The New York herald., 1874-10-04
His Public Merits and the Cause
Of His Failures.
UNDAzzLED BY The GLORY Of NAPOLEON |.
Domestic History-Matri-
mony and Religion.
Encounter Between Guizot and
Napoleon III.

PARIS, Sept Is. 1874
The telegraph will have informed you ere this OF
M. Gulzot's death. he literally ie asleep, being
old and lul OF years TIL within few days OF the
end he was working on the .tHistory OF France.u
Nor did he ever cease to take a lively interest In
the course OF political events. 1t even said
that the Duke de Brogl1e pressed htm much, when
he was in office, to accept the Embassy to Lon
don. But NJ. Guizot wisely confined himself to
aiding the statesman Of his party with his coun-
sells, which were drawn from the experience or
seventy years. Commenting on blunder OF the
ex-President, he observed, with smile, "Thiers
will do better when he comes to be OF my age"
He was eighty-seyen years old at the time OF his
death.
"Every Protestant" said Sainte- Beuve, 'fs
POPE WITH A BIBLE IN HIS HAND"
To no member Of his church would the definition
have applied more happily tnan to the Minister Of
Louis Philippe, who, indeed, was nicknamed Pope
Guizot 1t was not that he was inordinately vain,
or that he relied too much on his own powers but
I he felt too just contempt Tor most Of his adver-
saries and was at pains conceal his feelings.
\ He had once, in the Chamber, censured some
legitmst Deputies for what was really an
! unjustnable act on their part. They replied by
nosily hurting reproaches inconsistency against
! him. who conscious Of his IncorruptlbintY, looked
down on the gestlcuiating representatives as they
Il CROWDED up tHe SLepS Ol the tribune, ana eX-
claimed, "Step up, gentlemen, step up; you will
never raise yourselves to the height OF my dis
4 DAM"
/ PARENTAGE
NJ. Guizot was born five years before the procla-
nation of the First Republic He was only six
years old when his iather-a distinguished advo-
4 cate, but whose liberal sentiments had caused
good deal OF unpleasantness between him and the
members OF his profession-perished on the revo-
Il
is to the son. credit that this event did not drive
! him. as 1t would have driven ordinary man,
! into the arms OF a bigoted conservatism. But it
| could have less effect than to impress upon
him from the time he could first horror of
extreme opinions, when he retained through life,
and which was the Keynote OF his political creed HIS
love OF rational freedom was, however, chilly
sentiment, arising simply out OF a dislike OF ex.
cesses. His boyhood was spent In Geneva, and
his attention. as Protestant, was early directed
to the religious and political struggles o. England,
OF wnicn he was be the impartial but enlhusi-
astic historian.
PCELIC LIFE.
/ The young Guizot came to Paris in 1906 to study
i for the Bar. 1t was the year OF Austerlitz when
I Napoleon, already Emperor, had entered the
| meridian OF mis- glory. He had proclaimed that a
! careci was opeG. under his rule, to all men OF
/ talent, whatever their BIRTH or priva;e opinions
Youth and ability combined were sure to find
! favor in his sight. But GntZoI re-
nective at eighteen as at eighty was ,ln-
daZzied by the splendor OF the new monarchy
and made no attempt TO push his fortunes through
the patronage OF the great. lie spent for some
years pleasant literary life, for he came to the
capital with good lntroductons, ana some OF his
earliest articles in the Pu6yiciste on Chateau
brands 'Martyrs" attracted good zeal OF atten-
lion. On the staff CT that journal was lady,
MILE PAULINE DE MEULAN
by name, who received great deal OF assistance
| from the new contributor during an illness which
had prevented her from giving her due share of
time TO the paper. Mile. de Meuan had just the
right to call herself between thirty and forty when
in reward for NJ. Guizots diligence, she bestowed
her hand upon him. He was just twenty
five, but there was seldom happier or
more fortunate marriage. The lady was
OF noble birth and had friends among
the chtes OF the royalsr party. In two years
LOUIS XVIII. returned from exile, and Guizor
quilted the chair OF professor for the post OF
Secretary General in the Ministry OF the Interior
From this moment he became one OF the foremost
men IN France, and HIS lie for third OF century
is closely interviewer with the history OF his coun
try. IL is life OF severe recttude. NJ Guizot
never sinned, except IN the interest OF his own
crotchets, winch he very naturally Identified with
the firm adherent oil constitutional monarchy,
never serving under republic or empire. On the
return OF Bonaparte from Elba he resigned ONCE
and even followed the Bourbon King to Gnent. At
the second restoration he found himself once
more In ofice, which he threw up in disgust at the
massacres in the South, where royalists were in
augurating new reign Of terror with the conni-
vance OF the government. Minister'S however
soon succeeded in concatiDg him, and for four
or five years longer he held places OF subordinate
rank but high importance. At the same time and
TIL the revolution OF 1880 he indefatigaDly
His most valuable workth "History OF the English
Civil War; belongs to this epoch.
WIDOWED.
| lis first wife died in 1927, having embraced the
I Protestant religion on her death bed. Her husband
was reading aloud Bossuet's sermon on the i'm
mortality OF the soul as she passed away, to have
the question solved on even higher authority
Next year M. Gulzot
MARRIED HIS DECEASED wIFE's NIECE,
according TO the advice the former had given
him while still on EARTH Both his wives we're
| clever ana wrote goody books which are still es.
teemed by section Of the orthodox world in
! France and England.
HIS GRAND CHANCE IN LIFE.
! Mr. Disraeii has said that every man has one
! great chance in life NJ. Gulzot's came one bright
| July morning when Charles X. had determined to
! annhate the liberty OF the press by procama.
| ton. The famous protest OF the deputies was
/ drafted by Guzot and gave such satisfaction that
! 1t was no longer possible to exclude him from the
innermost councils or his party. He was among
the first as he was the last Minister OF Louis PM
nppe and was seldom out Of onice during that
! Sovereign's reign.
On the whole
HIS CAREER AS A PRACTICAL STATESMAN
must he considered failure, not so mucn from
hts fault as from the insane way In which Minis
ters are chosen under parliamentary government.
lie presided admirably over the Department OF
| Education, but was totally unfit to be at the head
OF the home once, which requires in France a
| soldier ia plain clothes The Minister OF the In
terror has at least 40, 900 officials under him. who
are looked upon as regular civilian army, bound