The Portland daily press., 1881-08-31


ly the contrary of his i'd "a expressed at Cahos
few weeks ago); that he favored the re-elec-
tion of the 1858 Republican members chosen In
1877 (exactly the reverse also of what he said
in his newspaper, "the French Republic"
only few days ago) that he desired to see cd
ucation gratuitous in the higher grade Of
schools and that he was friend Of an income
tax and insurance against loss to farmers by
reason Of storms hail and floods.
All this was received coidly, whatever the
papers may say. There was applause, to be
sure, but it was neither "long-continued" nor
repeated" nor tremendous, nor "enthusi-
astic."
Gambetta's manner Of speaking surprised
and disappointed me considerably. When he
was young and, with Rochefort and the other
Hotspurs of that time, bravely risked his head
In the struggle against the muddy-mettled
Caesar of the second empire, extravaganza OF
gesture and some little overstepping Of "the
modesty of nature" could we'll be pardoned.
Victor Hugo is, perhaps, right in prasing
Cambronne for saying-something highly Inn
proper at Waterloo. But 1t shocks man Of
the cool Anglo-Saxon temperament to sec an
orator advocate question so little warming to
the blood as that of the organization Of the
Senate, and enforcing his arguments by boat
ing his breast with both clenched fists so that
the percussion is distinctly audible In the re-
motest parts of the hall. No doctor who has
heard the representative of the workingmen Of
Belleville speak will ever judge it necessary 70
resort to the stethoscope, to auscultation or
to any other method of ascertaining the condi-
ton of the lungs. The stomach Will occupy his
whole attention. and Trompette, skilfull in the
preparation of ambrosial viands, will surely be
the principal witness for the prosecution. do
not exaggerate in the least. This great orator
smites with terrific energy in his outstretched
palm He attacks with fury the table before
him, endangering the precious hali-emptied
bottles that were filled at Reims or Epernay.
Then suddenly extending both arms in line
with his body, he imparts to his hands vibrs-
tory motion so rapid that II he were available
for scientific purposes he might usefully re-
place those toys which illustrate the momen-
tary persistence of impressions made on the
retina, for one sees hundred hands quiver-
ering in the air. Dignity and correctness Of
attitude and gesture are the least Of his cares.
Becoming sarcastic, he sinks the head between
the shoulders, advances the chin, elevates the
eyebrows, hugs the arms close to the body and
speaks in disdainful falsetto. All this in
casual sllusion to the imbeciles who have
thought best to adhere to the system Of elect
ing deputies separately instead of on general
ticket for each department
The "organ" is not agreeable. Instead OF
the clear, resonant tones which one naturally
anticipates in a voice which undeuiably
makes itself heard to the remotest parts Of the
world,-a voice more awful than that Of kings
or emperors, and which is one of the forces the
least contestable of human society in this last
half of the nineteenth century,-one hears
with astonishment cultural, almost ventral
information, the unpleasant effect Of which is
increased by an often recurring tremolo, in the
deprecating and ironical passages. Besides
all this, he sometimes has a tragic hiccough
and even a snort of defiance. This kind of or
atory has sometimes produced mighty effects
as all the world knows attribute the rela-
tive coldnsss with it has been received on this
occasion to the growth Of feeling with which
we are very familiar in America, but which Is
absolutely new -disinclination to accept
the guidance and direction Of any one man
however great or wise. Hitherto France al
ways ,could have "boss' under any system Of
government, but it seems at present to begin
to distrust men who make themselves too
great. You will know the result Of the cleo
tions before this reaches you. PROFESSIONALLY
the republican majority will be greatly In
creased, but it will not, after all, be the cham
ber submissive to his will which the dictator
has dreamed.
But 1t is eleven O'Clock and Gambetta re-
turns to his hotel The councilman goes to
dream of decoration and possible sub-prefec-
ture. The youth and maidens are still sitting
around the satues Of Rabelais aud the placed
Descartes in the pleasant moonlight, and
their conversation is surely of a nature to in
terest the former rather than the latter.
Your correspondent enters a hotel where the
energetic dame who sits at the receipt OF trav-
ellers asks him to be SO good as to give her bis
name. Knowing it to be useless to pronounce
it, he began to spell:
"Sm," said he.
s'Sm," she repeated and wrote.
'I." exclaimed the correspondent.
"Ai," repeated and wrote the good woman.
ssNo, not l. E." said the traveller, correcting
himself This correction being made, the let
ters eth were added by your correspondents
own hand to expedite matter which was be-
coming tiresome, whereupon madam bright
ened up and exclaimed with great outburst;
"Oh, see now-Sneeti''
Andafter this fashion was finally recorded, In
connection with the high festival Of Tours aud
the coming of Gambetta,-in connection with
the names OF Rsbelais, Descartes, Balzac and
the great Gallifer that is to be,-the highly-rs-
spectacle but not uncommon name OF
SMITH,