New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-09-04
A SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

the leader Of the Republican party in France is dead
The telegraph with strange lac0uicisn tells moth
ing Of his death OF sickness. Probably it viii be found
that he died suddenly, so busy and active man
might have been expected TO die He had reached an
age when the golden cord might easily snap. This
ceaseless activity this treless energy, the col
Oring characteristics OF his whole life AS young
man at his newspaper desk; as a historian IN bis
library; IA the DICTATOR on the floor of the Assembly,
the head of the Republic in perhaps the most try
ing period in the history OF France as the man OF
letters in retirement forced upon him by the
hostile voice OF an ungrateful and conspring fac
tom a. again the leader OF the French Republicans
he was always the hardest of hard workers 1t
was this constant labor that made him volatile, as
ne often seemed TO sober Englishmen and Americans
one OF the most serious Of Frenchmen. When the
whole nation broke down under the PruSsian con-
quest lac seemed alone capable of meeting and par
leying with Bismarck and Bismarck, tired of H.
prating people he had been compelled To meet, said
thar he was glad that he once more " cOnyersed
with civilization Add to this, bonndless capacity
for work, an immeasurable love for his country,
and you have large fraction OF AdolpAe
Theirs. He was one of the great patriots
of patriotic nation, and the French
people have shown since his return to active service
against the enemies Of the Republic that notwith-
standing the fact that ne dismissed from office
they still believed in bin and trusted him. His rise
in the world was not perhaps remarkable IN France
where journalist may become anything, but his
achievements were Leaving out of consideration
his literary labOrs, his newspaper productions
long period of political activity, and IN
deed everything but his record from the
fall of the second Empire to his retirement from
the Presidency, that is sufficient on which TO base
1 ID "a. -. u. .rsraA ff.a
undying gratitude Of his countrymen. He made
terms with the irascible German, and while be
could not modify, to any great extent the rgor Of
his exactions, he doubtless effected more than any
other Frenchmau could have accomplished. During
the stormy period al which he was at the head OF
the State he held the whole French society together
lie succeeded finally in quelIlng the Commune He
secured the payment OF the indemnify eXacted by
Germany, and the retirement of the hostile bat
taious If the cOnqueror from the soil OF France. lie
devised q permanent Coustltut0n-and then faction
trumphed and he was dismissed from power. Since
then as before he has been the ygilant friend of
liberty and the watchfu foe OF oppression AID had
Just put Oh his harness again. With many faults
and loibles. with some indefensbe points in his
reer he was yet a man whose like does not probably
live ii France to-day.
Louis Adolphe Theirs. ext President Of the French
Republic, was born of humble parents in Mar
settles April is, 1877. He was educated at the
lyceum Of his native city. and the law school OF
AK where ne practced the bar from ISIS 20 1921
tie then followed his friend MiCnct 10 Paris, and
wrote for the Constitutional and other journals.
He became an intimate friend of Laftt5 and
Taleyrand, and wrote history Of the French
Revolution, published in ten Volumes. IN 1887.
On the accession OF Prince Polignac to the Minis
D. +r.I ! ,.-srh . ,..
moderate politics OF The CoHsthtoRRei established in
conjunction with his friends Miquet and Armand
Carrel, a new political journal, The Adt oae, which
more than any other, contributed toward
bringing about the Revolution of 1880.
On the appearance OF the royal DEGREES
Of July 2j, the editors of The Aa'i0aei
were among the first who signed the protest Of the
Partisan journalists; and Theirs f0rm0st IN
and supporting the elevation Of the Duke
of Orleans, first to the Regency, August l, and
then TO the throne. August 8. Three months later
he was appointed AsistantSecretary TO the Depart
ment of Finance first under Baron Louis, and then
under Laiitte. He had been at the same time
elected by the City of AK 10 the Chamber Of
Deputies where he was first laughed at as
a speaker; his bombastic style of oratory;
with his short stature and shrill
voice made him ridiculous, and il only
atLe. altering lis sly IT. anu -uhLhii- MS b'N thhi
his talents as an expounder OF the most in
tricate questions were appreciated. On the fall
of Laftte NIarch -. 1881. NJ. Thers
resigned his Office; but instead Of TO-
lowing the example Of his patrons who had
gone over to the Opposition he sat among the
supporters of Casmir Pcr:er. and advocated the
peace policy hereditary peership ard several
other measures unpalatable to the people. His ad
yocacv of severe measures with the Republicans and
Legtimists at the time of the Instruction OF June
and 6. 1882, ingratated him with majority of the
Deputies and the Court, and on the death Of
Caslmir P6rer, he was made Minister of
the Interior oct. IL. He succeeded in arres
ing the Duchess of Berry and SURPRISING the
impending war in Nend6e, and advised the
expedition against Antwerp, which proved sue
cessful Being transferred to the Ministry
Of Commerce and Public Works. he OBJ
tanned large grants from the Chamber of
Deputies and gave a new impulse to in
terna improvements. He replaced the statue of
Napoleon on the Column de Vend6me. erected and
completed the Are de rEtoe, the Madeleine Church,
and other public works, and constructed railroads
and canals
Resuming the Ministry of the Interior in
s34. he evinced personal courage in putting
down the insurrectonary movements of April
~ and -. He resigned in November, but
after succession Of unfortunate ministerial COM
binations he resumed his post, with Guizot as
hi, colleague, under the l,ren ership of the
Duke de Broglie. He had a escape
from the murderous attempt of Fieschi,
July %. 1885, and unreservedly advocated the
,o-called Laws OF September" severely
restricting the freedom Of the press and the jury.
In 1886, when the whole Cabinet resigned, Theirs
rose to the premiership holding at tine same time
the Ministry Of Foreign Affairs. At the
end of seven months however, being unable 10
persuade the King to adopt a more liberal
nnlicy at homo. and 10 show more energy in