The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-06
JULES SIMON.
fbe Career of One OF the Most Remarkable
Men OF France.

Men OF France.
Properly speaking, there is no such
person as Jules Simon in existence.
His real name is Suisse. Simon being
one of his Christian names. He
dropped his surname at the commence
ment of his career by the advice of
the philosopher Cousin, who was one
of his earliest friends. Throw aside
that horrid name of SUISSE" was the
counsel given and taken. "Did any
thingp" The future statesman was
then only 25, yet was Cousins nomi-
nee for the post of Assistant Professor
of Philosophy at the Sorbonne. He
has just passed his 10th birthday. By
turns professor, orator, statesman,
sometimes victor and sometimes van
quished, it has been written of him
that there is one cause to which he has
ever remained faithful, the cause of
liberty. Yet he was born at L'Orient,
in Brittany, the very stronghold of
royalty. He began life as teacher
at the College of Rennes. Named pro-
fessor at the Sorbonne in 1889, he
speedily distinguished himself by the
profundity of his reasoning and the
charm of his oratory. After the
coup d etdt he addressed an eloquent
discourse to his students, protesting in
the name of the law against deeds of
political violence. He refused to take
the oath of allegiance to the new en-
pire, and was in consequence deprived
of his professorship.
Thus checked in his career, he
turned his attention to authorship. and
wrote a series of works whose titles
sufficiently indicate the scope and sub
jects-'.Duty," Natural Religion,
DOM" .',rhe Working Woman" etc.
In 1856, during lecturing tour which
he undertook in Belgium, he was the
recipient of q singular compliment
paid to his oratorical powers. 1t was
at the commencement of the contest
between the Catholics and the Liber-
ais of that coun,ry. In Client the
highest circles of learning had taken
up the dispute with acrimony- So vir-
ulent had become this political war
fare that it threatened to take the pro-
portions of national disaster. In this
dilemma the burgomaster of Ghent adj
dressed himself to Nj. Jules Simon.
He begged the illustrious French ora
tor, who was already widely known and
popular in Belgium, TO come to help
him IN bringing about the pacilication
of the political situation. nj. Simon
went 10 Client, and delivered the four
addresses afterward published in book
form under the title of Liberty of
Conscience" These speeches had the
desired effect, and the danger was for
a time averted.
In 1868 he was elected Deputy for
the Eighth Department of the Seine.
He became one of the leaders of the
Opposition, proposed the separation
of Church and State, and vigorously
defended the cause of popular educa-
ton. The fall of the Empire and the
establishment of the Third Republic
placed in his hands the portfolio of
Minister of Fine Arts and of Public
instruction. He instituted wide re-
forms in the public school in
one department of his Office, and in
the other distinguished himself by sup
pressing the Museum of Sovereigns at
the Louvre, declaring that it ''had be-
come uninteresting. He was not,
however, in favor of free education,
though he desired to see it made oblig-
atory. But mere list of his projects
and plans in this department of his
Ministry would swell this article far
beyond its prescribed limits. He was
.orced to resign his post in 1873, under
the regime of M. Theirs. On the 10th
Of December, 1875, he was elected
Senator for life, and the same day saw
him chosen as member of the Acade-
my. A year afterwards Marshal Mac
Mahon mace him his Prime Minister.
Five months later-that is to say, on
the 10Th of Nav, 1S77-Ihe hot headed
old soldier-President drove M. Jules
Simon and the Cabinet that he headed
from their posts to install a group of
Leg'timist and Bonapartist sympathiz-
ers in their place. We all know how
ended this insult, dealt to tho convic-
tions of great nation as openly ex-
pressed through the medium of the
oallot-box. The Marshal was forced
to resign, and M. Jules Grevy becaue
the President of the French Republic.
Despite his position in some sort as
martyr to the Republican cause, M.
Jules Simon has been less popular than
some of his less distinguished col
leagues. The cause for this state of
public opinion is not far to seek-M.
Simon is too moderate in his views to
lind favor in the ewes of the political |
group with which he has been per-
force associated. Yet everyone, even |
amongst his most virulent opponents,
do justice to the lofty integrity of his
nature and the untlinching firmness of
his principles. Marshal MacMahon
himself paid him the highest possible
compliment after removing him from
office. 1t is the custom for the Minis
ter of the interior. on his retirement.
to submit to the ru-er of the country
detailed account of the use he has
made of the secret service fund. At
ter the 10th of May the son of Jules
Simon brought these papers to the
Marshal, who signed them at once,
without even glancing over them.
Giving them back, he said to the
bearer, "Tell your father that | signed
these accounts without reading them
it was not necessary"
M. Jules Simon leads still an active