New-York tribune., 1883-03-11
THE NEW FRENCH MINISTRY.
ITS MEN AND MEASURES.

tFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE.I
PARIS February %.
NJ. Jules Ferry must have been born with lucky
caul upon his head. He is one of the most
prominent men in the Chamber, although not by
any means the greatest and if his admirers are to
be credited, has come into the Parliamentary neri-
tage Of Gambetta. Between the present Ministry
and that Of November 10 there is, it is said. little
difference. / not of this opinion. 1t IS like the
play of :" Hamlet" minus Hamlefs role. "Le grand
Ministere, sans le grand MiRiStre," is what 1t
should be called. Instead of Gambetta. Ferry
directs it. But it has one negative
virtue 1t does not comprise NJ Rouvier.
The new Premier has many qualities which will be
OF service to him In guiding Cabinet He has a
lot OF go" high spirits and tenacity, and abuse
and raillery more affect HIM than water affects
ducks back. He is, in word, thick-skInned, but
not the most evil sense of the term, and he has
happy faculty for coming to the top and floating
when people are thinking he has been for sub
merged NJ. Ferry is hated by the Clerlcals and by
Rochefort. The former will not pardon him for
having executed the DEGREES when the
Senate rejected Article of his Public
Instruction bill. His whiskers have been for
years standing joke. They trimmed like those
of caf6 waiter Gambetta never could bear to
look at them. was told to-day that n. Challemel-
Lacour, who IS artistic, will lose his temper every
time he sees those much laughed at c0tceito whisk
ers NJ. Ferry is thought to be young. He is the
shady side OF fifty. But in this country people mis-
trust a political man before he is either bald or
gray. The Premier is neither. He has thick hair
and he uses dye. This artifce is pardOnable,
seeing that Madame Jules Ferry is
not more than five and twenty. Concerning.
his oratoricai talents there is heat in his STYLE He
is often moved, but rarely carries away those who
listen to him beyond the point of giving hun their
votes 1t was he who invented the KrOumir fiction,
which was the pretext for the Tunis expedition.
He could never have believed in it, but he appeared
as If he did. NJ. Jules Ferry is amiable and honor
able in his private life, and is oblging friend.
His wonderful success has not pufi,d him up. In
one respect the Republic owes more to him than TO
any other living political 1t was he who
reformed the Department of Public Instruction,
auC assured TO all the children of the poor q good,
sound education.
In point of culture and oratorcal force NJ. Challe
mel LacOur overtops all his fellows. He is q thinker
and scholar, and has tbat-in France--a rare gift,
firmness of character. 1t is complained that his
bad health reacts upon his temper and that he is
treuchant aud rasping. He can, | know, be agree
able aud even delightful Like About, Taine,
Assolant and Prevost-Paradol, he was graduated
ut the Upper Normal School. But he paid
moro attention tnan any Ol MS glIteu cOheagues
to foreign literature One of his early works was
treatlse on the philosophy of SchOpenhauer. with
whom be was acquainted and of whom he became
almost disciple. The heavens to him are always
hung in black-unless when he takes il into his bead
TO be amusing and even then his jokes often
grim and cutting lie went in for tine Stoics when
he was q young professor at the Lyceum of Pau.
There he made the acquaintance of Mrs. Baker, the
mother of Sir Samuel Baker, the African ex-
| plorer and of Baker Paehs. She made a
conquest of him. and he made an offer of marriage,
| which was accepted. But Mr.. Price, who repre-
resents Tewkesbury in the English House of Com
mons, stepped IN between them and carried her off.
The disappointment was a heavy one for Mr.. Chal-
lemel- LacOur and he took 1t greatly TO heart. lie
was capable of deep and lasting affection. After
the coup detat, he resigned his situation at Pan and
went to Switzerland. lie made Lausanne his head
quarters but travelled and lectured good deal IN
Belgium and Germany. 1t is rare 10 a French
man so thoroughly versed in German and Italian
literature. When he returned TO France, he
entered the Courier de Dmdnche Ctnacle, and fire.
ouenlv sent articles to the ReUHe deS DeUr MORdcS.
Gambetta made hun Pre(ect of Lyons after the
Fourth of September He showed governmental
capacity in his Prefecture, aud courage and reSo-
luton in dealing with mob that was. unknown TO
itself excited TO violence by the Clercals. At the
Versailles Assembly he made some speeches which
established his reputation as orator. He is the
best speaker in the Senate, and is terrible for his
adversaries. NJ. Jules Ferry has given him the
Foreign portfolio because he wanted him to face the
current of hostility TO which the affair of the
Princes has given rise at the different courts of
Europe. He also wants him to affirm the rights of
France to vireua sovereignty in Tunis. Tonquin
and parts of Madagascar, and to defend him against
all attacks in Parliament.
Touching the feeling of the courts, it has been
expressed by the King of Spain, the Empress of
Austria and the Queen of the Belglans to NM.
Michels Duchatel and rissot. The Imperial lady
IN question said with brusqaerie: And so, NJ.
| PAmbassadeur. your Government is preparing to
expel my sister, the DucbeSse dAlencon" lie might
have answered: So as the Italian Government
expelled the Queen of Naples, another of your
Maestys sisters" but so far from retortng he sent
III his resignation to the Quai dOrsay. King AL
phouso at "a reception was so impertinent as to tell
Baron Mchiels that he was sorry he could not ap-
proye of the policy of his Government. He has
since asked the Due do Montpenser, a son of Louis
Philippe and father of the Comtesse de Paris, to
represent him at the Cars coronation. As the
question of the Princes is purely internal, Alphonso
ought to be sharply rebuked The best way 10 do so
would be to let Don Carlos come back to France.
and were he so minded, go and reside ut BayOnne
NJ. Waldeck Rousseau, the new Minister of the In
terror, is young thrty-five years old, Breton,
affects the cold Of an English" heavy swell"
inspires no sympathy and has an unpleasant tenn
per. He is not gay, but melancholy Celt, but q
very able speaker. lie hates poverty incarnate III
the poor man lapdogs hate sorddly-rossed people,
and made the adoption of his Recidivist bill cou-
dtion of his acceptance of office. As Minister OF
the Interior under Gambetta he organized
the police fray at Blanqurs funeral.
He has gain that Department. NJ Martin Fenlilec'
Minister OF Justice, is another Breton. but a de-
liahtful one He oblig geo whenever he can ana wnen
he cannot his "Non is more agreeable than the
"Yesr of ~ Waldeck Rousseau
This Ministry may outlive the session: But IL
sbould look out for breakers and advance with eau
tion The nomination of four Gambettists Is a vic
80. arar N Wilson. the Presidents sOn-ln-