New-York tribune., 1877-09-17
THE DEATH OF THEIRS.

SECURITY OF THE BEPUBLIC BOUND UP IN HIN
UNCERTAINTY THAT REMAISs-GRowrH or HIS
CONSTITUTIONAL TDEAs-nATRED OF THE Or
LEANIsrS-HIS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE SECOND
EMP.RE-rHE CoMMUNg's HArEED-BLLIEF OF
THE PEOPLE n HIM.
lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRibUNh
LONDON, Srpt 5.-The news of NJ. Thierss DEATH
which occurred at ten minutes past SIX on Monday
afternoon. did not reach London till Tuesday morn
ing. 1t was not generally known till about ncon'
when a second edition of one of the morning papers
announced it. The evening papers learned II soon
enough TO enable them to publish, not merely lhe
biographies which had long since been prepared ou'
articles discussing the immediate effect OF ths os'
unexpected event on the political SITUATION III
France. This morning the death OF Ne liners
known to the whole civilized world, IA the topic
which occupies every thoughtful MIND IN Europe.
Tho Pnss,ans have taken Lovatz but if they had
swept every Turk out of Bulgaria, the H.
fuence of such a performance upon the near
political future of England would have Deeh less
than the possible results flowing from the death Oh
the great French statesman. l say tins from no
feeling Of personal affection for NJ Ihers it Is not
an emotional expression; it Is only the repetition OF
what Is on everybody's lips. Friends and foes are
agreed on the one point Of the immense ssniti-
canoe of the event 1t is realized clearly abroad
as IN France and in every country which has any
close relations with France, anything to hope or 10
fear from her. any interest in her welfare or her mis-
fortune the death of her foremost citizen Is either
deploTed as a calamity, or welcomed with hldeous
gee NJ Thiers. during his lifetime. mad many
honors paid him, but the tributes OF respect
and of hatred called ont by his death are
greater than all the rest. When Cavour died, when
Palmerston died, when Lincoln W. murdered each
country felt its own loss perhaps, .eayiiy Tor the
moment As chat Of Theirs Is felt But in no one OF
those cases WIS the direct result important as In
this ease II may prove to be- Ii is not too much to say
that the security of the French Republic was bound
ND in the life of NJ. Thers. Only six weeks more,
and its most urgent peril was passed hope ana
believe that the elections may still be carried py the
Republcans by such majority snail be decisive.
But while with Thers alive such result was as alb
solutelv certain as any future event can be- with
Taiers dead the perfect certainty no longer eA
isis nor is there the perfect security in the vie
t,ry if achieved The doubt thus suddenly thrown
upon a question in the right settlement of which all
Europe mas a concern, is enough TO explain the
dlsmav which has fallen upon the rea'
friends of France throughout Europe. And
NOT only upoS her real friends as thal
phrase is commonly understood, but upon every
country and court which wants peace and tranquilI-
ty. aud does not want war and general confusloh'
More than that, NJ. Thiers was the most French oi
Frenchmen, and his admitted undisputed services
TO France have been beyond comparison greater
than those of any living Frenchman. YET to the
clique Of priestly cOnspratOrs who have got tenn
porary hold of the Government oi France his death
comes as the greatest of blessings, while IN Berlin
there is no reason to doubt that Il IS sincerely re-
pretted Regretted for precisely the same reason
that II is regretted IN Italy OF in Engand-that it
,I,- 10 @ ena con nirrfg grr tt1
which restless factions are striving, and which, once
pained would inevitably bring France into collision
with Germany or Italy. or both, and so kndle onc'
more the flames of European war. That such a dis
aster will be avered is repeat, still probable but
with such mOment0Us issues pending. who can be
conteut 10 exchange q certainty for probability
And even that Dr. only narrow view, most I'M
perfect glimpse Of the tremendous consequences that
NAV follow the disappearance OF Vi Ihiers from the
stage Those of Us who believe that the hope OF
Europe lies in the steady growth of Republican
ideas are those who must depOre his death the most
The wreck of the French Republic would do more
and worse than bring war and disaster upon that
one country. Ii would discredit the republican
idea discourage republican effort ali over Europe,
and postpone TO an indefinite but certainly distant
future not merely the triumph OF republican instl-
tutions but the development of free popular nsti-
ie'i-''-i'i''-
arcbical in form ~ in England. Thierss idea of a
repubhc was not that of Jefferson if you Ike. II
was incomplete. but it probably the
only conception of republic which at this moment
the French people were willing TO accept He had
clear eve If not for what might be possible here
after. for what was possible now. lie thoroughly
understood the political timdity and the political
ignorance Of the untaught majority Of MS own coun
trvmen He announced the maxim. which for ali
French Republicans of a practical klnd-tOr VI.
Gambetta tirst Of all-has passed into political
axiom: that the Republic must be Conserva-
tive or 1t would not be- His accession to the
Republican party Outweighed every other al
heson and argument IN its favor, for one de-
cisive reason. He was not Republican by senIl-
ment. by theory by preference by personal
interest but Republican because he had be
come convinced that it was the only settled
form of government possible in the circum-
stances. He never concealed the fact that
he would have restored the monarchy If
he could 1t was the final proof of his surprising
ability that he perceived the impossibiliy OF putting
either branch of the royal family again on the
throne Few men in the history OF the world, who
have grown old under set of ideas and institu-
tious have been able to emancipate themselves
toward the close of their lives far TO adopt and
act upon a new and wholly different set. may re-
mark in passing that the Orleansts never forgave
him. They hated him with hatred that in men of
stronger natures would have been ferocious and
that in them was venOmous. | never had any rela
tons with Theirs that would give rise to feeling of
personal loyalty TO him. but when of late years
heard him talked of by Orleaniss, always felt that
should like to walk out of the room, They believe
that in 1872 he might have made the Comte de Paris
King and because he did not, believe he would not
do it.. They say he " betrayed them. Their sole
Gdalitv IN farniIv and