The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-27
THE NEW PRESIDENT OF FRANCE.
A True CIvilian-A Man who Wears No
orders or 0niclMl Dress.

In the midst Of the recent crisis which led
10 Marshal MaeMahon'S resignation, MIR.
John Lemoinne wrote In the Debats about the
inconvenience OF military Presidents. The
Marshal IL sold to have picked up one Of his
sentences, and to have remarked on retiring,
'If you want O President In black coat, try
one" M. Grevy is President who has never
worn any other costume but the robes Of the
advocate and the modest black coat which
modern civilization Is alleged to have bor-
rowcd from the Quakers. He has not even
sported the epaulet OF national guardsman,
though how he came to be exempt from this
obligation during his eighteen years residence
In Paris under Louis Phillippe's reign, is
missaire or project OF the Republic of 18f8 In
the Jura, he would have been entitled to don
an embroidered coat and plumed hat; but he
Ynodestly confined himself to tricolOr sash
grit around the waist. AS President OF the
National Assembly, and afterward OF the
Chamber OF Deputies, he always discharged
his functions In evening dress, including the
white tie He Is not decorated. At present,
by virtue of his Office as chief OF the State,
he becomes Grand Master OF the Legion OF
Honor, and must consequently wear the
star and broad red ribbon Of Grand Cross |;
but hitherto that little slip OF scarlet ribbon
which graces the buttons OF so many French
men has not adorned his. Nay, NJ. Grevy was
among the members of the ConStitutante
who voted for the abolition Of the Logon Of
Honor and more recently he voted for the
bill which prohibited members OF the Legis-
lature from accepting decorations from the
government Perhaps 1t would have been
better to adopt the Belgian system, and to
decree that a member OF Parliament who
accepted the red ribbon should simply vacate
his seat until ms constituents had reelected
him for the present law has prevented M. Bar
doux from comforting the grand cross on VIC
tor Hugo,as he desired to do. N. Grevy Is not
only the enemy of tinsel on mems coats; he
is man of republican simplicity In all his
ways. In his everyday attire, even In Paris,
he has always donned wide-awake Instead
Of silk hat; and in summer time he may
generally be seen saunteriDg about the Boule-
wards clad In gray, and crowned with pan
anna. Though man OF considerable landed
property, as estates go In France, he never
set up brougham till he became President
of the Chamber, and he has always Kept this
modest e-horse vehlcle-Wlth coachina man
out of livery-at Versailles. In Paris he uses
cabs and omnibuses, but it must be a very
| muddy day which compelS him to ride at
all. The state which hedges president will
| probably seem irksone to him, and one may
expect to see him cut much OF 1t down. Mar
| shal MacMahon put all the servants OF his
palaces in the gray and scarlet lveries OF Ms
| household NJ. Grevy, whose domestlc5 have
never worn livery, will, no doubt, clothe MS
establishment in plain black suits, tAmert
| caine. He will now have two official resi-
dences-one at Versailles, located IN the ex
Prefecture, and the other the magnificen
EIvsee. In Paris. He will also have the run
for the purpose of sport, or pleasurable 50
journ, of all the old royal and imperial cha
teaux, Fontainebleau.C ompeigne, Plerrefonds
His salary will be E24,0O0, with an addition
of e20OO table money, and 94000 for office ex
penseS.
M. Jules Grevy is not the first civilian chic
of the State whom the French have had, bu
he will be the first who will have eschewed Of
fetal attire. Robespierre contrlved specia
costume for himself. and shone gorgeously i
a hat bristling with tricolored ostrich plumes
Under the Directorate Barras and his co
leagues dressed in a fancy costume much II
sembling the fashion OF Henry ", their trun
hose and embroidered scarlet nantes bein
, particularly noteworthy. Gambia :eres an
. Lebrun, Bonaparte's civilian colleagues in tn
Consulate, sported coats of red velvet, an
when Prince Louis Napoleon was elected Pres
, ident of the republic, IN 1S48, he immediatel
usurped the uniform of a general OF division
though there was constitutional prohlbltio
, against his doing so. An amusing story
told OF how NJ. Theirs argued in vain Win IN
President that he should shave on MS mus mus
tache. and it is said that he told MIN pelu
lantly that "pekin" in Generals uniIori
would look ridiculous. But Louis Ns pc 80
answered that as commander sl, y. W
: army and navy, he might do as ne please
and so, for that matter, mlgnI
Grevy now. He would not De eAeee9 y IN
his right in arraying himself as iun Aoiis