Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1840-11-26
THE PRIME MINISTER OF FRANCE.

ADVERTISER whose letters appear to us to b.
superior to those written at present by any o
the foreign correspondents of the American
press. Such information as that contained
in the extract below, should be treasured u,
by our young readers, as it enables them q
enter into the events Of the day with an in
telligent interest.
| Nj. Theirs is small man, with rather ar
efieminate voice and look, but notwithstand
ing he is a ..i,,n of great capacity. He il
what we call self made man. He ha.
written the best work on the French Revolu
ton, he has been the most powerful writer
for the press in France, he has made capital
and effective speeches in the Chamber OF
| Deputies, he is now prime minister and
| less than 90 years ago he was poor and I'M
known, inheriting nothing but poverty and
disgrace, living in obscure lodgings and not
knowing from day to day when or how he
was to get dinner. In April next, NJ. Thi-
ers will be IA years of age, and in less than
half of that number of years he has built
himself n name and developed char
acter that may be envied by many an older
and better man. His father was locksmith,
and at eighteen the son was entered as law
student, and applied himself with alacrity
and perseverance to the study of literature,
philosophy and history, identifying himself
with the party OF the people, and eniisting
himself on the side of the revoutionists.-
His talents were great, his writings forcibe,
He wrote paper for the prize of the Acade-
my of AK, which although acknowledged
the best, was In consequence of coming from
him rejected, and the decision of the prize
was postponed to another year. In the mean
time new competitor for the prize appeared,
who sent his manuscript from Paris. The
production eclipsed all others and was pro-
nounced successful, when 10! opening the
sealed packet containing the authors name,
who should it be but the little jacobin Theirs.
He had written an entire new treatise, and
having got friend TO copy it and put it in
the post Office at Paris, it had, unsupported
by the learned members of the Academy.
gained for him the prize.
Having been admitted to the bar of AK he
did not succeed, because he was known as
the poor son of poor man, and he conclu-
ded to come to Paris to seek his fortune. He
was rich In hope, Ill ambition and in talents,
bat even here he was for some time in obscu-
rlty and poverty. But he knew that fortune
was tickle goddess, and he watched her
with akeen eye TO take advantage of the first
chance she should give him, to rise to the
station he coveted. In 1923 he made the
acquaintance of Manuel, the great orator,
and of Lafitte, and became one of the writers
for the Constitutional, then the best paper
In Paris. Here he sbone pre-eminent for the
nerve, the boldness and the beauty of his con-
tributlons, and soon he became personally
acquainted with the great men of the day.
He was a frequent visiter at Talleyrand's, and
he is frequently called in defision, by the OPP
position, the alleyrand'' of the
He Of Il r.
much observation, and rarely allows any
thing to escape his memory. From mere
writer in the Constitutional he soon became
i proprietor, and, fortune having gone well
with him. he assumed the dandy, and was to
be found every day at Tortoni's and kept his
horse to ride in the Bots de Boiogne. The
Constitutional did not suit his purposes af-
ter while. 1t was too old fashioned, and he
wanted something fresher. Accordingly in
1928, he founded new paper called the Ma
tional, which took a stand more democratic,
and was the mouth piece of the revolutionary
party. In the National Nj. Theirs showed
his industry and his vigor. He attacked the
government Of Charles X, and goaded OH
Pollgnac to the utmost. He kept his post
when other journalists were afraid to speak,
and was only driven from it at last by force.
Nj. THEIRS took an active part in the revolu-
ton of July, 1880, and it was he with Lafitte,
that induced the Duke of Orleans TO accept
the crown. He made part of the first cabinet
OF Louis Philippe, as under secretary to the
Minister of Finance. He was soon after G.
lected deputy of AK, and made his first APP
pearance In the Chambers. The Lafitte min
istry having been obliged to resign, Cashier
Perrier became prime minister, and the oppo-
sition counted upon NJ. Thiers as their lead
er, but he disappointed them and come out
with an able and eloquent speech against all
their propositions. On the subject of the he
redltary peerage, democrat and jacobin as he
always had been, he proved himself even
more ministerial than the ministry themselves.
HIS speech on this occasion is said to have
been most mastery. The hereditary plan
fel to the ground, but from this moment, NJ.
THEIRS was stamped as one of the first orators
Of the Chamber, and he retains his rank to
this day. 1t is useless to follow him through
all the politics of France to this time. lie
has, believe, either directly or indirectly.
been part OF every cabinet since 1880 until
1893, when he was found on the opposition
benches.
In March, 1910, NJ. Thicrs became Prime
Minister, and whatever may be said of his
acts, he has shown himself so far an able
one. There are many who doubt whether he
will be able to sustain himself through the
coming session of the Chambers, and the cp
position are making vigorous efforts 10 Gus
| him ifpossible. So much for NJ. Thiers as
public man. In private he is afTable to thos,
he meets, and companion whose society il
! TO be coveted. but beyond this we are permit
ted TO know nothing. 1t is said that he ha
not always done what he should. and that h
was indirectly concerned in the speculation a
the Exchange about the LIST of August thes
matters Of private scandal. however. are wba