Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-11-06

against then employers, and VI. de Glrardin
finds this so good speculation that he re-
ceives host Of new subscriptions, and Gen.
Cavaiguac, upon whom the National As
sembly has conferred discretionary powers,
has him arrested during the juno riot, and
imprisons him for eleven days Girardin
reYenges himself, after his release, by pla-
cling the whole influence of his journal at the
disposal of Prince Louis Napoleon, whose
candidacy for the Presidency he supports in
the most vigorous manner. When General
Cayaignac withdraws from the administra
ton, and the present Emperor takes the
helm Of the Republic Girardin becomes a
very influential man; the Prose-, however,
seems to be going down; during the Presi-
dency, its circulation dwiudles down to eight
thousand copies, and the old vancouver of
joining the opposition seems to have lost its
efficacy. The coup d etat takes place. and
the modern Caesar plays Girardina a shabby
trick BY paying no attention to him, and
thereby aiserediting him entirely with the
public. AS soon as order has been re-estab-
lished, Girardin seizes once more the helm
of the Presse, raises its subscription list by
superhuman efforts to thirty-fve thousand
copies, and having achieved this result, be
sells the paper for four hundred thousand
francs
Until 1889 he withdraws from journals
tic life, and deYotes himself entirely to spec-
ulations; he buys great many houses in
old streets, at low prices, and, strangely
enough after time, all these streets are
ordered to be torn down by the city, which,
as is well known, indemnifes the proprietors
of the houses in the most liberal manner.
1t is generally known that VI. de Girardin
amassed enormous sums by these speeuIa-
tiOns. We are not aware what else NJ. de
Girardin was doing during this time; but we
know for certain that in 1859, he had for
tune yielding him at the very lowest calcu-
lation, three hundred thousand francs
year. In the following year he bought the
Presse, which was now vegctating with six
thousand subscribers, for seventy thousand
francs, and the mere announcement that
the paper has passed again, into his hands
procures to it, in the first week, ten thou
sand new subscribers
After the Italian war Girardiu saw that a
new field opened in France to party of lib
eral Bonapartists, so he leaned toward
Prince Napoleon, and under his auspices he
was 50 prosperous that, two years ago, he
was able to sell the Presse for three times as
much as he had given for it,
NJ. de Girardin is now sixty two years old.
He is one Of the richest men in France, and
his name is sure to live in the history of bis
country. After the death of his first wife
he married lady descended, it is said, on
the side of her father, from German dy-
nasty lately deprived Of its sovereignty He
has realized the most fabulous dream which
a child, disowned both by his father aud
mother, ever had. The world, always wor-
Shipping mammon, considers him high
priest of its idol; and yet this man is, per-
haps, the unhappiest mortal whom God S
sun shines Carrels agony lasted twenty
four hours before God delivered him from
bis torments; Girardin's pain has been
gnawing for years past at bis mind, and the
more he pluuges into the whirlpool of public
life, the more crushiugly falls upon him the
idea that all his labors, all his struggles for
wealth have been in vain, He had FIVE
times the joy of being a father, and, as
his friends say, it was the most rapturous
joy which the man, whom his adversaries
declare to he destitute Of the heart and
conscience, ever experienced in his life, "A
million for a soni' he is said to have ex-
claimed at his second wedding; aud God
gave him this son, and eighteen months
afterward there opened a sixth grave, into
which was laid the last hope Of the realiza-
ton of his fondest wish
He locked himself iu his room for a whole
month after his sons death; no one, not
even his wife, was admitted to him; and
when he reappeared one daY, pale and bag
gard, he bought the Liberte, which had
only twenty-five hundred subscribers, and
which has now upward of ten times as
many.