Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1880-01-24
JULES FAvRE.
The French stat.sm.n's Demise,

Oh AAOeN@I HAoaN A@1h - SAAINaN
French statesman, member of the
academy and of the senate, Jules
Favre, died at Versailles, France at
the age of 81. He was one of the
most prominent men in France, and
has been long known to every person
familiar with current topics of the
times. The following sketch of him
is from the Philadelphia Bulletin:
Gabriel Claude Jules Favre was
almost twice as old as Gambetta. hav-
ing been born at Lyons Oh March 81,
1909. In the revolution of July, 1880,
which found him a student at law in
Paris, he took an active part, and
from that day to this, through the
press, at the bar, and in the different
national assemblies, he remained a
bold, undaunted, outspoken champion
Of the better type of French Republi-
canism. The independence of his
character, the bitter irony of his
address, and the consistent
radicalism of his opinions, soon
achieved for him a reputation which
has never been sullied by any com
promise with Bonapartism other than
the taking of the oath of allegiance to
the empire, when he finally entered
the corps legislatif. He was admitted
TO the bar soon after arriving at age,
and during the reign of Louis Philippe
devoted himself mainly to the practice
of his profession. He was at Paris
when the revolution Of 1880 broke out,
and the active part he took in it
brought him prominently before the
French people. At this time, in a
letter published in the National, he
advocated the abolition of the mon.
archy and the establishment Of a
republic. This was not to be, how
ever, and after Louis Philippe ascend
ed the throne he entered actively into
the practice of his profession, gaining
considerable reputation by the indie
pendence he displayed and by his
eloquence. In 1881 he defended the
workmen charged with forming an
illegal association. NJ. Favre was then
in Lyons. The trial was the signal
for a sanguinary outbreak, during
which the young lawyer narrowly es-
capped death from a volley Of musket-
ry directed against him. In 1884 he
defended the persons implicated in
the attempted revolution of that year,
beginning his speech by the bold
declaration, 81 I'm a Republican, .
and creating a great sensation by the
fearlessness with which he assailed
the government. By the time the
revolution Of 1913 broke out Jules
Fayre was one Of the leading champions
Of Fren3h republicanism, and was i'm
mensely popular with the Parisians.
He was elected a member of the con-
stituent assembly from the department
of The Loire, and he was appointed
encouragement of the interior, and
subsequently held the position of un-
der secretary fo%rfOreign affairs. While
holding this latter office he voted for
the prosecution of Louis Blanc and
Cansidiere for their completely in the
attempted revolution Of June, 1913;
but he refused to vote for the resolu-
ton of thanks to General Casyaignac,
and was a strenuous opponent of the
expedition to Rome. From the
entrance Of Louis Napoleon in
the politics of France, Jules Fayre
was his bitter opponent. After
the election of Napoleon to the Presi-
dency and the fight Of Ledru Rollin
he became the leader ofthe Montague,
and was bitter and unrelenting in his
hostility to the new government. The
coup d'etat of 1851 only increased this
animosity and at first he refused to
take the oath Of allegiance to the new
constitution, although he had been
elected to the general council of the
Loire ct Rhome. At a later date,
however, when chosen to the corps
legislatif he swOre allegiance to the
emperor. 0but never lost an opportu.
nifty to oppose him. Indeed, his hos
tility to Napoleon was intense. Not
a single measure introduced by the
government ever met his sun
port. The Crimean war, the war
with Austria, the invasion of
Mexico and the occupation ofRome by
the French were alike denounced by
him. Some of his best speeches were
made in advocacy of the freedom of
the press and against the law of de
pOrtation. In 1858 he defended the
assassin 0rsipi, and again created a
sensation by the almost reckless cour-
age he displayed in assailing the gov
eminent. In the legislative body he
remained a vigorous and unfinching
opponent of the empire, and an I'M
compromising and unimpeachable Re-
publican. He was equally opposed to
the attempt at a constitutional re-
gime made by Olivier at the begins
ming Of 1870, and succeeded the latter
in the leadership of the rational wing
Of the Republicans. He fearlessly
opposed the war against Prussia, but
after the disasters at Woerth and
Forbach supported the government in
all its defensive measures. The fall
Of Napoleon in September, 1870 ma
turally raised him to the head of the
government Of defense as minister of
foreign affairs. The part taken by
him since then has been too prominent
to need detailing at this time. When
the fall Of Paris was inevitable he
signed the armistice with Bismarck
and on February 8 following was
elected to the constituent assembl,
from the departments of Seine-e Disc
and Aisne, On the 18th he notified