New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-02

colleagues made nm minister OF the lhteilOI, anu
he remained at his post Paris for some time after
the city was surrounded by the Prussan investment
lines. He wished however. to be in the thick OF the
fray and on October his colleagues consented TO
attach HIM 20 the delegation ~ the provinces.
Gambetta at once left Rars in balloon, reaching
Tours after many adventures, There he was S, ~
vested with the portfolios OF the Ministers OF w az
and the Interior, and no at once nieTed upon an
astonishing career. He negotiated loans, named
gene als raised armies and quelled dssenslons anu
his voice was hearG everywhere IN the southern
provinces never sounding retreat but always IN
vltlng advance. Had he known how to handle an
army his country might have been saved. lie lett
the officials III Paris lnfiamed with hope long aiter
AL chances OF victory had vanished. When liners
began 10 make overtures for peace anu
an arnistice Ganbetta continually urged an in
definite proongation of the war. He denounced all
Efforts looking toward peace, declared eeh-
eral election at that time November, 1SlUb az
likely to endanger the chances of the hepubnc ana
offered his resignation to take effect the Gay 'nt
armistIce ana elections should be decided upon IL
believed signal victory over the Prnssians would
insure the nrn foundation OF the hepuplc'
and he tondly tancied that time ana exc
perience would make good troops out OF
the raw peasants who were brought together
by hls magnetic words. Even attef lHe
iai of Metz he wrote: "Never the SITUATION OF
France graver; never the resolution TO light to
the death more clearly mani est" At the same
time he issued proclamation branding BaZaine as
"a traitor. in the bloody battles around orleans he
was most constantly on the field, and IN Deem
Der succeeded rail ing the armies to defend Or
leans, aiIer tho commanding general had ue-
clded upon retreat. He starred Tor Orleans on
Decenoer i'll special train, but could only get near
enough To hear the cannOnading, lie was forced
return to BiOs, whore late in tho evening he re-
ceived spatch announcing the evacuation OF Or
leans. week later he wrote 10 faVre tnat the
delegation il tho provinces had retreated TO Boz
deaux, and that he himself was trying to put lie
INTO Bourbaki and his army. GamDetia con,
tnued MS struggles In the provinces until informed
of the armlstice concluded Ivy the Govern
ment IN Pans During the entire period oil the
war lie was increasingly active, anu even the
work done by hun. lie gave all that he
hau of teversh and exalted sentiment" says
jules Favre, Ito the cause OF deilVerance;
and ii is really puerle as unjust TO suppose that
in the presence of the supreme perils and the des-
Terate chances which he uefed with such reckless
temerty shOnld have lowered his spirit to the
ridiculous conception OF a supreme authority wnlcn
could Ony have conducted hlm to cruciiiXlon."
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE REPUBLIC.
When tbs National Assembly, in February, 1871
summoned 10 Bordeaux. Gambetta found him.
self the chosen Deputy for ten Departments and en-
tered the Assembly as the representative of the
Lower Rhine. He fought desperately against the
conclusion of peace with Prussia, ana when a last,
his cOunselS relec led. and the Assembly voted
to give Alsace and Lorraine to the victorious
invaders he haughty withdrew from the hall,
followed by his colleagues from the coded prov
inces He would not remain in France,
dshonored as she was IN his sight. bat retired TO ST.
against the Germans and has own faint-hearted
countrymen The new elections of July, 1871,
however, summoned him back to France, and since
then he has been one of the most prominent leaders
of the Republican party in that Nation. His his
tory from that time to the day of his death Is the
history of France.
"When saw him for the first time, in 1871"
SAYS an English political writer, Il came away
profoundly disappointed. lie had then vague and
ill-defned notions everything; the laws and his
tory men aud institutions. OF Europe seemed alike
little familiar to him. He spoke of everything and
every body with ability and circumspection. ms
ready and lively intelligence touched nothing with
out throwing fresh light on it, uut one felt that
neither study nor reflection had yet matuIed his
mind that he was eloquent without weight ambi-
tious without substantial title; that the caprice Of
events had landed him in power Just as the caprice
of the waves ugs ashore a shipwTecked man,
waif capable OF living. but needing tailor IN order
to present himself before the world. When ] next
sa y him two wears afterward lac was to continue
the comparison. narvelousy clad. Issuing from
the conact, confronted by the calnIer duties of
party leader he had felt the absolute necessity of
furnishing his keen intelligence with the clothing
of instruction; lie had seen read observed, listened
studied aud remembered. Hencetorth he was titled
for the part he mad to play, and had rapidly
rlpened that experienced the surprise OF Il man
VINO hal seen plant Just piercing tbs soil and
the next day found tree towering above the sur
rounding forest AT the same time, moreover hat he
III public interest. and In popular favor. The ma
ton, ulster than NJ. Theirs, had borne him deep
gratitude Tor having been Joa tWleur. for having
inadly led her in desperate resistance. for having
believed III her and in himself at the moment when
others despaIred OF the mseN and of France, tor
having enabled her TO show Europe that France was
capable OF every folly exceDt the gloomy folly lied
suicide and of having rescued her from the shame
nations who alter the first reverses sacrifice their
pride TO save their money"
UNDYING ENNnrY TO DoNAPARTIsM.
ma hot 81 tha I.0tt "a oh. cha1
long after the Empire itself dead. In his public
speeches he had shown tho Bonaparlist 10 peace
no quarter. When Rouher, in June, 1874, uried to
divert attention from IInperialist Intrigues by
throwing mud upon Gambetta, the fiery orator
sprang to the tribune and Numbered denunciations
until tho Assembly was turned into bed am.
"Wretches, all wretchesl" he shouted, with
sweeping gesture toward the entire Imperalst
delegation and when at last the presiding officer
requested him retI&ct the Outrage he retorted
"The word have applied to them Is more than an
outrage-it is brand and | maint Iin it p Gam
BETA and his friends were in the majority and they
carried the day. But that evening, the ex-Dic-
aor entered the Versailles Railroad station on his
way home from Paris, "a Corsican of the old Impe-
rial Qua d struck him, crying: d" You call BOnapart-
sts wretches. Well, Pm Bonapartistw The DO.
lice interfeIed, and the two separated without
injury TO either. Next day as Gambetta went to
Versailles an attempt was made to mob him. and
again in he evening q third assault was made upon
him. But his cOmpOsure was not disturbed, nor his
courage dlsmayed.
There was similar occurrence some thirteen
months later when Cam beta charged the Bona
partlsfs with "ImDudent audaclty," and refused 10
withdraw tho words, because they are III the
language, and there are people who merit them.
All those who have taken oatns ami aiterward yio-
lated Them who have lied to France with regard TO
Rome TO Mexico, to Sadowa, who have lied about
everything, shameessly audacI0us creatures
when they talk about political prObity."
On this occasion, too, Gambetta carried his point
and bafird his foes.
Naturally. he had little love for MacMahon and
hi BonapartIst Cabinet. At Lille III September,
1S77, he made a public address. eOquently deciar
ing the sentiments OF the Republicans OF France,
ana sharply critclsng President MacMahon for
nlaciup his administration IN opposition thereto.