The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-06-28
Gambett. and sno French Republic.

Gambetta and tho French Republic.
After months of silence Gambetta is again
beginning to make his name heard throughout
France. The collapse of the empire and the
establishment of the republic last September,
gave him prominence in the affairs of the
French nation which was only brought to u
close when the armies which his restless
energy had collected together melted away
before the victorious forces of Germany and
when Paris, after gallant resistance, had
thrown its gates open to the conqueror. Up
to this period Gambetta believed in the ability
of the raw levies of France to win success.
His rallying cry was ''Fight on victory
eventually will be yours" But it was of no
avail. The battle of LIE Mans, the dreadful
.fasc0 OF Bourbaki on the Swiss frontier and
the surrender of Paris brought the struggle,
in which German discipline, organization and
ability were pitted against French inexperi-
ence, Reorganization and ineficiency, to q
close. To Gambetta, perhaps, more than to
any other man in France was due the waking
up such as it was, of the masses Of men that
poured into the armies of the newly estab-
lished republic. Even now, when we recollect
the stubborn resistance which the armies
under Paadines, Cbanzy and Faidherbe made
against the victorious soldiers of the Red
Prince, the Duke Of Meckenburg and Man
teuffel, we cannot refrain from giving those
republican levies credit for as much bravery,
determination and spirit as was displayed by
the imperial troops led by the famed marshals
of the empire.
When peace had been concluded by Favre
and Bismarck, after the capitalization of Paris,
and during the stormy days Of the National
Assembly in its first sittings at Bordeaux,
Gambetta rested from his labors and de-
termined to wait and watch. At one time it
was thought he would attempt the part Of the
dictator; but his better judgment prevailed,
and he held back The fiery eloquence Of
Victor Hugo, Rochefort, Pyat and others,
who, at the time we allude to, occupied seats
in the French Assembly, had little or no effect
on Gambetta. His course in the Assembly
was singularly quiet for a man OF his inn
petuous disposition. Possibly even then he
may have had an idea of what these imprac-
ticable men might attempt 1t was mo-
ment of peril for the young republic; and
when these men left their seats in the Assem-
bly, and retired into Paris it was not to remain
quiet, as he has done ever since, but to stir up
seditiou, arm mob and to take their places at
the head of reckless, ignorant aud
tyrannical minority with the view
of obstructing the harmonious working
of the laws passed for the government Of the
republic The scenes which have since fol-
lowed in Paris are too well known to need
more than this brief allusion to them. So far as
Gambetta is concerned his name has never
been connected with the fanatical and bloody
work of the Commune Elected from one Of
the departments in Alsace or Lorraine, he re-
tired into Spain when these provinces were
ceded to Germany. Little has been heard of
him since then until now, when, according to
Geographic announcement, he appears again
in the arena of French politics. His views at
present coincide with those of Louis Blanc;
and his name is among those Of the republican
candidates for election on the I'd proximo.
Should he be elected to the Assembly in the
forthcoming elections we expect to find in
Gambetta stanch supporter of the republic
against all its opponents, and an Industrious
worker against the intrgues of those who are
now laboring to set the republic aside in order
that they may establish monarchy or an en-
pire.