New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-28
AT GAMBETTA'S BIER.
MEMORIES OF THE DEAD LEADER.

EFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBusE'j
PARIS, January T.
Fate yer showed herself more ironicAl than In
Gambettas death. The transcendent orator "ished
to live into 1888. He got to within five minutes Oh
the New-Year. HIS body has LAIN in state in the
room in which two years ago he gave bachelors
ront, Mt the Palais Bourbon. Gambetta was then
President OF the Chamber. Actors and actresses OF
the Francois and the corps dc BALLET OF inc Opera
were summoned TO amuse his guests. gaVotte anu
a minuet were danced Cigars were provided for
/ 500 persons in kiosk in the garden. Alter the
general company had departed. the master OF the
house his intimate friends and the theatrical and
operatio troupe eat down TO gay supper Ceh-
serious persons likened the President of the Cham
her &c Barras and ikened his fete to one that took
Mace under the Directors. Others spoke OF the
soir6e at the Petit Bourbon as the triumph OF uViai
bachelorhood. Who could have foreseen tua1 I'D
two years and u / alf the body OF Gambetta wouid
be lying in state ia the ball room In when hVeiV
farce was performed aud the mlnuet and gavotte
were danced7
The walls on the occasion I speak VI we're hung
roma with tapestres designed By the spilghIlV
Bouchet. Poignant indeed is the contrast winch the
Sale des Fetes now nresents to what 1t was on the
night of July H. 1880. 1t must be especially etnel
TO the intimate friends OF tie late llusrouS ofaIor
think it would have been better to have trdnsler
red the bod from Les Jardcs 10 the little English
looking house 10 the Rue ST. Ddler, and that u
should have been thence escorted TO Pere Ia Chaise
by the great bodies of the State At any rate, the
contrast between the past and present wouid not
ba ye been so cruelty sharp. Fate would Lot have
appeared so harshy rOnicaL
Another curious circumstances is that tao fuueral
is to take place the Epiphany. or the teast OF
the Kings" ~ 10 IS style III France The rites IN
Paris aud in Nice 10 which town the corpse ~ TO no
eventually removed. arc To be civil GaInDrttaf
father, who IL a superstItous Catholic, wished INC
final int memt 10 be religions. But he eventually
decided that his sons iIerthOught doctrines sh"nld
be- respected As Gambctta belonged 10 n cremation
societY, his remails wond have been burned II the
operaIion of reducing them by fire to ashes could
have been got through with conveniently IN Paris.
If they had been cremated the public would not
have experienced 80 strong sentiment oi horror
as the idea of rapid decomposition gave riso to- Be
fore he died, the blood ol poor Gamhetta was IN
feaI fully mo- bid state. Ia few hOurs the room IN
when the body lay had to he disinfeeed, and Those
who watched round II were Obligcd to use Ie'piia-
tors Of wadding spunklcd with pn'nol 1t WAS
very CHASTITY TO read The detailed accounts given OF
the autopsy and OF how tho skull OF Gambrtta was
sawn from the res. al the mead in order tn extract
the BRAIN. This organ has gone to the Museum OF
the Antbtopologcal Society. 1t s rich m ronvoln-
tons But It's weight shows that the cells couli not
have been extremely dense. THIS VAS contrary to
what had been supposed To tine astonishWeni OF
the doctors who weighed it, II WGs lcrtcr than the
ordinary masculino b,Aln. which ranges from l,3JO
to 400 gratnmcs The weight III the case Of Gam
beitn was only loo eramnes. IL there to be de.
nucrd 40 argument from tins TACT AGAINST the the
orv in virtue of which a correlation 10 established
between the deveopm' mt Of the intellect and the
weight OF tho cerebral matter Not eXac ~.
should say that tire small and active ban ia like
tho thoroughbred horse. IL can accomplish splendid
res1t- but IL i'll adapted to oct through hrayy tasks
which IN, olive prolonged labor IL il aIsu like the
fire made of light bfanches--very bright but soon
burned ont.
avn pei shaded that il Gambetia hal lived for
some years his reputation as "n orator AMI a
statesman would havo declmcd. Already the mind
showed signs OF fatigao. The speeches delivered ia
1881 wsro verbose AID betrayed weakened crre-
hrnt,on. They contained mons OF rhoSo sayings
which "a Ganbctta 9ut IT, Gaisait irJU. g., naio
hole in the target In his Norman IN that year
he was very Inferior TO what htl been his ordinary
level OF attainment. The tone Of many of his
sneeches posed him 10 The charge of egotIscal IN
faruation. 1t ~ possible however. that u Norman
audienes was cold bl0oded to draw out his best
Qualities Tie wa. hahtuate1 to address tiusi
asic crowds aud in the Assembly so speak Ia IN at
nosphefe heated bY political PASSIONS 10 ~ trn9
saying that a successful orator takes IN dew from
those who listen 80 hun the which he pour-
upon them.
knew Gambetta Intimately during nearly ff-
teen years When he wa combating MacMahOn.
he used ~ explain freely 10 me his strategy aud tao
tics In doing 10 be made OF this expression: Jo
nous dis tout" IIe hau arranged. If the Marshal
attempted again 10 dissolve the Chamber elected IN
1877 for all it's Republican members to adjourn 10
LYONS nd place themselves there unner the prOtec-
tro.. Of the people. Sonic generals had proni'cd TO
rally TO them. Lyons was chosen because centre of
Radio alism aud near Switzerland. Also the com
mander Of the great military forces at Diion bad
been gained Clenehceau and Georges Perrin were
IT, Ia We organized ressiaA in tho Valley OF the
Rbon.. A stan of bll-stckers also engaged
through the Intermediary OF commercial bag mon
90 post IN every commune where there VAS a Repnb-
lican nucleus. manlfestoes against the Elys6e fac
ton. The travelling agents of business houses
showed great zeal in making ready fo an active
and +, Lold propaganda There vas law passed by
IN, Versailles Assembly % authorize tho course
which Gambetta was prepared to take. Fortu-
natsly tho &C urage OF the lustrous orator was not
too severely tested, as the Marshal submitted
IN IN, d,c ion of the country after he had seemed
Determined to hold ont. ticklish point With Gam
betta was. hog 10 obtain tho support OF the BIS
MARKHAM press during the struggle llo was afraid
II tho Berlin newspapers ranged themselves against
the Republicans that the peasants would be- fright
ened nj the prospect Of IL war; and wonld vote with
tho ElysGe. lady whom the tribune often con
suited advised him to make tho acquaintance oil
some persons whom she had reason Tor snspccting
were III Bismarcks seer OF service. and to talk to
them az if in low spirits. The impression should be
produced at Berlin that Gambetta was not ut all
saneninc, but that ho thought an air OF confidence
good Iocy THIS was done. 10 Gambetta's OK
trsme satisfaction. aud it may be added surprise,
The North Berth Gazette, The Iagbiat The National
Gazette and The Cologne Gazette all attacked the
nnnal narLp. TheY professed 70 see in u the last