The Republican journal., 1873-11-06
M acM ahon.

At Ncbastopol he displayed Il hcrulom
which at once carried him to the summit
of lniltary fame He was IN command OF
a division Of infantry; and it was he %iro,
on the evening Of September I. lS.lJ, was
chosen to make the grand and we'll NIGH
desperate assault upon the MalakO1.
When this was proposed to him, and the
generals surrounded him to volunteer their
anxious advice. he said, BE assured gen
tlcmen. ] shall enter Malalloff tomorrow.
and promise YOU | shall not retreat from
it alive" The next morning he advanced at
the head Of the zouaveS, in the face of the
Russian cannon, scaled the ramparts and
gave his orders from the breach with 4
calm intrepidity which electrified his men,
PclisSier, who was observing him with 4
spyglass. exclaimed, He is to audaciouS
Hasten and tel him to come down. Mae
Mahon's reply was, THANK the Marshal
for me; | am where ought to be, and
here | shall remain" Six times the com
mander-i n-chef renewed the order to re-
treat but MacMahon disregarded it, and
ere long the French tricolor floatcd from
the tower of Malakoff' The immediate
result of MacMahon's intripid courage was
the fall Of ScbaStopol and the final triumph
of the allies
IN the Italian war he was equally con-
spicuous for his dash and infectious yche-
mence of attack lie went hither in COM
mand of Il corps d'armec and ii Magenta,
the first important and very bloody battle
Of the campaign, he Won q victory which
thus early toreshadowed the sure triumph
of the French army Ten thousand Aus
trians were put hors de conlbat, and Mac
Mahon took five thousand prisoners The
Emperor Napoleon telegraphed to Paris
"MacMahon has covered himself witt
glory;" and at the field Of battle nameC
him Marshal of France and Duke Of Ma
genta He participated in the battle o
Solferino, dividing its laurels with the les,
impulsive Neil. MacMahon's part in the
disastrous war of 1870, is too well known
to need narration He betrayed, in situa-
tions the most desperate, all his old i'm
petuous and hopeful courage but the
whole tide of war was against him, anC
the sturdy old veteran, like Francis l. al
Pavia, 'slost all but honor" at Reichsnofler
and Sedan. Happily, his bravery was re
| warded at Sedan, by q wound which
saved him the humiliation of fatal sur
render which decided the war agains
| France As soor as the provisional re
public was established, MacAIahon wa'
appointed commander-in-c chief, and up tC
the time of his election to the presidency
in succession 10 NJ. Theirs, devoted him
self to the reorganization OF the shattered
ranks of the army, keeping sedulousl,
aloof from all political intrigues and com
binations.
In personal appearance. the veteran
marshal displays in every lineament an'
movement the experienced, weatherbeatel
soldier. Grizzled and bronZed by hi
African campaigns, he has chrivalrou
frank bearing, without the least trace q
vanity which is so obtrusive weakness
of many French soldiers. OF medium
height, with an iron muscular build, thick
set but not obese; q dark, blue. cleal
thoughtful honest eye, face calm an
amiable, with serene energy shghtl
tinged with sadness; q round head an
face, the hair light and spare, and tn
moustache long and carelessly falling;
dignity and unaffected manner, sort {
"aristocratic negligence quite resolutio
and singleness Of purpose in every line
these are the chief traits discernable
the president as seen on the street.
conversation he says little, is halting al
timid as if his thoughts We're far from ii
present scene; essentially taciturn, he
t at his worst in the saloons, appears i'll
. ease, and though gallant in miltal
sense, does not shine in the society
ladies,