New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1873-08-17
Retired Statesmen.

cerinew
Retired Statement.
A correspondent of the London Times
writes from Paris under date of July -
A few DAYS ago | received a letter signed
Ell Viego Retirado.' This note proceeded
from Don Salustiano de Olozaga, late
Spanish Ambassador to France, and was
dated from England Nothing is more
curious thau to notice the conduct al
private life of those who have retired from
important office, and particularly IL the
case when the transition from public to
a private existence has been Of recent &C.
curreEce.
1t SO happened that had occasion TO call
upon NJ. Theirs the morning OF the same
day that | visited Senior OloZaga. al
seen both of them very shortly before their
respective retire1nents, under very different
conditions from those in which ! now found
them. Although NJ. Theirs, even when IN
power, preserved his habits OF extreme sim
plicity. there was still difference between
the man one saw at the Elysee and him
whom one now finds at No. le Boulevard
Malesherbes. At the Elysee, after passing
the sentry, you always found number OF
officers whose duty it was to take cognlz-
ance Of all who entered men IL black coats
attached to the private police OF the presl-
dency, and others whose business 1t was to
recognize those TO whom free admission
should be given. A few orderly officers
also were to be found walking about with
clarking sabres in the courtyard. At the
entrance door of the house there were two
other sentries, and inside, behind the glass
doors, were three ushers, who received tie
visitor, while fourth inscribed his name III
a special register. The cabinet of NJ Theirs
was itself very plainly furnished, with only
bureau. large table. and few chairs.
He had. as President, retained his old sim
pie habits. and one in particular. which he
still retains. He himself accompanied his
visitors to the door of the ante-chamber,
where there were generally some persons
waiting whom the usher had not announced.
OF course. as NJ. Thers came to the door at
the close Of each interview, II was not pcs
sibIe to say that he was not there, or that
he was engaged But that never troubled
the late President. Often running his eye
over the group collected in the waiting
room, and saluting them, he signed 10 tie
person whom he selected to enter his room,
and then advancing to those whom he was
not disposed to receive, he would say ~
them with an expressive motion OF the
head, IL have 10 time l have tre-
quentlv been presen. at such scene,
and, except on one occasion, l never
knew any one 10 whom the remark Il have
no time was addressed who failed to &C.
cept it as decisive. Upon the e4ceptiona,
occasion ! refer to q foreigner who had
served with the auxiliary army during the
war, a tall, determined looking man,
stepped up 10 II. Theirs, and STOPPING to-
ward him. and in somewhat angry tones,
IL have been seeking for three months to
obtain an interview with you The Presi-
dent did not allow him to complete his
speech, but. said: IF you had wanted TO
speak to NE about the affairs Of the country
and not aboRt your own, should long ago
have received YOU" The tall man was
dumbfounded, and withdrew without an
other word, while NJ. Theirs re-entereG his
cabinet But however simple We're appa-
rently NJ. Theirs habits at the Elysee one
always felt tina, there was behind him all
the power of authority. and that word
from kim suficed to remove obstacles which
otherwise were insurmountable.
Bu. since NJ. Theirs has returned once
again into private life we find in the eatresol
on the Boulevard Malesherbes the same
simplicity, bat the consciousness Of author
ity has disappeared. No one stops you or
examines YOU when you approach. There
is very small ante-chamber, in which is
posted from seven in the morning one Of
the two tootmen. The visitor is ushered
into room. where he waits while the ser
want announces him. Theirs. constant to
his old custom. then appears at the door
and invites his visitor into his bedroom,
which serves also as his study. A tent bed
stead. with Algerian hangings. a plain
round table, and few snail articles OF fur
niture scattered about. and some chairs.
form the fittings of the room. When he
rises NJ. Theirs dresses himself for the dav.
and every time that | have seen him since
the twenty-fourth of May l have found him
with pen in his hand, sitting at his desk
reading and writing. UDdou btedly what
he misses and what he regrets is the pleas
ure Of exercising power; that import
ant and indispensable activity, that
faculty for dealing with everything
and those never ending combinations which
he was always planning during his admin
neutrality-suspicious. TO obtain the support
Of the majority, at other times to scorhe
the left: Low TO appease the Germans and
now to satisfy France. 1t is not the display
and pomp of power which he regrets, am
certain, for no one has ridicuied with more
humor than NJ. Theirs these pomps and
vanities. Being convinced, rightly or not.
that he alone could effect safe solution OF
the bear upon the country, ne can not bring
himself to believe that others can be trusted
to pursue the same object. lie is making,
however, the greatest efforts to prevent his
name being Used as raliying point and a
pretext by the enemies OF the Assembly,
and he is convinced that even under the
present Assembly the direction Of mems
minds. if not the direction of the govern
ment viii come back TO him. 1: is hard 20
say whether. at the bottom of his heart he
does not entertain some regrets. or whether
he does not recall with some bitterness the
time when the eyes OF all Europe were fixed
upon him. But externally his demeanor
has been most remarkable. Ten minutes
after power had passed away from him he
spoke of it as the most natural event posi-
bic, and from that time he has given no sign
that he feels any btterr ess on that account.
In the afternoon of tie day on which l met
NJ. Theirs l went to Enghien to pay visit
to Don Salustiano, who also has retired from
power. and from the delightful mansion on
the Quai d 'Orsay, to dwellin privacy. Senior
Olozaga was the best known and the most
popular of ambassadors in Paris. No one was
better acquainted than he with the events
of the latter months OF the empire. When
King Amadeus resigned the throne, Senior
Olozaga also rendered his resignation,
which was not accepted, and up to the
present time, although his resignation has
since been accepted, he has neither
received nor delivered his letters of recall.
He remained in Paris after King Amadeus