New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-02-24
GREEK CLAIMS IN FRANCE.

DEATH OF AN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES VI
THE FIRST EMPIRE.
IFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUSSl
PARIS. Feb. 0.-rhe debate which took place re-
Gently cannot be termed a check to Gambetta. who
was not personally involved in it. 1t was tn
upphant assertion of the force Of public opinion ac-
cording to which the preHdsDt of the Chamber
diligently shapes his course Gambetta does not set
ND to be anything by himself All be aims at IL De-
ing the great representative man OF his country ana
time and the duly authorized exponent of what the
vast majority feels, thinks and hopes for.
He told me a couple of days before the
Proust Interpolation came on that he had no wish
TO upset the right-miEded and honest Barthelemy
st. Hilaire, and that he would be glad if he came
well out Of the debate, which lie hoped sincerely
that he would. But am not sure that when the
Proust Interpolation was first brought on, Gam
BETA would have thus expressed himself 1t origin
ally had for its object to diminish the authority OF
the Foreign Minister, should it be found
inexpedent to dlsOcate the Cabinet by
forcing him to resign. However, in these
days of rapid steam locomotion and Geographic
communication public opinion had time before the
debate came on to manifest itself all over France.
II has pronounced In the most unmistakable man
ner against Greek impaticuce and excessive greed,
and for the honest Minister who had the courage and
good sense to write to his diplomatic agents ex-
actly as he was prompted by his views and
his convictions. Gambetta is the most
careful reader there is of the provincial
press. He saw that the emotion the
Proust Interpolation had given rise to in the prov
inces was genuine, and accordingly when Deputies
came to tell him how they wished to vote he made
no attempt to influence them. The BOurse and the
commercial quarters of Paris were also found to be
with Barhelemy ST. Hilaire. Gambetta then adj
vised Proust to give friendly character to his in
terpeaton to avoid defeat. Unfortunately for him,
that asDirant to the portfolio now held by NJ. st.
Hllaire did not see things IN the same
light as his chief. Being close on fifty,
and one of those dandifed men on whom time has
a petrifying action, lie Is impatient to scale the
highest attitudes of Office. and thought he had
good opportunity to satisfy his gnawng ambition.
Being himself an ex-sub-sditor of the RepubliqHs
Franchise. he was able to influence the pen of the
Semitic who has taken his place as head Of the
foreign department on that paper. Gambetta had
In a general way instructed this Oriental to write
two OF three articles on the yellow book.
They were to disapprOve clearly OF the arbitration
scheme Of NJ. st. Haire. because it tended, in Gam
betta's opinion to break up the European concert.
The separate initiative it involved was dangerous,
Owing to NJ. PrOust these articles were loaded WIEN
the most bitter and InsOent sarcasm, which caused
the public opinion to more strongly IN favor Oh
NJ ST. Hilalre. Before the debate on the lnterpels-
ton came on the Chamber had resolved to express
in the most striking manner, its disapprova OF the
attacks on the upright Foreign Minister. NJ. Brai-
lass note which was Incorporate to the point of
insolence unfavorably disposed Deputies toward
the Greek cause which this plenipO represents.
Brailas had termed NJ. st. Hilaire the venerable"
head of the Foreign Department, with the evident
intention to cast ridicule upon him. Taken with
the CONTEXT the qualification was as insult
ing AZ though he had called him an old
fool Had the representative of great power
given his pen as much license as the
Greek MIN ster took. it would have at once led to
diplomatic GOODNESS or perhaps to more.
Proust is a tall, dandIfed man of fifty, less one
year. lie is man who is always on his p's and q's,
and who mistakes whalebone and correctness for
distinction. Were the face lighted mp by expression
it would be really handsome. But it 10 cold and
inanimate, unless in betraying self-consclousness
and neyer.ceasing desire to produce an imposing
effect on other mortals.
The profile is Roman, the beard light brown ana
nicely trimmed and the figure tall stiff and dressed
bv tbe fashionable English tailor, Cumberland. NJ.
Proust is bachelor and looking out for an heress
lie ia a member of the Fine Arts Committee OF the
Chamber, which enables him to penetrate free OF
expense into the green-rOoms of the Opera
House and Francois, which places of public
entertainment he frequents on the fashion
able nights As a spea kerr he is correct, fluent
but mOnOtonous and undressing. Ills voice y
fairly good. In the recent debate IL was urOWneu
i'm the hum of conversation which Lett, Centre aud
Right kept up while he was speaking. He was
treated as though he had nothing 70 say which was
worth listening to. The voluntary. Inattcntion OF
the House CALLED him terribly, ana he descendeu
from the tribune when he was halt way through ms
DISCOURSE refusing to proceed unless his col
Lao Uould keen silence while no spoke.
The Corps DiplOmatique smiled ar ms discontinue
and also the numerous fair ladies IN the galleries.
Amongst the latter there were the stars or the pat
LET Miles Bald and MaurI. for whom " le bel An
tonic" as NJ. Proust IS called behind the scenes OBJ
tanned tickets. -,
advised in so much insisting upon the annexation 10
her territory of Janina and MesovO. But he THINKS
that she will see her error and De Sstlst fSa
1000 square kilometres which are embraced in
the fat PLAIN of Thessaly and the Epirns district
This addition NJ Barthelemy ST. Hilaire has re,
neatedly told me she can obi aim But Austria and
Germany will not let her have the northern slopes
Ionia and EpIrus from Lower Albania. Certainly
France will not burn an ounce oI
powder to help her to the fOrtres'eS Tor iSr
she risks losing the two provinces winch turkey ~
SpsiGned TO let her have The English friends of
Greece do her bad service in encouraging her 10
stand out for JaDlna ana MetSoYO
DEATH OF AN oCToGENARIANA
Theobseaues of the Duchess Dowager de la Roche
foucaud Doudeauvlle were accomplished with ex-
traordinary pOmp. She was in her eighty-four;h
wear and perfectly remembered the Hi ht OF Louis
XVIII to Client, the Hundred Days, Napoleon l. and
the exciting scenes which followed the battle OF
Waterloo Her memory, indeed. took her consider
ably further back, for, n chdshe was obserVant,
and her brain was stimulated by tho disasters
which the great Revolution brought upon her
family The late Duchess was by birth Verteilhac
and bore the name of Hermlnie, which Florian had
made the fashion by his "Numa Pompllus." which
he wrote when Marie Antoinette was playing
at farming at the Tranon. She emigrated
i'm childhood and saw Queen Charlotte going IN state
to hold drawing-roo ut st. James's Palace. and
was present at the confirmation of the heress pre-
snmntlye of the English throne the Princess Char
Iotte ~ Wales This interesting dOwager was q