The New York herald., 1872-12-05
LEON GAMBEfTA.
The Radical Republic in France
and Its Hopes.
THE EX-DICTATOR AT HOME.
What He Thinks of
Senator Sumner.
France Needs to Protect
Her Religion.
THE PRESIDENT AND THE ASSEMBL Y.
Fhiers Legislating for His Own Supremacy
The Assembly Must Dissolve.
ULTR A MON NISM
Bismarck Approved for His War
Upon the Jesuits.
Mistakes in the Financial
Policy OF Theirs.
ULTRAMONTANISM
Bismarck Approved for His War
Upon the Jesuits.
Mistakes in the Financial
Policy Of Theirs.
Rcpublicanism and Free Trade-France No
Longer Any Interest in General Euro
pean Politics-POpnlar Education
the Question of the Hour.
PARIS, Nov. IL, 1872.
TEE HOME OF THE rx.prcrArop.

PARIS, Nov. IL, 1872.
TEE HOME OF THE Ex-DIcTAToR.
II we were to believe half or q quarter OF what
We read in such scurrilous prints as the Figaro
or the Gaulois would be apt to fancy that since
the war M. Gambetta lived sumptuously and was
clothed in purple and fine linen. Should any
American visitor to Paris have any such idea let
him pay visit to M. Gambetta's modest apart
ment IN the Rue Montague and he will soon be
undeceived. fair observer could hardly fail to
be convinced by such visit, not only of the ex-
Dictator's comparative and, considering the un-
bridled power he SO lately welded In France, most
honorable poverty. The principal furniture OF NJ
Gambetta's apartments beyond the most necessary
articles OF furniture are books. OF which there
are numbers in every room even in the bedroom,
where, after a very common fashion in France, NJ.
Gambetta often receives visitors. The only object
OF value that is visible in NJ. Gambetta's lodgings,
which are those OF bachelor OF quite moderate
means, is the original picture by Henner, "Al
sace," presented to the Dictator by the ladies OF
lost Alsace in gratitude for his strenuous though
unavailng efforts to preserve their dear province
TO France. This is the only o6jet de luce in very
plainly and simply furnished apartment. NJ CAM
beta seems TO have mania for collecting photo
graphic cards OF his friends and of celebrities OF the
day, and then sticking them round the frame OF
the chimney glass people often do visiting cards.
Among other welkuown faces may be seen the
photographs OF the two men M. Gambetta may be
supposed to consider his >arch-enemies-Field
Narshal Won Moltke and Otto Won Bismarck.
Calling on NJ. Gambetta yesterday ! found him in
excellent health and spirits The near opening OF
the Assembly seems to have quite freshened him
up, and what 10 your correspondent was, from
journalistic point OF view, still more important,
In . most communicative disposition.
WHAT GAMBETTA THINKS OF SUMNER.
We began by talking about Mr. Summers visit to
t'ambetta. and found him in a great state OF ad-
miratOn for the American orator "Mr. Sumner
must be a wonderfully eloquent man when he is
speaking his own language" said Gambetta; "for
he Is quite eloquent in French, in which-although
he speaks 1t with great grammatical correctness
he s evidently, doubt for want OF practice,
not at all at home. He has a very
marked accent. We had most agreeable
conversation, and was pleased to
0nd on how many points we agreed. Something
has been said in one OF the English papers about
Mr.. Summers having remarked the want Of reli-
gious principle in France and lamented it. 1t is
true that he said that Henri ". should have re-
versed his well known speech and instead OF say.
ting Paris is well worth a mass should have said,
No, Paris is net worth mass and stuck TO his
Protestant creed. l ventured to remark to Mr..
Sumner in reply that If we had not sufficient sta
biity OF principle in religion we had in my
opinion, great deal too much principle
In politics in France. We push all our
political doctrines to extremes, and do
not understand the absolute necessity
OF compromises and what may be called trans
actions between political parties. We forget the
good old maxim that the half Is often greater
than the whole. and in our endeavors after an
arvnvo uav mi unit ta af-
tainabe reality, which, had we been little less
determined to have ali or nothing, we might have
easily grasped."
THE PROPOSED REFORMS IN THE CONSTITUTION.
The first question asked Gambetta was natur-
ally what he thought Of all the projects OF constitu
tonal reforms or, rather, OF constitution-making,
Of which we have heard so much in France for the
last month or more. "On all these projects are SO
much dust raised to blind the eyes OF those who
want TO be blinded. All this talk about second
Chamber is moonshne. The only serious pro-
iect M. Thiers mas In view Is to get
himself named Tor four or perhaps five years. I do
not think he viii fail TO obtain that, and perhaps
the nomination OF Vice President to succeed him
in case OF his death. Nothing more Is feasible, In
my opinion. M. Theirs Is quite aware-he has ex-
cellent means OF obtaining correct informaton-of
the constantly growing unpopuarity OF the present
Assembly in France. Any attempt to usurp con-
stitutionai power on the part OF that body would
be bitterly resented throughout the length and
breadth OF France by all sincere republicans; and
think M. Theirs sees that the unpopuarity OF any
such attempt would be felt by himself as well as by
the Assembly.
AMERICAN CUSTOMS PREFERRED TO ENGLISH.
But there would be one question surely OF some
importance to be settled In case o NJ. Theirs being
made President for a term OF years. mean that II
woud have TO be settled as 70 whether NJ. Theirs
should remain away from the Assembly and only
communicate with 1t by messages, az General
Grant does with Congress, or whether he is TO be
allowed to go on acting as his own Prime Minister
and making more speeches in the Assembly than
even Mr. Gladstone in the House OF Commons.
81 have, you are probably aware,
great love for the English system OF Parliament
ary government, and would rather see M. Thiers
follow the silence OF General Grant than the dinuse
eioquence OF Mr.. Gladstone. But ] cannot per-
suade myself that great an orator and so clever
a debater as M Theirs Will ever consent TO abanuon
the tribune OF the Assembly. After all M. Thiers has
done so much for France that we must take him
as he s, and not push principles too far. for one
would vote for letting the President speak IN the
Assembly If he wished.u
One may remark that In thus speaking, M. Gam
BETA was perhaps not forgetful OF the fact that
alter NJ. Theirs NJ Gambetta is the first orator in
one day be President OF the Republic IN turn,
10 be excluded from the tribune, in which he has
won go many oratorica triumphs.
A DISSOLUTION INEVITABLE.
zine really important question: continued the
ex-Dlctator, "is not what IL Is the fashion to call
the constitutional one, but that oil dissolution.
There Is the real bone OF contention. The monar-
eblsts are aware that II we were TO have general
elections tomorrow there is hardly one OF them
who would be reelected and 40 they make a fuss
abOut an election ana declare that IL would
disturb the country TO have o dissolution. "
Uuppet on the throne, aAd that ID ALL Iwouid