The New York herald., 1878-10-14
M. Jules Simon's New Work on
Thiers' Government.
BRILLIANT HISTORICAL PAGES.
Revelations Concerning Gambetta, Bismarck
and the Bordeaux PROFESSIONALS.
DESPoTIsM DETHRONED.
Vivid Pictures from Versailles-The Down.
syat fall of Napoleon III.

We have received from Paris the advance sheets OF
N. Jules Simon's interesting work, lie Gouverne-
ment dc NJ Thiers - which announced for publica-
tion the course OF the present month. II may be
empnatcaliy stated at the outset, that the book %
one OF tho literary events OF the year. that IL Is
worthy OF the distinguished reputation OF Its author
ana worthy OF It's eminent subject II includes
some OF the most intensely interesting chapters
of modern history, embracing the lurid episode
OF the Paris Commune, and the long struggle
of French parties to control tho future organization
OF their country Tho Work is one Of series iorm-
ing q sequel TO two volumes on the sRise and Fall
of the Second Empire' aud the '-Govornmeni Of Ma
tional Defence" published Under the collective title
OF Souvenrs OF the Fourth OF September" and II is
10 be presumed that It will be followed by similar
volumes the "Septennats' OF Marshal MacMahon,
especially Of it from December 13, 1876
TO May 16, 1877 on the author exercised the func
tions OF Prime mister and stood in the 'imminent
deadly BREACH" warding from France the menaced
monarchical restoration
GREAT FRENCH STATESMEN.
1t is fortunate Tor France fortunate for Europe and
fortunate Tor republican institutions thar in the
dIf1cut resulting from the downfall Of the
Second Empire two such statesmen AdolpEe
Theirs Jules Simon, whose antecedents pointed
In different direction their lot with the
which already counted upon the support OF Victor
Hugo and Leon Gam BETA These those
OF the four greatest Frenchmen of our time. When,
at remote period in the natural course OF
svents, the venerable bard Hugo shall
joined the veneratsd statesman and historian,
when Mignet and Duiaure shall have mingled
their dust with OF Dupanloup in the sacred pre-
cincts OF Pere la Cnaise Jules Simon Leon Gam
BETA will divide the honors OF primary in the eyes of
France and the world. NJ. Simon IS to be congratu-
lated upon the thrilling interest which inheres the
subject OF the volumes before as. NJ. Theirs is pos
shumously fortunate in the high qualities OF the his
oran OF the GROWING period of his great career
yet the time not remote in the past the name
OF Jules Simon nonnis umbra to well in
formed English and American readers. His name does
not appear In the eigath edition us72l OF "Aen OF
the Time, - and 1t will be sought in vain
the cyciopadias now competing for public favor. For
. lew American scholars Jules Simon known
tor third OF q century the learned professor OF
philosophy at tho Ecoe Normale and the Sorbonne,
s the legislative champion OF popular and
higher education, OF the freedom of the
press and the rights oil woman, and the
learned historian OF the Alexandrian philosophy.
( N. Simon has until recently been better known as
. philosopher than a statesman historian. His
own tastes would never have impelled him to leave
his chair OF philosophy the Sorbonne but that his
love Of civic liberty and devotion to republican In
ssitutions forced MIN to make common III lsAs
with his academic colleagues engaged In
q
deputy the Constituent Assembly OF 1s4s his nrst
parliamentary reputation gained the latter
peroa of the Second Empire, wnen his attention
chiefly occupied oy Questions OF university reform.
popular education ard freedom of the press and abo-
ton oil the death penalty, and few could suspect that
he destined to become OF the prominent political
figures OF the time By his antecedsnts OF 1SlS N.
Simon was widely separated from tho little Mar
seiiais whose history he has written, but their
a.
In the later OF the Empire, and their ASSOCIATION
during the ssGovernmsnt OF National Dsfsnce'
formed prelude TO an intimacy which was to end
only with the life OF the elder statesman. ~ Simon
had been in the Cabinet OF September 4, the "dss.
gate" In the Ministry OF Public Instruction, Worship
And Fine Arts, and in q former volume has given
his "reminiscences Of that government down the
Sgnature OF the capuation OF Paris The nrst chap
ter OF the work is devoted The election OF
tnat National Assembly which acquire many
and 80 adverse titles to remembrance There Is no
preface Like skIui literary artist, NJ. Simon fol-
lows the Horatian maxim piunges in nsedias res
~ follows:-
PARIS RISING FROM DESPAIR.
