The Portland daily press., 1881-01-27
The Beginning of de Lesseps's
[Pall Mail Gazette.l

hQCh.
[Pall Mail Gazette.l
The Empress was the Isabella the Catholic
of the Suez scheme But for the Spanish az
dor with which she sustained it, the Isthmus
would still divide the Red from the Mediter-
rcnean Sea. "Your head" she said, (speak-
ing of course in igure) to Count Walewski,
"depends on the skill you show in helping my
cousin to cut his canal" M. de Lesseps's
father, who was descended from the architect
of the Cathedral of Edinburgh, was sent with
Lncen Bonaparte to Madrid, because he had
been brought up at Bayonne and could talk
Spanish as we'll as French. Lucien was the
first Ambassador named to the Court of
Charles ". by Napoleon His mission was to
obtain the retrocession of Louisiana, which
LOUIS XIV. had allowed to slip from his hands
NJ de Lesseps the elder went about with him
and was the soul of his diplomacy. The New
Orleans affair brought him into relations with
the United States consuls, the most intelligent
of whom was Mr.. kirkpatrick, who was in
business at Malaga. M. de Lesseps proceeded
to that town, and assisted by kirkpatrick, who
like himself, was of Scotch origin-but less re-
motely-studied the resources of Andalusa
and the political condition of the south of
Spain. They were drawn closer together by
romantic affair which sprang up. A notable
of the province, Senor Grevigny, had two very
pretty daughters, with one of whom the con-
sui fell in love- The French diplomat became
enamored of the youngest, and as Lucien Bon
aparte was in high favor at the Court of Mad
rid, her father allowed her to marry NJ. de Les
seps, with whom she went to reside in Paris,
where, in 1904 she gave birth to Ferdinand er
eldest sister became Mrs. kirkpatrick, and the
mother OF the Contesse de Montijo, who was
drawn by her de Lesseps kindred to winter in
Paris when her daughters had grown up.
Thus you see" observed M. de Lesseps,
what a number of great events have in Pe1,-
chainement deS chooses depended upon my
fathers early knowledge of the Spanish lam
guage."
Another "hinge event which led to the ex-
ecution of the Suez Canal scheme was the eld-
er Lesseps having OWNED in poor and un-
lettered Turkish officer, Mehemet Ali, a vast
genius end the man who was to break down the
power OF the Mau,elukeS. The French diplo-
mat reported in this sense to his Government
and was instructed to be guided by his own
Judgment in bringing the officer forward. M.
do LessepS invited the Turk to his house, and
showed himself in various ways his friend.
But suddenly the officer withdrew from his
company and kept out of the way! When
Mehemet was great man he said TO NJ, Fer
dinand de Lesseps: "Your father must have
been puzzled to think what my reason was for
keeping aloof from him after L had accepted so
much kindness. 1t was this. A silver knife
and fork, 1 heard the servants say, had been
stolen from his table at a dinner to which l
! went. | was so Door that l fancied L would
pass in his eyes for being the thief, and never
dared after 10 return" Soon after Mehemet
| had related this anecdote he asked NJ. Ferdi-
| nand de Lesseps to allow Said, his son,
| to pass his afternoons at the French Consul
| ate, in order that he might pick up the French
that was spoken there. The boy grew fondly
attached to the intelligent and very kind
| hearted diplomat. When he was Vieeroy and
the Suez concession was asked for, he gave NJ.
| de Lesseps carte bldcche.