The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-01-02
GAMBETTA DEAD.
Close of Brief and Brilliant Ca
reer.
Stretch OF HIS LIFE AND ACHIEVE
MENTS.


ldeDce at Vile d'Avray at midnight. M.
Gambetta was quite conscious TO the last. The
death agony lasted two hours. NJ. Spuller NJ.
Etienne and DR.. Flenzal were present at the
last moment. The physicians who attended M.
Gambetta stated that his death was due to
py9mia, caused by suppressed erysipelas. A
clot of blood which had formed in the heart
suffocated the deceased. A plaster cast of the
face was taken this morning. There will be an
autopsy tomorrow. A state funeral, it is ex-
pected, will be given to the deceased.
The death of NJ GambettA has created an
immense sensation here. Groups were gath
cred on the boulevards by o'clock this morn
ing discussing it. M. Gambetta finally died
quite peacefully. 1t is reported that he will be
buried at Nice, beside his mother. The Presi-
dent of the Republic, M. Grevy, was much af-
fected by the news.
LONDON, Jan. 1.-The Standard says an inti-
mate friend of M. Gambetta states that he had
become a confirmed hypochondriac Weari-
ness and disgust at the failure of his prospects
may explain much that is mysterious in the
life Just closed.
PARIS, Jan. 1.-For nearly twenty hours be-
fore Gambetta became unconscious he COM
pialned that he was tortured with pain as if a
ball of red hot iron were inside of him. He
had recently become aSthmatic, and il was there
fore not permissible to ventlate his room prop
erly. Several times during his illness he spoke
to Bert, member OF the deputies, upon some
matter weighing on his mind, bnt always brief
~. NM. Ranc aid Spuer were summoned
TO his bedside for the purpose of receiving
communication, but the syncope preceding
death had begun when they arrived. 1t is be-
lieyed the hopeful tone of the bulletins issued
during Gambetta's illness was due to the ad-
vice OF DIR. Charcot, who did not wish the sick
man, when the papers were read to him. to
hear anything that might have depressing
effect
newspaper LIE Radical, containing scurrllous
article concerning Gambetta, was seized by a
crowd on the boulevard, his papers DESTROYED
and the police had great difficulty in rescuing
him from the excited popnlace
WASHINGTON, Jan. 1.-The Secretary of
State has received the following from Minister
Morton, dated Paris:
The death of Leon Gambetta has caused
profound sensation in France, In his death
the Government and people of the United
States have lost devoted friend, whose great
admiration for our country and its institutions
was expressed on all occasions His death is to
the members of the legation a gre,t loss and
pers ,nal sorrow.
LONDON, Jan. 1.-The News says since the
death OF Theirs there was not in France a
man WHO could be compared to Gambetta.
The Post says whether France really lost by
the death of Gambetta can ne ser be determ-
ined with certainty. The republic is deprived
OF one of its grandest pillars but its stability
will not be sensibly weakened.
PARIS, Jan. 1.-The conductors of the Re-
pubhque Franchise have received kilograms of
coincidence from all parts of France. At a
meeting of cauncil of ministers this evening
it was decided Gambetta should be buried at
the expense OF the State.
VIENNA, Jan. NO newspapers were pub
hshed here to-day, but on the Bourse Gambet-
ta's death is regarded a guarantee of peace, and
1t is thought will prevent war between France
and Germany for long time.
ATHENS, Jan. 1.-The Chamber of Deputies
SukDAnC60 its sitting fO-H N To ho
memory of Gambetta Greek Minister in Paris
has been instructed to place wreath in Gam
beltS's coffin.
Leon Michel Gambetta was the son of a
Genoese grocer, born at Cahors on the I'd of
April, 1888. AT the age of eight he lost the
sight OF one eye by an accident while watching
acutler at his work. He studied at the town
Lycee, where he soon attracted attention for
his great memory and taste for philosophy
and politics. In 1857 he studied law at Paris,
ana was one of the leading spirits among the
students of the Latin Quarter. In 1860 he re-
csIyed his license to plead. His boldness in at
tacking the government of Louis Napoleon
when he vas defending Delescluse, editor of
the Reveil made him famous. His speech
caused an immense stir in France, and he was
received with UtedtS at Lille and Toulouse
where he went soon after to defend other Jour-
nalisis for like offences. At the election of
1863 be was chosen for Belleville and Mar
seilles, and decided to sit for the latter city,
His first appearance in the legislative body was
to protest against the arrest of Rochefort for
animadverting on the acquittal of Prince
Pierre Bonaparte, and on April 5, 1870, he de-
livnrad m tho euhinot Of fba al
the most remarkable speeches he ever made
On Aug. 23d he spoke against going to war
with Germany.
On the fall of the empire and the consequent
formation of the government of the National
Defence in September, 1870 he was nominated
Minister of the Interior, and soon showed that
he possessed administrative powers of high
order. When serious misunderstanding took
place between the Delegate Government at
Tours and tie National Defence Committee in
Paris, regarding the contemplated election Of
deputies. Gambetta was selected by his col
leagues to proceed to the former city and ex-
plain the position of affairs in the capital. Ac-
cordingly he left Paris on Oct Z, 1870, in bal
loon named the Armand Barbes, accom- panied
by secretary and an aeronaut, passed safely
over the Prussian ines and reached Rouen in
the evening. Proceeding without loss OF time
to Tours, he there assumed the direction, and
for some months was virtually the Dictator of
all those provinces of France which were free
from the German invaders. He Urged the
people to continue resistance, raised the army
Of the Loire, and after the Delegate govern
ment had been obliged to remove to Bordeaux
Ia, aJ,
canoe, and resistance even to complete exhaus-
tion.
On Feb g. 1871, NM. Arago, GARNER Pages,
and Eugene Pelletan, members OF the Paris
government, arrived at Bordeaux, bringing
with them decree signed by all the members
of the government, which annuled that of
Gambetta, by which certain classes of electors
were disqualified as candidates for the Assem-
bly,. On this Gambetta resigned and withdrew
from the government. He lived for time in
seclusion in Spain, but the elections of Feb. s,
1871, gave abundant proof of his undiminished
popularity, He was chosen to represent nine
different departments, and at the supplement
tary elections in July he was returned by three
other constituencies. He selected Paris, and
taking his seat in the chamber among the Ex-
treme Left was at once chosen president of the
Republican Union. During the parliamentary
vacations of 1871, 72 and '73 Gsmbetta deiiv-
cred series of speeches in various provincial
centres-speeches which did much to win the
peasantry to thesupport of the Republic.
Tne most important Incidents in Gambetta's
public life after this period were the part he
took in promoting ths transition from the
Provisional Republic of 1871 to the quasi-defin
tive Republic-the Septennate--- of February,
1875; and again, in promoting the transition
from this to the defnitive Republic Of Febru-
ary, 1879. The last four years of Gambetta's
life may be briefly summarized. He leant ear
nest support to the plenary amnesty bill, which
in June, 1881, was carried by avote of 1888 to
14O, after an eloquent speech by the President
of the Chamber, the first grafton delivered by
him from the tribune of the Palace Bourbon
after the revolution of 1870. Gambetta then
undertook his cherished electoral reform of
ScrattiTS de LtSte, in which the election of dep
cties by ACCOMPLISHMENTS was to be abolished,
and candidates should stand for de.
partments, said candidates to be Sc