Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-02-02
GAMBETTA.

Edward Kings Letter to the Boston Journall
Yes it is now that turbulent, passionate,
giant-minded Gambetta has gone out from
among his fellow. citizens now that he has
become legendary personality-that he has
really begun to take firm hold Of the affec-
tions of his countrymen. The French are
touched to the quick by the admixture of
pathos with the events in any great mans ca
reer and there was something infinitely pa
thetic in the sudden removal of Gambetta
while he was in the midst of his splendid Ia
Dor for his beloved republc-something
touching in the spectacle of the little bed sur
rounded by books on the reorganization of
the army aud the condition of the finances
something which appealed to tears in the
modest, even rather barren, character of the
home in which Gambetta lived the life of
hard working patriot. The laboring men
who had begun to believe, so persistent had
been the calumnies of the enemy, that Gam
beta really lived in palace and INDUCED in
Saturnalia at Vile d Array are now convinc-
cd that there was no truth whatever in the
tale. just on the day of the funeral, too,
came the circumstantial statement of the
manner in which Gambetta received the
wound which was one of the determining
causes of his death. 1t was true that this in
terosting account was made public by Nj.
Joseph Reinach before he printed it in the
Revue Poltique ct Litteraire, and before it
was copied from that publication into the
whole daily press but the mass of people
had heard only the scandalous tale to the ef-
% 4 1. L. .,l,lz -. gaa1r.
woman. Hundreds of thousands of concerges
and of aristocrats will refuse to believe NJ.
Reinach's story, which is as follows;
On Monday, Nov. p, at little before /
in the morning, NJ. Gambetta wounded him
self in the right hand with revolver, in the
following manner: He had passed the whole
morning with one of his old friends Of the
National Defence, the Artillery General
Thoumas, who had come in from Versailles
to the little villa at Vile dAvray, to have a
chat with him. NJ Gambetta had invited the
General to remain to breakfast, but the guest
was compelled to leave for his quarters, and
Gambetta then went up into his bedroom,
which was also his study. revolver of a
new model was lying on one of the tables.
Gambotta, who had just received this weapon,
wished to make an experiment with it in the
shooting alley in his garden. lie was very
fond of firearms, often handled them impru-
dently, and, for that matter, in the country,
in quarter but little frequentcd aud i'll a
garden but poorly protected, it WAS an almost
Indispensable precaution always to have weap-
ons at hand. The revolver in question was
naturally loaded with the right hand while 1t
was held in the left. Gambctta loaded it, but
one of the cartridges did not exactly fit into
the chamber, and Gambetta, in trying to
bring the barrel back to fit into its place.
pressed violently with his right hand. The
pistol went oil and ball entered the palm Of
the right hand, below the leshy part, where
the thumb commences. 1t came out little
above the wrist The devoted lady, who was
soon to become the victim of the most cruel
and malicious curiosity, came hurrying to the
room at the sound of the shot, and the SER
wants followed her. And this was all. An
imprudent moment with pistol has changed
the politics of Europe. Is not the London
press, is not the press of Europe, unanimous
" agreed that Gambetta's death will effect a
profound modification in the European polit-
ica situation
The pilgrims to Vile dAvray, to see the
great orator lying in state, were numerous
enough, but when the body was brought in to
the Palais Bourbon, the outpouriug Of the
masses was tremendous. The quadruple line
of men, women aud children, who were wait
ing to pass into the palace and look at the
closed catafalque, extended for half mile.
People went hungry for hours just for a
chance to pay their visit to the dead mans
shrine This went on all day Thursday and
Friday The funeral was postponed twenty
four hours in order that hundreds of towns
whose citizens wished to send delegations
might be accommodated. The procession
was one Of the great sights of this generation.
For miles along the line of march people were
packed so closely that it seemed as if they
could scarcely breathe. Around the Tuileries
there were thousands of dazzling equipages,
and their owners stood composedly on the
laps of their coupes and Yictoras. At the
Hotel Continental the windows overlooking
the Rue de Rivoli were filed with celebrities
Victor Hugo and his grandchildren, Sarat
Bernhardt, Ismael Pacha, Gen Menaben
Prince Hohenohe were installed there. The
Palais Royal and all its neighborhood wa
crowded almost to suffocation. When tht
head of the procession had reached Pere Ii
Chaise, the company of curassiers which
closed up the rear was still at the Palais Roy
al. For any one familiar with the size o
Paris this will serve to show what vast col
lection of people there were in the funera
train.
The cannon Numbered at the Invalide
when the procession set forth from the Palai
Bourbon, and as the troops and trumpeter
made their way through the throngs past tn
black -draped statue of Strasbourg, ther
we're great waves of emotion in the masses
The trumpets sounded as the line lengthene
on the Rue de Rivoli, and a hum of voice
arose from the waiting thousands. At an
time this hum might have broken into a chee
or a shout of exultation, for the people wa
deeply stirred by this splendid civil funeral
in which there were no priests with thei
trailing gowns, and in which the incense wa
entirely independent of the church. Th
military display was not remarkable-not s
good perhaps as that when Gen. Clinchar
was Durleu, anu IL nhu many VI tho uulOS'
which seem inseparable from French arm
organization. When the casket was place
upon the funeral car at the Paas Bourbon
salyo of twenty-one guns were fired, th
drums beat, the trumpets rang out, the band
played the national hymn and the vast crowo
of men uncovered their heads, while the W.
men crossed themselves devoutly. The ofieel
saluted with their swords and the flags wer
dipped. The procession was more than tw
hours passing the mouth of the Rue Castil
lione. 1t was a colossal memorial train, tc
unwieldly to be managed we'll, but testifyir
e as nothing else could to Gambetta's immen
popularity.
g And the flowers 81 do not think, said
. gentleman resident in England to me, eth
= in all Great Britain there could be got toget
er for one day as many flowers and wreatl
, as we have seen at Gambetta's funeral
There were wagon, loads of them, piled hgt
}. thousands of wreaths borne by stout porter'
p many hundreds of lovely bouquets, and po
traits and busts surrounded with blossom