The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1873-10-24

The two greatest orators IN France by
which is understood their power to move
the feelngsof the pcOple-arc Jules Favre
and Gambetta. The first has SO lost charac-
ter, both in judgment and as a man of
action, among his colleagues, that he does
not appear in his seat in the Assembly.
The blatant defiance about not surrender
ing a foot of wall or an inch of territory to
the Prussians, and the breaking down and
weeping at his interview with Bismarck.
were too much for his countrymen, and
they covered him with reproaches and
ridicue His conduct on these occasions
have even lessened the effect of his plead
ing before the courts, where he was once
powerful advocate. Gambetta has not lost
character like Favre, but it is the subject
of no little discussion. Most of his friends
aver that he Is as strong in the council
chamber as he is in the tribune or in the
reunions of the people, but there are men
of his party who distrust his judgment as a
leader. lie showed, from the fall of the
Commune to the late elections, an admira-
BILE discretion, but committed a serious
blunder in putting forward extreme radical
candidates in opposition to the conserva-
tves favored by Theirs for this aroused
the apprehensiOns of the right in the
Chamber, and drove them into that union
which overthrow the old president. The
republic was slowly but surely gaining
ground, every day under the rule of Theirs
who understands his people and his
epoch as well as any man living-when the
impotence of Gambetta. in thrustinp fol-
ward his crude men, some of whose skirts
were stained with the blood of the Com
mune, alarmed those who had something
at stake in the country, and formed the
present tripartte coalition. Those Of the
left center, sharing the opinion of Talley-
rand that in politics a bunder is u crime.
are naturally bitter against this young chief
for interrupting as he did the growth
and development of the republic. On
the other hand, the friends of Gambctta
say that the zeal of his followers in the eX-
IRENE left got beyond his control, and that
they imposed their candidates upon him.
and especially Barodet, whose election
stirred up the right to relentless battle. In
this there is probably some truth. for Gam
beta is shrewd politicians and he must
have seen, by supporting Theirs in sulli-
GENTLY conservative policy to maintain his
power, that he became his natural successor.
Gambetta, as the fiery orator of the tribune.
where he appears rs If led by impulse
alone, is deceptive. He knows what he il
doing when he looks us if burning to a
white heat and his words are as discreet as
If he wrote them down in the quiet of his
cabinet lie is one of those men who. be-
ginning their political life as agitators, he
come conservative after assuming the re-
sponsibilities of power; and it is safe to
predict, if Gambetta proves successful.
five or ten years hence, that no man will he
a stouter defender of the then existing in
situations than he.
His position at this time is a singular
one he strides the left and the extreme
left, foot in each, and even reaches to the
edge of the left center. lie is the political
friend of Theirs as well as of Jules Fave
and of Ranc, and he has done more toward
keeping the three divisions together in
legislative action than any other man. His
atfinities are more pronounced for the left,
and his manifestation of friendship for the
extreme left is probably for the purpose Of
using it to arrive at the possession of pow
er. The extreme left is turbulent, with
something of the spirit of the Commune in
the way of sacrificing its favorites, and
this doubtless Gambetta is well aware of
hence, the day when he shall have climbed
to the place which he covets, if he ever
does, one of his first acts will probably be
to draw up the ladder after him and leave
his radical friends below in the lurch,
whereupon there will of course be the
usual chorus about being betrayed 49,
iSclf5Rer's Monthly.