Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-09-06
NO. 2l3.
.A(ffau0rla 6axett&
THURSDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER &.
The Late NJ. ThIers

Born in l797, the son Of poor workingman Q
Marsellcs, he raised himself. by dint Of hi
own talents. to the very highest position tha
republican France could bcstow upon citizen
Educated 10 tho public school at Marsellles
youog Theirs was seut By friends to stu ly law
at AK, and 10 due time was called to The bar.
But the practice of law was not congcnal lu
| him and he ab1ndnued it for literature "a field
in which lie had already obtained some local
celebrity. As all Frcnchmen do who feel the
strings of ambition within them, he went to
Paris, gained an entrance into literary society,
began to study politics, became one of the
! writer's for the Constitutional, and wrote be-
| tween 1923 and 1892 history Of the French
| revolution Already distinguished as political
| writer, his history added greatly to his fame.
After the revolution OF 1880 he was elected to
the Corps L?sislalif for AK. Official posts
! were rendered him. DuIing the reign Of Lou'
Philippe be became succassivey under secre.
tary of Stale, minister of The Interior, minister
of commerce and public works, and ultimately
president cf the couucli and minister Of foreign
affairs. After his dismissal as premier, in cou-
sequence of his course on tho Syrian question,
he wrote bis history ot the Consulate and I'm.
pira. The revolution of lS4S found him still
out Of cllicc. and during tic rule eli Napoleon
III. he contlnued to lead rivae llte uc:Il
1868, when he was elected Deputy for the
department Of the Seine, aod took his seat
with the opponents OF the empire, which, from
that time forward became tic otjec. of his at
tacks. After the disaster Of Sedan he was
chosen mcuber OF the Palls defense commit
tee, aud was appointed by tic provisional gov.
G~nment at Tours to ncgotiaie icr peace. Ihest
/ cgotiatous failing he was subsequently elected
10 inc National Assembly under the pact OF
Bordeaux, and by the Assembly made "chlef
of the executive power" and later "Prcsident
of the Republic" Feac, was soon aitcrward
concluded, the communists who had seized
possession of Paris were put down with great
slaughter, aud order aud regularity established
in tic administration In hi- attempt to con-
solidatc the republic on Il liberal basis NJ.
Thiers encountered almost insupcrabc difficult
ties and after long struggle and Diuch adrolt
balancing between tho factions into which the
Assembly was divided, he res! gncI the presi'
dcncy in Nav, lS7G, anl VS. ucc:elal by
Marshal Machlohon.
Dvestcd of all the usual attributes OF poliil-
cal power NJ. Theirs appeared quite c3Ml'al
parsonage, especially when he grew little
stouter, and the short legs Of the short mar
seemed to quite disappear uodcr the shadow OF
his round little body. lie was devoid OF any
thing in the shape OF grace or even OF earnest
ness. Imagine little, stoulsh, lidgety man,
with face Slightly resembling that OF parrot,
and with two monstrously large spcctacles on
his large hooked nose, and the picture OF NJ.
Tbiers is complete. AS speaker he was never
distinguished by clrqueDct, but was always
known to be man capable OF delivering
clever speech ou any given subject. fioaDce,
law, military matters, science. everything seems
to have been equally familiar to him. Ills
voice was somewhat shrinking and feeble and
produced effect, so to say, on account OF It's De,
feet; its tones appeared 10 be, as 1t were, Urea
and asking Tor compassion.
When NJ. Theirs was young he fell las fall
= vast majority of Frenchn7en) in love with u
married n rTI % Woman of the namo OF Mmc. Dosnc,
tho yi(c Of stockbroker. This lady had
daughter by her husband and had, by and by,
ono bv M, Thicrs. The relation between the
lovers lasted as long as the lady lived and so
far, NJ. Thiers was. according to certain notions
of the French. truthful man. lo countries
where, as in France, there is no divorce, MIS-
takes which are made by young people who
marry and sec after short time that they arc
not fit for ono another, have no other escape
than that of subsequent concublnagc with
some one else. Had NJ. Thicrs merely eloped
with the wife of the stockbroker no one in
Franco would probably have had anything to
saw against Nj. Theirs or Nine. Dosne; but
what he ia accused Of now is. first OF all, that
he always remained in business Transactions
with the husband Of his mistress
From the time that he came ioto power with
the accession Of Louis Philippe to the throne
ot France he took advantage Of the political in
formation that he possessed, communicated II
to tho stockbroker and gave him thus tic
chance Of speculatug at the Stock Exchange
with full security Of success. OF course the
nro6ts which the stockbroker realized were
Shared by NJ. Thiers, and it is chiefly IN this
wav that the fortune Ct the Dosue family and
If N, Tbiers himself has been made. Eurth'
c1more, long before Nine. Do5nc died, Nl
Theirs, with view to secure to his l|egltlmate
daughter bis name ard his fortune, married his
own child. r g.,
This scsndslous fact i3 known in Frnnce by
sny one who knows anything q NJ. lhe'rs, ~:
iu:tjfcstion Of whom, however. II must DC said
that it was always believed. even by his enemies'
thst he never had with his wife sny Ut the re'
Isiion; implied By tho msrrIage. 1t aeens 10
have been purely practical trek ca culat- q 70
secure the bappinefs Of his lIeSltmst "lsErlnS.
The young A.Eip. IucIS "hc ~ os io!i ~
| 70 i've ~ She like and To love whom sh9 liked
and tho handsome wou1an Is known to nave
tssep full sd7sntsga Of tbs p-:vllego; 1t was IN
| illusion to this fact tna!. when ID Theirs began
assume power oyor Frsne' s1a 70 bp spert ItS o
his patriotism, jocnlar people cal;tu nitn Aho
farther of France ard Of his wife"
As the details ofthcI lives of moa in prom,nenc
sro ofteH f4lsili ID, ed accordingly, questioned
NV the public ut lsrSe, this fact might also Do
| regarded as nrl lnvcalioH -, ,, =;
In tho wtll.knowl residence oi III. lhslrs IN
the Place ST. George, There w4s u part OF mo
house crammed with III SORTS o: most Valuable
sptiuuities and works Ct AFT. to which Mm9
| Theirs never had access. People who enjoyed
tho intimacy Of NJ. Theirs, knowing that only
| himself and Nil Dosne had access TO that ware
house Of treasures, used to mako ond:ess com
1nents ss to whether II. Theirs aad NIL Doshc
were studying srL OF studying loVc IN that re
treat
In matters ,freliaion NJ Theirs was slways
sceptic, but he never hesitsted to turn rcilg1ot
to his advantage when it WAS necessary. ara u
nat himself On the side # the clergy when h
saw their aid could be OF service.
NIANOS AND ORGANS,