object seems to be to incur the dislike ot every other nation, and she has been so far successful that at the present moment she can scarcely count a single friend amongst I the European Powers. With her old enemy Germany always ready to seize upon anything as an excuse for a renewal of hostilities, with England justly indignant at the treatment received by one of her subjects, France must needs go out of her way to offend I a friendly power like Spain. This I restless, quarrelsome disposition has j always been a characteristic of the 1 nation, and we can see it quite as plainly in the home policy as in the foreign policy of the country. Under the Empire when the monarch whom I Victor Hugo fitly named Napoleon j the Little reigned, the people pined I for a Republic, and now that they have got what they wanted they are as dis--1 contented as ever. The tact is that it is 1 only necessary to.provide any GovernI ment in France with sufficient rope and J it will hang itself, and it is not difficult to discern in the present state of things the shadow of coming events.