ical ▁enemies ▁then ▁induced ▁Marsh al ▁Mac M ah on ▁to ▁take ▁advantage ▁of ▁a ▁vote ▁on ▁the ▁press ▁law ▁carried ▁in ▁Jules ▁Simon ' s ▁absence ▁from ▁the ▁Chamber ▁to ▁write ▁him ▁a ▁letter ▁reg rett ing ▁that ▁he ▁no ▁longer ▁preserved ▁his ▁influence ▁in ▁the ▁Chamber , ▁and ▁thus ▁pract ically ▁demand ing ▁his ▁res ignation . ▁His ▁res ignation ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁this ▁act ▁of ▁the ▁president , ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁" Se ize ▁Mai ", ▁which ▁he ▁might ▁have ▁resist ed ▁by ▁an ▁appeal ▁to ▁the ▁Chamber , ▁proved ▁his ▁ru in , ▁and ▁he ▁never ▁again ▁held ▁office . ▁He ▁just ified ▁his ▁action ▁by ▁his ▁fear ▁of ▁providing ▁an ▁opportunity ▁for ▁a ▁coup ▁d ' état ▁on ▁the ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Marsh al . ▁However , ▁the ▁May ▁ 1 8 7 7 ▁crisis ▁eventually ▁ended ▁in ▁Mac M ah on ' s ▁dem ise ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁victory ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ans ▁over ▁the ▁monarch ist ▁Or lean ists ▁and ▁Leg it im ists . ▁ ▁The ▁re jection ▁( 1 8 8 0 ) ▁of ▁article ▁ 7 ▁of ▁Fer ry ' s ▁Education ▁Act , ▁by ▁which ▁the ▁profession ▁of ▁teaching ▁would ▁have ▁been ▁forb idden ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁non - author ized ▁con greg ations , ▁was ▁due ▁to ▁his ▁inter vention . ▁He ▁was ▁in ▁fact ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁chief ▁of ▁the ▁left ▁centre ▁O pport un ist ▁Republic ans ▁fa ction , ▁opposed ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁fa ction ▁to ▁Jules ▁Gr