Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-01-11
+ r A n C. Z.
TIE Nt,c French Ministers.

" N"' 'u' VI lhH'otetS . M3fk That, Prp9l
dent of the Council of Ministers. So tina, h. is to
give the tone TO the Cabinet, and his principles are
Nose which are to prevail. There can be no mis-
'ake ABOUT this! Who then is NJ. Laftte? A Re-
pnbhcan! an avowed Republican, an ayowed Repub-
!can! nj thirty wears staudinr,
( inc President of the Council of Ministers was
oorhe at bayounc IN 1857, and was the son of u car
Peu'er. lis now in trade-keeps a banking house
and, oh, horrible! is, III fact a shopkeaper! The
NoyaiIste say, that 10 have q shopkeeper sr a Minis
ter rs enough alone to send down the Rcntes Eve per
c"nt. France replies, tnat she NEEDLES no, with the
STOCK Jobbing politics OF the Bnurse, and that the Rem
ties go down and will go up-fnr the President of the
Council is a Republican,, ali homes, man. La6tte 3D.
gan st IN early oge his commercial ca Ger. For ma
nv years he was clerk, then superintendent, and, ul-
t mately, partner, in the banking house of Pe-aruax.
After the death nj the elder Peragaux, Nj L.aft!c.
for ten years, conducted the house, the son of his late
partner being little more than a sleeping one TO the
hrm. Ey talent, industry. good sense, and straight
forward conduct, he gained a good reputation, and a
very large fortune. lie vas named successfully
Pre'Id'nt of tho Tribunal of Commerce, and Gov
srnor of the Bank of France, the emoluments attach
cd to which office he would not receive, although he
devoted his time aud talents To that great establish
ment. He is acquainted with his native tongue
epeaks plain, good common OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES per-
tectly well how to express himself-and has even so
improved himself in the art of public speaking, as Ia
pass tor a very good orator. In England you would
not think him eloquent, but at least he will vie with
the Duke of Wellington! {! In the Chamber of De-
put'es, he has always supported the cause of lib
crty, was n devoted hater of the Il urbons-protestcd
against a dissolution Of the Natir nal Guards-and
was the friend Of the prosecuted Manuel. who
mas been accused OF having composed for
Iahtte some of his hest speeches. NJ. La6tte.
IN 1915, after the second capitulationcf Paris. when
all was disorder and confession. presented to the public
Treasury ESQ. 900 sterling, tn preserve the country
from ruin-and during The late Revolution of July.
opened his hank 20 all the poor and unfortunate who
applied for reiiet, gave them money, provisions, and
arms, and urged on that Revolution, TO march with
which, he is now appointed President of the Council
& n,efn IL 49, -
presented to the fund for The relief of the widows and
w unaed, the sum uf E 20 QUO S;erling.! NJ. La6tte.
on being elected for the departments of Seine and
Bases Pyreness, selected the latter as the place of
his birth, and has recently been reelected at Bay-
onn" without opposition. To Ber6ngor the sonnster
O. France. he was a friend in his Imprisonment. and
visited AID cheered him in his captiv'y. When the
Is uTbons oppressed that admirable poet, and when !
him in his arms, gave him in his house an ASYLUM
and delicately nlaced him in a bureau in his vast re.
t~ablishment. where there was, however, scarcely anv
tn g 20 do, In order that the needy but indepenGant
Beranger might not feel that he was a pensioner nm
tn" bounty OF his patron. This is Laiitte. He NAV
have commercial enemies, and banking opponents. and
Stock Exchange antagonists, but he has no personal |
foe; and no one disputes the honesty of his conduct
the integrity of his political HE, or his devotcdness to
the caus of The peopl". The daughter of NJ. LATTE
is married TO thu son of Marshal Ney, tho Prince
OF Moskwa. This marriage Inns been called one sf
os'entation, and Lafttc has been charged with q
love of rank, and Of s%plendour and titles. IF this
charge mad been this Republican Minister night
have been Peer Of France himself in Charles the
Venth's reign, If he would only have abandoned his
course OF fearless opposition to the Bourbon dynastv
This is our President of Council and Minister Of
Finance. Some wish he had accepted the post Of
Minister of the interior, and that n banker bed No,
been chosen as the Chief of the Treasury. II nav
he that this objection is a good onr-thoueh the nm,
doubted immense wealth of this frm and solid cam.
talst. added to his prudence and honour, would be
sufficient guarantees against any malyersation. and
WOulC secure To the renlCr confidence md tho Gov
eminent support.
2. Marshal Marquis Mason, Minister of Foreirn
Affairs. The Marquis is no new man to EnroDe. lie
is well known and his mere name is a tower of strength.
He was born at Epinay. in 177l. and entered in tie
service OF the Volunteers organized in Paris, in 1899.
From that period to 1914, lie never ceased tn serve
his country as a soldier, and various were the wornds
he received on the field of battle. In 1894 on the
LIST OF July, before Mons, at the head of a few prena.
adIers, he contested with 500 Austrians; and when he
found himself alone in the midst of his enemies, he
refused to sheathe his sword, and was left for dad IN
the ground. To follow him in his career, would be n
long though a pleasing task. In 1900, he foupht in
toiianf, and was wounded by a ball in his chcsf At
che peace OF Amiens, he received the place of Com
nanIant OF the Department of Tanaro. assisted at
the battle 0t AnsferhtZ, and distinguished himself in
the campaign of Prussia, in 1906. lie subseouen,Iy
served under Victor in Spain, when he was wounded
seriously in his right foot. subsequently, he served
under Bernadotte, against the Waleheren expedifion. r.
afterwards showed new proofs Of Courage and toIent :,
the war against Russia. On one occasion, after having
two horses killed under him, and being wounded by q
0Sh w WV "uiuS VIC mounted the third charger and
led on his troops to victory. In 1918, he received the
command of the body of the army destined tn defend
the Rhine, and to cover Belgium. Defeated, however
at Antwerp, Louvain, &c, he retired to Lille, and
there signed an armistice with the Allied Powers. and
gave IN his adhesion tn the decree of the Sen,te
which pronounced the fall of Napoleon! In 1915. he
was made Peer of France, and Governor of Paris
and when LOUIS XVIII gave to Farnce a Charter, the
Marshal Haison was console ntiously DISPOSED to SIM.
port the King, because he believed that the Monarch
gave with honest intentions, and did not intend sub.
seoentIy TO withdraw or altar the Charta. which he an.
peared freely to bestow. Since that period, Maison
has distinguished himself by his opposition to the vii
Iele faction-and t. all measures not favourable IN
public ~hberty-and has been a Jealous advocate of
popular rights in the Chamber of Peers. M.isor. 10
undoubtedly, more a great Military Commander. than
a Diplomatist, or Mr,ister of State; but his aconain-
lance with foreign Countries and Courts, the high re-
Spect in which his talents and character are held bv all
foreign powers. and the certainty which every one
WIH have when they read his name, that France does
dot intend to submit to any system of foreign dictation
or chIchanery, will give great weight and i'm.
portance to tue new Ministry. Maison, during the time
OF Napoleon, never concealed his desire for a Iess alb
5olnte Govcrnment, and FIR q Charta, or A Constitution
He joined the party Of Louis XVIII, when he eav~
The Nharia, hoping that he should SEE France eri,v
the liberal institutions which It promised; but when he
found Otherwise, he joined the opposition; and to
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