The French Government evidently regard the " Boulangist " movement
as dangerous, for the Minister of War, with the consent of the President, has deprived General Boulanger of his command, and placed him upon half-pay. The pretext for this act of authority is that the General, after having been refused leave of absence, visited Paris three times, twice in a sort of open disguise, "wearing dark spectacles, and affecting to limp." That is clearly insubordination ; but then, it is in- subordination often passed over without reprimand. The true reason was, of course, that General Boulanger had received a heavy vote in seven departments, that an active agitation is going on in his name, and that a journal established in his interest advocates a dictatorship. France, it says, does not require five hundred clerks to do its business. One would do it better. We do not know why, if a Prince may be banished because he is a political danger, a popular General should not be placed ea retraite for the same reason ; but the wisdom of doing it is much more doubtful. General Boulanger has certainly gained by his exile from Paris and by the sentence of arrest recently passed on him, and he may gain also by his deprivation. While on half-pay he cannot enter the Chamber, nor can he reside in Paris without leave from the military authorities. His situation, however, will not prevent discontented officers from using his name, or availing themselves of his popularity.
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