The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-09-05

Franco t. not weeping to-day az at the
death Of NAPOLEON |. or the execution of
Lorrs XVI. THEIRS was not sovereign,
nor was he oven the master Of France. He
was merely her wiscst counsellor and her
shrcwdcst statesman and his death will be
lamcntcd all over the country with the same
sincerity with which the death Of VEN
Grated guardian is lamcnted 10y u family Of
orphans. The tears are not tears of love;
but they are not the less warm ON that
account. For long time to come France
will remain child, now that she is without
u sovereign she IL an orphan besides, and
her need of a guardian like THEIRS is felt
every moment. Whether in power or not,
his influence remained equally powerful
lie has moulded the MUD of his ward and
guided her conduct for fully half a con-
fury. When the ward broke loose at times
or got into trouble, it was THEIRS who came
to the rescue. lie was never loved, but his
opinion and advice were always respected.
lie was beyond question the most useful
man OF France, and he was 50 not only in
politics, hut in literature, in art, in the
science of war, in finance, and in every
branch Of human knowledge which has a
direct practical bearing ON the life Of a
nation.
In parliamentary cloqucnce he was a.
powerful il not rs brilliant. as MIRABEAU.
In history he equals Ivy. In politics he
was not SUR a-scd by PITT; while in diplo-
macy he WAS worth IALLEYBASD and MET
rrRNICn combined His low extraction, his
obscure youth, his not irrcproachablo early
manhood were all forgotten. From the day
when he first became n Cabinet Minister,
forty-scvcn years ago he remained an I'M
shaken power. At the close of the great
national crisis IN 1871 he Became the master
and rcdeemcr Of his country; and at the
age Of eighty. on the very eve of his death,
he was still considered the only man tit 70
preside over her dc~tinics. There j. not an.
| other man like him ANYWHERE and there il
not another country which 50 much needs
| such man.
Who * there to take his place? Many pco-
pie think GAMBErrA to be the coming man;
but it is a mistake. Unless he should live Il
quarter of n century longcr-which + not
probable. Tor he is suffering from heart
disease he will never step higher than
senator, Il Deputy, or, at the outside,
Cabinet Minister lie i too young,
| his past is yet too fresh IN peoples
| memory. ana lf himself nus Too llu'H
common scn-c 10 put himself forward.
| The only person tit to take In" place Of
| TH1ERs is GEivY. He is man with proba-
! bly, the cleane-t record among French poll
| ticlans He Is n sincere republican and
an excellent lawyer. H. has not the
versatility oi THEIRS he does not shine in
matters, or ASSUME the rolo bI an art ptnYN
But his natural genius, his experience in
politics since the days wi e. he fought on
the barricadcs Of 1880, and over thirty years
of parliamentary labors. make of him the
natural leader of the opposition the moment
| IHlLRS is no longer there. And should MAC
MAHoN be compelled to retire GEEvY will
be the republican candidate for the Prc@i-
dcncy He IS az the present moment, the
man to whom France can most safely in
trust power.
But ii the country Is mourning. there is n
party in it which must be iub!lant, and that
is BRoGLIEs party. THIERs's death will
! give the Government candidates many an
extra vote. The peasants knew that to vote
| the opposition ticket was to vote for THEIRS.
Now they no longer know who will be- the
leading spirit of the opposition, and they
Will cast their vote for the existing Govern
| mcnt.
The death Of THEIRS at this moment is a
! greater calamity Tor the Republican party
in France than it would have been had it
| taken place six weeks later