It has met and overcome very many difficulties; at the outset parts of two valued provinces and a vast sum of treasure were torn away.

In those early days of weakness it also crushed a serious revolt.

The intrigues of Monarchists and Bonapartists were foiled.
Hardest task of all, the natural irritation of Frenchmen at playing a far smaller part in the world was little by little allayed.
In spite of these difficulties, the Third Republic has now lasted a quarter of a century.

That is to say, it rests on the support of a generation which has gradually become accustomed to representative institutions--an advantage which its two predecessors did not enjoy.

The success of institutions depends in the last resort on the character of those who work them; and the testimony of all observers is that the character of Frenchmen has slowly but surely changed in the direction which Thiers pointed out in the dark days of February 1871 as offering the only means of a sound national revival--"Yes: I believe in the future of France: I believe in it, but on condition that we have good sense; that we no longer use mere words as the current coin of our speech, but that under words we shall place realities; that we have not only good sense, but good sense endowed with courage." These are the qualities that have built up the France of to-day.