The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1877-09-06
Louis AdOlphe Theirs.

This veteran politician Journalist, historian and
h WIG % a. & ao9r was at once tne sage ana
He died suddenly, SO busy and active a man
might have been expected to die. He had reached an
age when the golden cord might easily snap. This
ceaseess activity, this tireless energy were the col
orlng characteristics Of his whole life. As young
man at his newspaper desk; as historian in his
library; as the debatOr the floor of the Assembly;
as the head OF the Republic in perhaps the most try
ing period il the history OF France; as the man of
letters, In retirement forced upon him by the
hostile voice of ungrateful and conspring faction;
as 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 he
often seemed to sober Engshmen and Americans
one of the most serious of Frenchmen. When the
whole nation broke down under the Prussan con-
quest he seemed alone capable of meeting and par
leying with Bismarck; and Bismarck. tired OF the
prating people he had been compelled to meet, said
that he was glad that he once more "conyersed with
civilization" Add to this boundless CAPACITY fo-
work, an immeasurable love for his country, and
you have large fraction Of Adolphe Theirs. He
was one OF the great patriots of a patriotic nation.
and the French people have shown since his return
to active service against the enemies OF the Republic
that notwithstanding the fact that he dismissed
from office, they still believed in him and trusted
him. His rise in the world was not perhaps remark
able in France, where journalist may become any,
cnrng Dat MS ; were Leaving out OF
ductions, long period Of political activity and in
deed everything but his record from the fall OF the
Second Empire to his retirement from the Presden-
cy, that Is sufficient on which to base his claim tn
greatness, and on which to demand the uudying
gratitude OF his countrYmen. He made terms with
the irascibe German, and while he could not modi-
fy to any great extent, the rgor Of his exacons he
doubtless etected more than any other Frenchnan
could have accomplished. During the stormy peri
Cd at which he was at the head of the State he held
the whole French society together. He succeeded
nhaily IN quelhDg the Commune. He secured the
payment OF the indemnity exacted by Germany, and
the retirement of the hostile battaions of the con-
queror from the soil of France. He devised per-
manent Constitution-and then faction triumphed
and he was dismissed from power. Since then, as
before he has been the vgilant friend Of liberty and
the watchfu foe OF OPPRESSION and had just put on
his harness again. With many faults and fObles,
with some indefensible points in his career he was
yet man whose like does not probably i've in
France to-day.
Louis Adolphe Theirs, ex- President Of the French
Republic, was born of humble parents in Marseilles
April 16. 1897. He was educated at the lyceum OF
his native city, and the law school of AK where he
practiced at the bar from 1878 to 1921 He then fol-
lowed his friend, Mgnet, to Paris and wrote for the
Constitutional and other journals. He became
intimate friend OF Lattte and Talleyrand, and wrote
history OF the French Revolution, published in ten
volumes, in 1S23-27.
On the accession Of Prince Polignac to the Minis
try August 3, 1929, M. Thiers dissatisfied with the
moderate politics OF The Constitutionne established
IN conjunction with his friends, Miquet and Armand
Carrel, new political journal, The Nati0nel, which
more than any other contributed toward bringing
about the Revolution Of 1880. On the appearance Of
Nationel among the first who signed the protest
of the Partisan journalists and Theirs was foremost
in proposing and supporting the elevation OF the