, 1877-11-09
A Great Loss TO France.

Thiers was startling in its suddenness.
Though Glready an octogenarian, 80 won
derful was his vitality that he might rea.
sonably have been expected TO live for
ten years more. His death, in the ma.
turity of his powers, with every faculty
alert and vigorous, is a great loss TO the
world, and may prove great calamity
to France.
Louis Adolphc Thiers was born at
Marseilles in 1907, Of bourgeois paren-
tage. He at first intended 20 enter the
army, but on the death of Napoleon |.
his friends selected for him the profes.
sion OF an advocate, and he was sent to
the Academy of AK. After a brilliant
career as student he was admitted to
the bar in 1890 and began the practice
OF law in Paris. Meeting with little sue.
cess, he soon turned his attention to Jour.
nalism, becoming a contributor to lie
Constitutional. His political articles in
this Journal attracted the favorable notice
of Talleyrand, and not long after a
wealthy admirer purchased for him a
share in the proprietorship of the paper.
In 1923 he made his appearance in the
world of letters by publishing his His
totre de Ia Revolution Frdncdise-a work
which at once attained great and de-
served popularity. During the whole of
his busy life he was continually publish
ing pamphlets and bulky volumes, suf-
ticient in themselves to have occupied
the entire time of man of ordinary in
dustry. His Historic du Consulot ct de y
Empire is the most elaborate of these
works.
But Thiers was not the man to choose
the quiet of an authors life. He took a
prominent part with Lafayette and others
in the coup d. etat which overthrow
Charles X, and became Minister of the
Interior under Louis Philippe, and after
wards Minister of Commerce and Public
Works. His energy and executive pow
er were marvellous, and fresh life was
infused into every department with
which he was connected. In 1886 he be-
came Premier, but was soon forced to re-
sign, only to be recalled again in few
months. 1t was critical time. The
King was unpopular and his throne un-
stable, but with strange faulty he re-
fused heartily to support the only man
who could have saved his government.
Theirs again resigned, and resumed his
literary labors.
After the overthrow of Louis Philippe
in 1S4S, Theirs opposed Louis Napoleon 8
rise to power, and became so odious to
the latter that he was arrested at the
coup d etat by which the President of the
Republic made himself the Emperor
Napoleon III. He was soon released,
and after few years retirement made
his appearance in the Corps LegislatJ as
the leader of powerful opposition. His
services to France as President of the
Republic, after Napoleon's disastrous
war with Germany, are too recent to need
comment. - 'r
Tbiers's well known preferences were of
limited monarchy, like that of the Or
leans princes. But though a sincere
monarchist, he was above all things else
patriot. This is the key to political
history which would otherwise seem to
be that Of mere trimmer. France was
his idol, and for France he was monarch-
ist, imperialist, and republican by turns.
During the last years of his life he ac-
cepted the Republic in good faith as
probably the best possible government
for his country in its present condition.
And probably there was no other man in
all France to whom so many eyes were
turned, and in whom so many firmly
trusted
With little danger of exaggeration,
Theirs might one week ago have been
pronounced the greatest man in France,
if not in Europe. Others there were in
the Academy, of which he was a men,
ber, who had won greater laurels in liter
ature; there were men who had far out
stripped him at the bar; who had sur
passed him as an orator; who welded
greater influence over the destinies of
Europe. But in the combination of the
man of letters and the man Of affairs
as historian, lawyer, orator, statesman--
there was not man in all France, there
were few in all Europe, who could be
called his peer. When We add to this
that his integrity was never called in
question even by his enemies, and that
ne was man Of estimable private quail
ties, what wonder that he filed so many
high posts in the State, and filled them
with such honor to himself and such last
ing benefit to his countryi What won
der that all turned to him after the over
throw of the Commune, as ths only man
who could create new future for Francel
What wonder that during the present
troubles, arising from President Mac
Mnhonb arbitrary and revolutionary
measures, the hopes Of Republican France
were centered in hint
The death Of a leader in the very midst
Of the shock Of battle Is always dis
heAriening. The loss Of such leader is
almost equivalent 30 Q defeat Theirs
was unquestionAbly the chief obstacle 10
the coup dstds which there seems good
reason TO believe the MErshAl-President
Is meditsting The RePablieans are
numerically strong, bet they lack bead.
Gambe,tA, though zoe q year o. two he
has sobersd wonderfully, is too errAtie
he has not yet demonstrated hit capacity