News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1883-01-18
A NOTABLE FRENCHMAN.
The Late NJ. Gambetta, the rench Editor
and Politician.

Leon Gambetta was born Oct. 30,
1888, in Cahors, the capital city of the
| Department of Lot, in Southern France.
He entered upon the study of the law,
and i'll 1859 was admitted to the Paris
| bar. 1t has been related of him, as il
Illustrative of the intriguing disposition
which was united to his wonderful exec.
utive mind; that he several times pur-
| IoIned briefs of important trials from the
office Of the old lawyer with whom he
studied, mastered their contents, and
when the time for the argument was at
hand called his employers attention to
them. Despairing Of mastering the case
nsO brief time, the old lawyer would
place the brief in Gambetta's hand, who
! used the opportunity with signal effect
to forward his own interests by making
| powerful argument. He soon became
famous as a lawyer, and appeared in
several important political causes, both
III Paris and the provinces. Himself
man of the people, he was bold in ex
pressing opinions of the most ultra re-
publican order, and became popular with
the Partisan masses. In 1868 he pub
IlcIy denounced the arbitrary measures
OF Louis Napoleon, and in 1869 defended
the Emancipation newspaper in lou
louise, and was given an enthusiastic re-
ceptlOn through the south of France. In
the same year he was elected Deputy by
the ''irrecODcilables' for both Paris and
MarSeilles, but decided to take his seat
for Marseilles. In 1870 he made an at
tack on the Olivier Ministry, and de-
clared that the day would come when
republic should exist in France. He was
one of the first to proclaim the republic
after Louis Napoleon's surrender in Sc
dan ON Sept 4 of the same year, was
foremost i'll the organization of the pro-
vlsiOnal government, and became Minis
ter of the interior. A misunderstanding
arose between the Delegate Government
at Tours and the National Defense Com
mittee in Paris with regard to the con-
templated election of Deputies.
He left Paris on Oct. in the balloon
"Armand-Barbes," accompanied by a
secretary and an aerOnaut, passed the
PrUssian lines and reached Rouen in the
evening. Thence he proceeded to Tours,
organized a Government in the provinces
which were uninvaded by the Germans,
and raised an army. He advocated re-
sistance to the bitter end, but when his
soldiers were defeated and articles of peace
were signed the members of the Paris
Government reversed his DEGREES, and
consred him. He resigned and passed
several months in seclusion in Spain
Suddenly he reappeared as delegate in
the Assembly, and was soon the acknowl-
edged leader of the Radical wing of the
Republican party. During the exciting
period which followed he was alternately
worshiped and maligned by his country
men. But, right or wrong, in one thing
he was consistent he was always for the
definitive establishment of the republic.
Ia 1872 he made a progress through
the south of France, and was treated
with the honors due to royalty. In 1877
he had a conference Mt Rome with the
leading statesmen of Italy. A few weeks
later the eleventh Correctional Tribunal
of Paris sentenced him to three months
imprisonment and a fine of 1000 francs.
This was due to his remark at private
meeting that after the next elections
President MacMahon must submit or re-
sign. In November, 1873, he fought a
duel with PlessiS Piquet, whom he had
called liar during discussion i'll the
Chamber. The encounter was harmless,
and it WAS claimed that the seconds loaded
the pistols with blank cartridges.
In 1879, when Grevy became President
Of the republic, Gambetta was elected
President of the Chamber of Deputies.
The two foremost Republicans held the
two foremost positions. Gambetta was
reelected in 1880 and 1881. He has been
much criticised for the war in Tunis in
1881, whose success was generally con-
sidered as bad as a defeat would have
been. On Nov. Il he became the head
of Grevy's Cabinet, himself taking the
portfolio of Minister of Foreign Affairs.
On JAN IA, 1882, he made his speech on
proposed changes in the French Consti-
tuition. including the scrtlti19 dc Lstc. On
Jan 26 his measure was overwhelmingly
defeated by 3O5 to 1T, and he resigned
his portfolio.