M. Jules Simon, strictly a Moderate,. and a man of-
great .capacity, publishes his view of, the French Elections in this month's am,temporarg. He strongly confirms the views we have -expressed. The Reaction is not directed against the Republic, but against Opportunism, with its policy of foreign expeditions sand -religions persecution. Thepeasautry desire not this or that -policy or evenparticalar-men, but moderate and sensible govern- --men% and, above all, quiet. Paris in thecentre remains Radical ; but Paris is determined not-to-employ force. M. Simon, there- fore, recommends 'moderation, but he evidently fears that the Opportunists, seeing the Radicals increase in strength; willewerve bowards Radicalism ; and thus a "handful of Radicals will com- mand the majority which commands the Ministry which governs France." In- this event, he predicts the Republic will die by her -own hand. That is, wefear, sound sense ; but there is still one un- known factor in the situation. Nearly a third of the Chamber Will be-new men, among whom there may be a man competent to lead. Universal Suffrage has not thrown up many, but still there is nothing in it to extinguish governing ability. The ultimate authority in the Roman Republic was the Comitia, universal suffrage in its crudest form.
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