Morning journal and courier., 1881-07-21
Price Four Cents.

l when, in 1889, in the case of the two accom. plices of Barbe whom Grevy defended q declaration hostile to French royalty was l called for, the present President of the re l public came forward before the court and
 made it. So high an opinion did his conduct | merit for him at this time from his contem l poraries that one of them, writing over forty 1 years ago of him, thus prophetically speaks | His word and honor mark him out for one l of the chief positions in the State; and it is to this man, eminent and simple of character. l that the people, always duped and victimized ! by those who solicit it's favors in an ostenta. l tious fashion, should in case of serious even. | tualities, confide one of those important and delicate missions that demand the talent of I those who are really worthy of them" M. Grevy would have gained greater no. toriety were it not that modesty which we l may now term proverbial kept him in the background, and made him, in a certain l sense, shrink from publicity. Jules Grew would never come to the front if he did not think that 1t was necessary for his country's g good that he should do so. His silent but firm republican faith gained for him, never theless, some renown in the revolutionary era of 1S4S. He was sent by the provisional government as republican commissioner to Jura in order to settle some differences there and 1naugurate among the mountaineers the new regime. This task he readily undertook and carried out with no small amount of tact and skill His impartiality of decision, his Fabian-hke prudence and dextority, won the admiration of even those who strongly diff fered with him on the question of kingly dynasties and he returned to Paris after having left Jura in a most satisfactory con- ditlon, and having converted a goodly num- Der of its inhabitants to his own ideas When the elections of the Constituent Assembly
 took place throughout France several emi-
 nent statesmen prevailed on him to stand for
 his own department, and the result was that
 he was almost unanimously elected deputy
 and sat on the republican left in the cham
 Der. greater honor still soon awaited him.
 His colleagues nominated the representative
 of Jura to the vice presidency of the Assem-
 ply, and we have it on record that when. in
 the absence of the president, he executed the duties of tn office, he conducted the debates impartially, and bore off the applause of all
 the legislators.
 The chief event during this period in
 which M. Grevy was very important factor
 was the question, or rather the parliamentary debate arising out of the question, relative to the Presidency of the Republic. The au- thorities who were then in the Cabinet think ing 1t well that one man should be appointed for the space of four years to the Presiden- tial chair, and having brought forward & proposition to that effect before the House, the present occupant of the Elysee intro duced his celebrated amendment known in history as the Grevy one, wherein it was pro- vided that the Presidency of the Republic be abolished, and that the supreme power be vested in the hands of the Prime Minister elected for an indefinite period, and always liable to be revoked by vote of the Assem- bly,. In substantiation of his amendment he said inter dIia ''Do you forget that it was the elections of the year X which gave Bonaparte the power of erecting a throne and of sitting thereon? Still you say you wish to establish democratic republic What more would you do if you wished to restore the monarchy under different title? A like power conferred on one solely, whatever name you give him, be it King or President, is monarchical power; and that which you are about to raise up will be more considera- ble than that you have overturned ''No man, the adage says, lis a prophet in his own country" Jules Grevy was, however, one in his on that day. He sketched in bold language the eventualities that would suc- ceed one another in case the proposition was carried the change that would come over the country the President of the Republic transformed into despot, and liberty her self crushed under foot. His amendment was supported by Carnot, Etienne Arago, Ledru Rollin and others, but was resisted.
 Napoleon was elected President. Jules Grevy's words were true. The President be- came Emperor, but Grevy remained Republi- can. The former, remembering the famous amendment, thought it dangerous to allow it's author at large. Accordingly orders were given to arrest M. Grevy. He was arrested and imprisoned in Mazas, where he was de- tained for several months on the expiration of which he was released. He returned to Paris, but retired to private life. There was no place for such a man as he was in public. If he would grow 'repentant, and take the regime over him as his, invitations to the Tuileries would follow, posts in the Cabinet : would be given him; but Jules Grevy prefer red his personal dignity and conscience to a recantation of his fixed ideas. His captivity at Mazas served only to confirm his views and render him more devoted to the Repub- lican cause.
 M. Grevy remained in private life till the year 1S68 when he was induced to stand once more a candidate for the Department of Jura in the Corps Legislatif. Once more elected in 1869, and opposed the p1e5tsejte peror He sat with the Republican members and upheld the same flag as ever. The downfall of Napoleon and the troubles attending it followed one anoth- CT in rapid succession, and when the armis- tice was signed Jules Grevy was appointed to the National Assembly as representative of Jura and a few other constituencies. he nominated president of the Assembly, and kept the position for three years. Then came other events fresh in the memory. of our readerS-the elect1onS of February, 1876, the appointment of Jules Grevy president of the Chamber of Deputies, and his subsequent elevation to the presidential chair of the re- public on the 3Oth of January, 1879.
 M. Grevy resides for ten months every year in the Elysee Palace at Paris. The other two he passes at his country residence in Mont sous-V -Vaudrey, where he enjoys the reputation of being a splendid and accomplished hunts man. Two of his brothers hold remarkable positions in the service of their country. One is General in the French army. The other is Governor of Algeria. All, like himself, are loyal believers in the republic and firm sup porters thereof.
 h conclusion, may be permitted to ob- serve that there are few men in France so in tensely republican. While M. Gambetta is an Athenian, M. Grevy is a Roman. The former has all the brilliancy of the Grecian Areopagus in his nature the latter has the of Cincinnatus. Honor, integ- rity, strict sense of duty and love of country are only few of the many qualities the President of the Republic can lay just claim to. AS long as he is at the helm of the State his followers need have no fear. His moderation and justice will calm the storm and save the ship. If his counsels be heark- sned to and his advice followed despotsm will not loom ahead, and the republic will be sure of a heightened existence, for as Jules Irevy was faithful to Republicanism from ,he beginning, so will he be faithful to it unto the end.