New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-25
M. FERRY IN HIS CABINET.
A TALK WITH THE FRENCH PREMIER.

There has been widespread idea that we were,
in the course of the week, Threatened with
Ministerial crisis, and there was substratum OF
fact in the report of Cabinet dsslocation 'FRONT.'
ing by verbal invitation which NJ. Jules Ferry, at
his last reception, spontaneously me TO go to
the fountain head for political" news,
called on him on Wednesday morning.
The ground floor saloons of his Ministry, where he
holds his soir6es found arranged if for meetings
of Educational Committees and Cabinet Councils.
No domestic was visible 1 then went to side
entrance on the other side of the courtyard and
walked M stairs In the lobby found servants
at work packing up in bales printed matter,
to Judge from its appearance, OF various sorIs' III
an inner lobby dignfed and gray-headed usher
came up TO inquire whom wanted 10 see VI.
le Ministre." "He does not receive to-day"
think Won are Mistaken for he told me that he was
ALWAYS ut home on certain mornings, and Wednes-
day was one of the days he named" Ihat
depends If yOu have an aulience-etter you can
be admitted If you have not You are to come on q
Saturday." 81 have no letter but send III my card'
for repeat the Minister invited me t0call on MIN
if pleased this morning. This satisfied the usher
But he said: sit is pity you ala not can
earlier. say at o'clock, for the ante-room Is
already full and each has to be shown into the
Minister'S cabinet according to the order of his ar
rival You will have to wait perhaps half an hour,
| or maybe longerp With this he showed me into
| yaiting-room. IL was an OblODg apartment, with
| no windows and fiat topight III Opaque glass.
| The wall paper of a dark ollye-green pattern
| with a duslty yellow ground. There was no table;
| chairs and settees were stify ranged around the
| room. and nearly all of them were occupied
| Although a big log fire blazed on the hearth some
| hotair fues were open and rendered the
| otmosphere oppressive On the centre of the
| Ni,op u FafrlaII IL WI r.
| ing a Phrygian cap. 1t was the only purely dec
orative object that could see, and very pleasing
| one il was There was nothing conventional in the
| physiognomy but much life and pquancy. L
| thought of the grisette who sold the gloves to
| Laurence Sterne. Madame la Republi4ue had a
very Impudent nose slightly retrousse, and a
mouth which nature had formed to chlrrup at chill
| dren and TO say smart and amiable things to men,
bers of the rougher sex.
| After had taken note of her peculIarties
| looked round at my neigbbors. Two OF them were
| priests | dare they belonged to the
| College Stanislas, for they appeared ln-
telligcnt and wellbred. The others were elderly
men. Everything about them told me that they
were pedagogues. French schoolmaster has
something in him which declares his profession.
His path does not appear to have lam in pleasant
| places The clothes are decent but not well cut,
| and when he has a gray beard it not unfrequently
| happens that a violet ribbon decOrates bis button
| hole An expression of timdty is in the eye The
| poor fellow HIS had to he very wary. II he has
been nearly independent of the fathers and
mothers of pupils, he has been obliged
to avoid giving offence TO the civil and
| ecclesiastical authorities of the place IN
which his lot was cast and yet to stand well with
| General Inspectors sent down from Paris. These
gentlemen have often been in conflict with the
bishops aud other clergymcn since 1879. But
while ministers come and ministers the sacerdotal
body does not stir. To obey cheerfuy ministerial
circular might involve quarrel Not to appear TO
respect 1t m ght bring down a rebuff from an in
spector As was observing and taking mental
notes an electric bell rang, door opposite to the
| one by which | entered was thrown open.
and a general officer, who had been seeing
| NJ. Ferry walked rapidly through the ante-room
| and disappeared. He looked neither to right nor
| left az he advanced. This military man was Geh-
eral Thibaudu. the War Minister. The old usher
came in with list and called out a name Arather
| seedy-ooking person answered TO II. lie
was kept for less than five MIN
| rtes INIT this was the shortest Of the
audiences granted. Some of those who waited
were received By the Minister'S private secretary.
An hour and gu ,rter elapsed before my turn
came. Fortunately | had volume of the pocket
edition of Nlolierc which read when got tired OF
observing those around me.
The cabinet of NJ. jules Ferry is very
hig room. with three tall windows looking upon an
extensive garden. If the large tabc-desk before
which the Minister sat were taken away and some
bric.a- brac placed the consoles and manel-plece
il would have the aspect OF "a drawing-room. The
chairs and sofas are dark carved wood
and upholstered with ivy-green brocade.
SMYRNA carpet hides the parquet. The bronze
ornaments the chimney piece are OF severe
style Some immense Sevres vases furnish llght
notes in the decorative, gamut. portrait full
length of NJ. Cousin in the robes of Grand
Master of the University of France,
hangs on tho wall opposite to the hearth AIRY
Schcfer was the painter Ii is an interesting and
valuable picture and the only one In the room.
NJ Jules Ferry sits with his back to the fireplace
and his face toward the door by which his
visitors enter His desk is ut the outer verge of an
extensive hearth-rug. NJ Ferry picks up flesh.
He used to look his height, which is considerably
above the French average stature, but now he ap-
nears less tall than he really is He has wide
shOulders and deep chest. There is good
notured and at the same time shrewd expression
in the face. His eyes participate in the action OF
the mouth when he smiles; they are dark brown.
His nose is aquiline. depressed ut the end and too
Hesly TO be Roman. The upper lip and chm are
shaved Both firmly modelled and express
character. NJ. Ferry is from the Vosges lie has
a well-devoloped frontal sinus, but the upper part
of the forehead retreats over-mucb. He is man oil
observation and of action, but not of reflection
We began with a lively conversation
about the weather. the flower markets aud
the small picture expeditions; then we
plunge into politics NJ. Ferry asked me what
England was gong TO do with Egypt. As had
seen during the Easter holidays leading members of
the Liberal and Radical groups IN the House OF
Commons, answered that she was considerably
embarrassed The Gladstone Ministry would like
to come away and leave Egypt to the Egyptians
But 1t could not do so at once. From what had
been told Lord Dufferns long expose of the state
| of that country had not met with great favor. Ii