Our narrative besins January Is, ls7I-a mournful
date, that oil the captunlioa oil PARIS. Firing had
ceased al midnight on The 2Ith, by virtue VI verbal
the morrow. EarIy on the 2sth, Jules Favre pro-
ceeded TO Versailles; but Count Moitke, dissatisfied
with tho terms Of the agreemsai, showed little
new dlileulty, II was ten O'Clock At night
when the armisiIce was lnaliy aligned. Al.
Favrs could reJoln his colleagues nti O'Clock
in the norung. Inc railway directors had been
meDed. necessary nrs OF ali to provide for the
re-vctusllng OF Paris nat duty performed, the
council da not wish 10 adjourn before every
tnIng conneced with tue convocation OF the Assembly,.
Time and authority were want ny ior orawing up
secorai law. IL was resolved TO put In force win
some indispensable notifications, the law OF March
10 l549 the last elsc oil the Republic, which
may be tnus opltomized: voting by registration, at
,he eaptond neaaquarters- electoral right be-
pnnng Al twenty-one years eigDiiity at twenty-five,
stnout any exclusion IRON eisner electorate or eng
biily Tor all frenchmep not under criminal sentence
pr incapacitated by judicial decision AT momens
when 30 many ctuzsDs had accepted pubic oflco
lnroush patriotism II seemed right TO abolish nost vi
the cases OF loegbiy LAID down oy the legislator OF
1s49, and consequently 10 suspend tue application of
articles 81 TO 30 Only the prohibition TO elect pre-
iecss ana suo-prefects in the where they
presided was maintained. The army summosed
20 vote as IN ls4g TINS measure more than
necessary, since ali abie-boaied Frsncnmcn were
ranged under the nat ional banner. Tue number Of
deputies was fixed 1853 Tor Continent France, plus
~ sSs sspu''' ''' Algeria a1d nI' Tor the o0'0n'ssn
RKyuBLIoAE KLEorroSs BlsMARcK's coSsKsr.
Tns decree, sgu ued by The hrSt vi suBlguL was
Immediately inserted III the Journal OUcieI ana
piacarded IA PARIS some nours later. Tho order 70
etculats u IN the Department was g,ven wtHout
reain. the TACT that sucu transmssion would be im-
possible or dlhouh sr several days. The elections
were appointed Ior Wednesday, February s; the meet
log oil Assembly to take place al Bordeaux
four days iaier Wnen jules Favre announced THESE
measures TO Bismarck the FIRST words VI tho Guam
sslIor were, III Is impossibslD
seemed, in iae., impossible, and ys. II was done.
More Than tWO-thrGs oil Departments
held by the enemy ana ruled by Ger preiects 1t
was necessary TO confer the functions oi prefoc upon
The mayor oi the chief town ana proceed the eiec
tions with the assent OF tho coIqusror Toe 9th
departments were in c0mmuulcaIOn only with NJ.
Gambetta; ana, IN Rpits of tbe raising o the sege
COMMUNICATIONS between PARIS ana Bordeaux were
flyw. dIiicuit, somstmes perllous. Ieisgraphis
dispatches necessarily passed through versainos
wAere they were controlled by the PrussianR Cam
beta having telegrapbsu 10 Jules FAvre January J0
u ~. bismarck VINO replied. He announced
that reply that the dsspaic OF Gambstta would De
seat 70 the gentleman addressed "ior his inorma-
tiOu." fhe railways were IN de plorabe condition
the rals taken up, the road blocked up the
bridges brOsen, the rolling stock dispersed or
destroyed. IL only rom the 3ist that II pos
sibie 10 go from PARIS 70 Bordeaux Dy railway Even
then the nne was interrupted Tor six kiometers south
OF Orleans. The rain whch lett PARIS at i've A. NJ.
January 81 du not roach B0fdvaux until ha past
n. N. on February l. -Four hundred thousand SOL
uers aud, consequently 100000 voters, were prison.