New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-12-06
THE GAMBKTTA DUEL.
nnAsrs nr rHE pI,RLIC EXCITEMENT.


tvpo,. 4 REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRlBU"hi
p,r1s Nov. 22.-The duel between Gambetta ana
dc Fourtou, who Minister Of the inferior """'i
the De Broglie Government, IS the "A-aOs'''l"s
tonic of the day. | was this morning al t"e oly'o
of the Rf0p5liqae FrQHggisc to learn what o'u'~
sbont this affair, which, IN NV Huhp-a
opinion was a great blunder. Why thi"A
so, 1 shall say further on. l found the aA'e-
chambers and editorial rooms full "a lobby OF tie
Assembly on the eve of i ministerial CRISIS II Ri
who came to leave cards and make inquiries haH To-
noipe,s the crush would nave been as bad as at
the Versailles hall. In the SecTetarys den, when
is q suug little room four or five steps below he
level of The court, Emil aud FRANCOIS the wv" men
servants Of Gambetta, were busy adjusting the
niles Of letters and telegIaphic dispatches when me
iauitor brought them. Amongst these VINO were
waiting to see Gambctta, who was at The ways an"
Means Committee | saw generals ana auu'li"lS
whom should not have been surprised 10 meet "'
the Dnc de BroplIe's Ofice-seekers, the fathers
and fathcrs-iu-law Of young men IN search OF snug
official berths, outuumDered the enthusiasts who
yero really interested to know how TIE leader VI
tbe Republican party had cOmpOrtcd himself un"er
fire. TO ascertain tins point was not easy NM
Sandeigue and Dumuugin, the confidential SecIeta-
ries we're away, and the gentleman who answered
kind and interested inquiries was a new
comer. He had entered the service OF the
Republican leader but few days previously, ana
seemed both afraid of offending real friends auu OF
giving disguised enemies an opportunity for Wlltihg
iI-patured sllits in such journals the Figaro and
Gaulois. In his embarrassment he had evidently
taken refuge in the axiom least SAID soonest
mendcd While | was waiting conversation was
carried on in an uudertOue ID the groups which
formed as welas they possibly could in the tArtnged
apartmcnts. Unlike the English the French
are unable to keep silent when they are waiting Tor
a great man TO appear. IL their tongues ala uo'
wag they would get into q state OF nervous hlI'"-
bitv bordering on luuaCy. This j., dare say, one
of the reasons why they are 50 AFRAID o. spies 2p-
posing There had been to-day a secret agent OF the
Project of Ponce winch there might wen uafo
been in the office OF The RCpWbHqne frdRGG'St' ne
would have discovered many weak points ID INC
arnor of The ihunueTtr who TeIgn5 there
delegate from Greuobc, who had come by the
express train in the name of the Democracy Of thai
town. 10 forbid Gambetta to expose his really
precious lfe could not help retailing how the trib-
unes father had come there last September TO bully
his i1ustrious son into making him life Senator
Gambetta senior and Gambetta junior had
had batresroyal on this subject The latter
very sensibly said "You would have Inc fall
into the lowest kind of nepotism. You are
not competent to be legislator, and yon are
very well qualified to carry on the trade IN winch
You are engaged at Nice Stick to it, and II it fails
Won ask me for money, for place at my table for
n
do not urge me to place you IN false position, aud
to enable my foes-and they are numerous and ever
wakefu.-tO hold both you and me up 70 ridlcule."
Another delegate volunteered TO relate mo Whaj q
great RAGE Gambetta flew when his father cropped
up in Savoy, and what blowing mp lie gaI" be-
hind the scenes of tle theatre, NJ. Charles Qlen.
the Petite R6pdbtqu6 IrgHcISe, i0r bringing Cam
betta. ST., forward on the stage where TIE bahqirt
was laid ont, and proposing ans health Though all
that was said would be, IN the mind OF Carly e or
Macaulay, to Gambctta's credit, It was capable OF
being twisted against him, had an enemy been
listening Generals admlTai5, Ieiu ULlccIs sang out
in chorus that the son was right
While we were waiting / could through the
half-open dining-room door that preparations were
beng made for sumptuOus dejeuuer. Those under
secretaries of state devoted TO Gambetta az 1870,
when FrancOissaid he was expected from the Budget
Committee, dropped in and disappeared by door
which was only opened to those who had pass
word Gambetta did not appearuntil after O'Clock.
He drove into the court in an elegant coupe drawn
by two chamDing sorrel horses. The carriage was
evidently constructed for the heights near VILE
d ARRAY There is a wheel on the box connected
with brake. Spuller, one of the deputies of tie
Seine and the former secretary of Gambetta, was
with the tribune, who seelued IN me health ahI
excellent spirits. fle advanced through lhe mob 81
courters slowly, shaking hands with all Of them, and
stopping an instant to exchange few WORDS with
this one and with that. How the man Is not drums
with the adulatiOn of which he Is the OBJECT,
wonder He must have of the strongest heads
ia Europe to stand the idOlatry OF which lie rs the
obiect EN cry one pressed forward 10 congratulate
hun on hls pluck and those TO whom he spoke lm-
plOTed him not on any account 10 Ilsk again lis
precious life
To n certain extent the duel was a comedy. The
French are the Connections dN Bon LieU, and If
public man were not bit OF an actor he would not
make his way in this country. Now Allaln-Iare6,
who was a very intimate friend Of the late Clement
Laurier. one of the most vupine lawyers that l
oyer met and who was not brought mp at a Jesuits
College for nothing, was one of GambettaS sec
onds. He got de Fourtou, Of whom he
was a chum at college, to change for
NM Robert Mitchell and Bin de Bourbon,
the two deputies whom the eX-Minister Of the
Interior had originally chosen, to demand an ex-
PLANTATION of the Republican leader. The reason
was that they both were short men, and Bin de
Bourbon and Mitchell arc unusually tall. The
French would call them long cOmpasSes Mitchell,
as they say here, is on the road TO Damascus,
and so Is Bin de Bourbon. They both are
watching for opportunity TO be converted
20 RembhCansm !; for they are in debt, have gwen
up IMPERIALISM as a losing cause, and are sadly IN
need of Jobs OF good places. De FOurtOu 1ct that
an impeachment hangs over his head and that II
wOuld fall into the hands OF the more stern
Gr6vy. He Is an excellent swordsman,
easily he was brought to choose for the
agerieved party he lad the choice OF weapons
reyOvcrs. The conditions arranged were thirty
five PAGES, to be measured Dy iht loh9-legggd
Bin dc Bourbon, or failing HIM, Robert Mitchell,
and ono shot. Naturally, the bullets on a tOggy
morning were wide OF the mark. AS you are
aware the duel took place AT PeSslsl1cquet,
pretty rural district IN damp ana well
wooded vale. Neither OF the cOmbatauts cOuiu see
ten wards before him. Gambetta, IN any case, has
only one eve, and De FOurtOu's vision ~ not, even
with glasses very distinct. This comedy Is taken
very seriously by every one who acted III II. Taui-
beta viii not promise the delegates who have been
sent to eXhOrt him not 90 risk his life again 10 re-