South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1887.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 4552, 24 November 1887, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 24, 1887.

M. Clkmenceau is the candid friend of M. Grevy, and no doubt the old gentleman hates him cordially, as people generally do hate candid friends. He has told him he would best serve the French Republic by resigning the Presidentship, No doubt those of our readers who have kept their eye on French politics are of the same opinion as M. Clemeaceau. A colourless ordinary, commonplace old man, M. Grevy appears to be, and like many commonplace or ungifted people, he is as obstinate as a mule. The breath of scandal at first mild and hardly perceptible, is now fast and furious and burning, and under the circumstances one would have looked to see'M. Grevy vacating the Presidential chair with all speed, more especially when his relations as well as his Ministers are implicated. A pretty state of things, and a pi-ecious lot of encouragement to the many pure republicans who a while ago dreamt of a new era of prosperity and honour for France ! Why, there is more cormpunder plain M. Grevy than there was under Louis Napoleon, 111 and nothing to show for it. If the country was plundered under the Emperor, if the Bank of France was mysteriously bled, if money was raised and spent goodness knows how, there was always plenty of work and life and gaiety. There was always a campaign going on somewhere and the army was kept moving j there were always street works and buildings of enormous size in hand in the capital,and so the workpeople (those formidable workmen of Paris who man the barricades at revolutions) were kept busy and contented. And then for the people there were frequent fete days, when gay Paris shut up its shops and went out for the day to the Champs do Mars to see a review, or to the country round about Paris to ruralise, and came home in the evening to see the illuminations and the fireworks, to go to the theatre, and in short to live joyously, brightly and rapturously for a day, as only Parisians can. Whether the Parisian has francs or only centimes to spend on a fete day, he enjoys himself. But under M. Grevy a certain austerity has been instituted, and the volatile Frenchmen, now that a hitch has occurred want tobe “handled.” There is no one to handle them. The Government has lost the people’s confidence and its head has never possessed the people’s love. One man it, is clear Paris loves, —General Boulanger. What is to follow ?