Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-01-04
One MANS Life.

trembling at the thought Of the death
Of one man or may possibly be crouch
ing in fear Of the very earthquake that
may follow The fall Of the earth upon
the coffin Of Gambetts, dead.
The death Of Gladstone in England
or Bismarck in Prussia. either or both,
would not render the peace Of Europe
as insecure as that Of Gambetta, the
great French republican leader, who
lies at deaths door from most mys-
ferrous wound and whose recovery
has been despaired by friends and
physicians. A writer from Berlin,
Germany, says that there is greater
anxiety there now than when the life
of Napoleon hang in the balance and
further, that there is no man in Europe
on whom the fate Of France and the
foreign policy CT Germany depends so
much as Gam BETA.
1t is probable that that writer might
as truthfully has said no other five
men, for to him almost alone it mast
be allowed, the preservation of peasa'
bic if even not cordial relations be-
tween those two governments, neither
of which have forgotten Sedan IN 1870,
have been preserved.
Gambetta has stood invincible be-
tween France and any possibility Of
war tempering hot headed legislation,
influencing and shaping intercourse
with Germany; loving the latter not a
whit better than any other good
Freedman might, not coward nor
for that matter one whose voice mi ght
At all times be relied upon to be for
peace; but one who knew France 8
strength and as well her weakness and
who would not see her insult foe
until she might be able to conquer
him.
That one mans life to-day may be
worth those of million as its preser
walton may be equivalent to a war
averted; not that war must follow &C.
.ssarniy not ever probably at once or
within any definite time, but as We
have said that his policy has been
pacific and his Influence unquestionsd
and in France, unbounded and az
there ale many reasons why France
should 60 TO war his death stands a
menace to the peace ct the two coun-
tries, for while he wouid fight Ger
may tomorrow on the slightest
pretext were be confident Of success,
he may be relied upon never to take a
step as lily prepared as Napoleon in
1870. As that condition is certainly
far ahead in the future and as Gam.
BETA may be relied upon to know
when the proper time arrives and I'M
ill then hold France back, his life
would be perfect guaranty of peace
for years, while men who would come
to the front in the event Of his death
may not be SO thoroughly relied upon
to Judge Frances opportunity nor tc
control her against her besettrng dan.
ger, her hatred of Germany.
1t is something grand, to consider
tuch man, especially when we rec
ognizs the fact that be is net one O
Europes rulers, born a ruler, but is &
ruler by right Of grand intellect, one
of the people, republican, which IL
France stands for Democrat and Re
publican in this country.
Since writing the above, we hav'
the news of the death of Leon Gam
beta. He was buta young man, be
ing forty-6vs years old. We append
some Of the comments on his death.
NJ. Rochefort, in the 1ntrams,gean'
publishes an article headed END of
Savior reminding those whom M
Gambetta threatened at Belleville tina
they can now sleep IN peace.
The Sohel (Orleanist) dwells upc
the blow that opportunism has recei'
Cd. II maintains that Gambetta
death weakens the republic, but re
trains from saying anything agsin'
Gambetta's memory.
The reactionary papers express tn
opinion that the French republic die