Morning journal and courier., 1883-02-21
Memories of L.on Gambetta,


 symbols of power, and he loved good com pany; so Laurier flashed before his eyes the prospect of becoming Duke, a Grand Cor don, and High Chancellor. But Gambetta only laughed at all this. Laurier had gone to see him at St. Sebastian, where, as Bona. partist journals affirmed, the ex Dictator, en- riched with millions, was luxuriating in mar ble halls and orange groves The truth is, he found Gambetta lodging in two small rooms over the shop of dealer in earthen- ware, and much pestered by mosquitoes
 His face," wrote Laurier to friend, twas all bumps and hollows, like a map of Swift zerland, and he was jaded by want of sleep and concern as to his money affairs" Gam betta's whole fortune at that time consisted of e600 balance of the last quarters salary he had drawn at Bordeaux and when he re- turned to Paris in the autumn of 1871 with the intention of founding his newspaper, La Repu6Hgue FTGncGise, he experienced some difficulty in finding a capitalist who would advance him money for starting the journal At that period he wont to lodge in third floor apartment of the Rue Montaigne, and his aunt, Mile. Massabie, cooked for him.
 This is the man who, up to the very day of his death, was being vili6ed by certain Re- publicans as 8 traitor to their party, as 8 Democratic Helogabalus, bloated, sensuous, and fussing, with vulgar ambitionl It makes one laugh to think of it. Gambetta- with all his faults, and he had many-was one of the most honest men who ever dig nified the name of politician, and all who knew him can bear witness to the modest de- meanor of his integrity. He was not one of those Frenchmen who thump their breasts and exclaim, Hot Qui satis ho1anete honanae M. Albert Wolff has written of him that, when he was struggling barrister in the Latin Quarter, he used often to be appealed to as an arbiter on points of honor by brother ad- vocates of his standing and by students and oT o11 q livered with jovial kindness exempt from dogmatism. So it was with him when, in his days of influence, he was worried by people wanting him to do things contrary to his duty-for he had to resist other solicita- tions besides those of his friend Laurier Grandly vituperative as he could be in his public speeches when Interruptions, ironical cheering, or insulting epigrams seemed sometimes to madden him like bull amid the fireworks of a Spanish arena, he some- how never got angry when, in private life, people made him proposals which impliedta total disbelief in his principles Hearing of some grossly impertinent request that had been made to him, his secretary, M Reinach, once exclaimed: ''Why didn't you kick the fellow down stairs ?'' ''Kick him down stairs ID laughed Gambetta, "why, fat as I am, I should have lost my balance and rolled after him; where would my dignity have been then ?" On another occasion the wife OI du 0A-DOuhpdGI1SG d 1hOy OI Rr6aG fascination, took it upon herself to call on Gambetta, and point out to him how much he would advance his fortunes if he cast in his lot with the Prince Imperial. He listened good naturedly, feeling like mastif who was being talked to by tomtit," as he after ward put it, till at length the lady, taking a bunch of violets (the Bonapartist emblem) from her dress, asked him to wear it in his button hole that day. ''With pleasure, '' answered Gambetta, glad to bring the interview to an end i; but as soon as he had said this he remembered that the date was the 16th of March, the Prince ImperiaIs birthday and that if he appeared at the Chamber of Deputies with violets in his buttonhole some very silly rumors might get into circulation. He reminded his visitor of this, but she was memorable. You've promised i'' she said. 'Ah, wellI ID replied Gambetta, and he wore the violets all that afternoon, causing thereby just the sort of gossip he had anticipated. One may add that such gossip was not indifferent to him.
 Highly sensitive as he was, he often winced inwardly at ill-natured sayings which he bore with outward composure. Gambetta's s chief fanlt was an irrepress1ble restlessness, which he carried into everything. He could prepare large, fine plan or political action. and wait patiently for it's accom- plishment as a whole but, meanwhile, he would meddIe and muddle with the details Instances of this can be furnished from his doings conductor of the Repu6igGe FauncGise. He wrote often for that paper and sometimes sent in to the printer arti- cles remarkable for their statesmanlike views, but in the very same issue to which he had contributed some leader that was intended to conciliate particular politician or faction he would suddenly shoot in 8 paragraph tending to quite contrary ef- feet. M. Challemel Lacour and M. Isam- bert, who were successively editors of the journal, had 8 dread of him when he strolled into the editorial room with bum dle of the morning papers under his arm and proceeded to read, as he called it. He would do this on idle days, when the Chambers were not sitting, and when he could treat himself to the relaxation of performing as much work as would have fatigued a sub-editor. His reading would be interrupted by violent shorts, and, catching up a sheet of paper, he would scrawl of twenty lines which seemed to splinter fire like crackers. No topic was beneath his notice, and no enemy too small for his shot. By his paragraphs he frequently did mischief which it took his cold, cautious fellow workers days to re- pair.-Ihe Cor7ahsH MagGsine.