New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-01-07
BEFORE GAMBETTA'S DEATH.
HIS sICKNEsS-PoLITICAL AND SOCIAL
GOSSIP.

tyRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBUNEl
PARIS December %.
BY his over hopeful friends Gambetta is at length
said to be out of the woods aud 1t IS announced
that he will return to town tomorrow But MS
case is still critical. 1t is most desirable, from ny
g,enc pout of view that he return to Paris II posi-
ble as his country house is in hole and reeklng with
damp the basement story having been constructed
with stone and gypsum, which sucks up water IN
stead of with stone and cement. The great orator
has been much pulled down by his illness. lie
suffers from a chronic disease which prevents the
normal aeration and consequent purincatlon OF tne
blood IN the lungs. Owing to the morbid condition
of his throat and bronchial tubes his doctors have
had great difficulties to contend with. symptoms
of apus have been another cause for uneasiness.
Gambetta, twenty years ago, in an excursion 10
Rome caught malarial fever which left dregs, IL
ss thought in his constitution. I am inclined to
think that tho shlvering fits which have recently
marked his case are due to the low situation oil his
house. which is down in q confined BASIN and near
q sluggish and very DIRTY ditch.
W lille lie was sckest his party seemed almost pet
rifed His heuchmen did net dare move In the
Chamber. They are most anxious for hm to come
at once to Paris ard again assume the direction OF
the Parliamentary group to which he belongs
III that section of the Chamber has stood STILL 1t has
not beer attacked with dry-rot and crumbled 10
pieces. But had Gambettas recovery seemed 10
them doubtful much lou ger the probability is that
1t would have crumbled. 1t is said that Gambetta
will spend the Christmas holidays In the South.
where he IL in the habit of passing the last week of
December and the early weeks of January. sun
shine and the absence of fog would no doubt. be OF
great use to him. But his followers conJuro III"
not to leave town. They have their campaign LOT
the New Year to prepare, and the Egyptian ques-
ton becomes urgent for the bondholders. Although
many of them regard the control rs past praying
Tor they think they still force the English Gov
eminent to extract from the Egyptian people half
a loaf 70, the bondholders. do not think they are
vet quite alive to the immnence of the breakup Vi
Turkey. If they were they would not trouble their
heads about Madagascar and Tonquin and they
vould try 10 bring back to France all the soldiers
who are in Tunis NJ. Grevy alone seems to have
got wind of what is brewing In Eastern Europe. lie
conjures the Ministers not TO disperse fighting force
but to be ready to deal with the situation which
must arise when the " ag-and-baggage policy Is
a fat accompN. These plans and considerations are
ali hampered by the fact. which repeat that Gam-
be,tas condition is still critical.
NJ Duclerc's knee-sprain is not diplomatic in
com,uodity 1t is very real evil and may prevent
The head of the Cabinet walking for some days to
come. There is swelling. sometimes, and the mus
cles arennresponsive to the Will OF the Premier. HIS
incspacity TO direct them Is the gravest symptom,
aud poipts TO the conclusion that teudon has been
DISPLACED VI. Duclerc receives visitors In his BED
room / saw there yesterday NM Leon say
de Bgnleres 1.-THE ex. member Of the CONTROL, Heb
rard of the Temps. Allan forge, and other
members of tue Senate and Chamber. Madame
Duclerc received ladies en- petite oom1 at the hre-
side She Is very small, slender and lively French
people have not the same dislike TO admitting
strangers to their bedrooms which exists among
Ind Un0pr
cumstances bedroom reception is more polite and
proper than drawing-room one. When lady Is
in her dressing-gown and slippers she should, ac-
cordinq to Partisan etiquette, tell the femme de
ebombre 10 show the visitor calling upon her uncer-
enormously into her bedroom. All the toiiet-table
apparatus is hidden away. The chairs are
snug and easy and the chitchat
which goes on between the hostess and those
who call OH her is moro unstilted than II they were
IN a salon.
M. C;reyy went to Marty this week to shoot with
sparty composed of intimate friends and exotic
Princes He looked very well and. 1T was re-
marked. held the fowling- piece with firm hand.
The hereditary Prince of Monaco the mo st sue
eessfu shooter. Altogether 500 birds were Knocked
down NJ Grevy and his son-in-law are bitterly
attacked by the Opportunist journals who accuse
them of seeking to trip up the Ministry
and of being in concert with the
Red Radicals for the attainment OF this
object The President certainly is nervous about
the Tonquin affair-and with reason. France will
never coIonize that Chinese province she able
70 seize il and hold it, Although Algeria offers
every facility to colonial enterprise proximity in
cluded. il NAV be regarded as vast field that is
suffered to lie faow. Tuns IL found to cost up
ward of 10000 600 francs year. The heavy sum
of 81 100000 francs has just been asked
of the Chamber to defray the cost of the occupation
for 1882 independently of the financial drain,
Il has the serious DISADVANTAGE of mmobilizing in
Africa 10000 soldiers.
Prince Krapotkine is now said by the govern
mental journals to be an agent of Bismarck, and
to have come here to organize a Socialist reyolu-
ton which was to break out in the course of Ss3
Nv impression is that his arrest was ordered with
the view of obtaining the assistance Of Russia
AGAINST Lord Dufferin. That the Prince would be
enchanted to see not only France but Europe de-
yastated by Jacquerie, have no doubt. He is in
the nature of stormy petrol, and does not believe
that any great revolution was ever accomplished
unless through blood and iron. But do not be-
heye that ne is responsible for the lmage-breakng
At Monceau- les Mines or for the dynamite explo-
sion in the Cafe BellecOur. He Is friend of
Rochefort But so is Victor Hugo, and he enjoys
fellowship with Ellie Reclus great many other
men of eninence are in the Prince Kra-
potkine was at Thonon to look after n brother-in-
law who was dying there Of consumption, and who
has died since the arrest took place This event Is
in bis favor and is being worked by PIntransg6ant
There is a deep fund of sensbility In the French
disposition and j venture to say there is no
people in the world which has a greater reverence
Tor the dead. Princess Krapotkine is in state Of
dreadful nervous excitement. She has iIpplored
the law authorities to allow her husband to remain
free ON parole until her brothers remains are laid
In the grave But although she is young, pretty
and interesting the procuTator at Grenoble turned
Leaf mr. N ia
was taken to Lyons in second-cass
railway carriage and under the guard