The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-12-16
GAMBETTA.
Description of Madame Adams SALON.
A Coterie of French Celebrities.


As we were in the habit of passing
some of the winter months in the south
of France. we used to receive before our
departure, and our salon was the first
to open. We ceased our receptions Just
at the moment when everybody is over
whelmed with invitations, and running
from salon to salon without having time
to stop in any one; and then. on our re-
turn, we re-opened our salon Just when
other people were closing theirs. Adam
had often spoken to ME of Laurent
PichatS evenings, at which he was y
regular attendant. He talked to me es-
pecially about Il young man whose name
began to be mentioned Il good deal in
our circle, Gambetta, who told the men
of 1913 what he thought of them. with
out mincing his words, saying again
and again that their traditions must be
broken; that it was no good troubling
about the dOgmas of the party, which
hampered its action, like swaddling
clothes kept too long around the body
of a child, and that this naive policy
must be replaced by march. step for
step. in the path traced by the enemy.
10 try to conquer with projectiles
flung from too great a height is mere
Stiffness" said NJ. Leon Gambetta; 1--WE
are under the Empire. let us combat the
Empire with the methods of the En-
pire. 1t is useless TO pa on dancing
shoes III order To walk in u sewer; let
us put on sewermen's boots. M. Louis
Blanc, if he returned. would vote again,
from principle, for the return of Prince
Napoleon. Facts never touch princi-
1.l. rriu h.,
lie. Very good; let us wipe out the
principle, aud let us take account of the
fact only. If we shut ourselves up in
our doctrines, we shall never triumph.
We must drive Napoleon iii. back
upon his own men, and overthrow
Rouher with the enemies of Rouher.
Principles! We have had enough of
principlesr'
Adam admired all this completely. 1
made reserves
"A good doctrine for combat" | said,
'but very demoralizing the day of the
victory. For what will be the prize and
object of the victory? Mere victory?
That is not enough"
The proof that we are wrong, and
that this young man is right" replied
Adam. land that the ideal doctrine is
false, is that not only have we been
crushed, but we have been stupid. This
Gambetta says dozens of things that |
thought in 1918, and which l have not
dared TO formulate since. He is right
None of those who have been directing
us ever took advantage of events. If
We had only had a man with the char
acter of Cavaignac, the elOquence of
Lemartine, the democratic passion of
Ledru-Rollin, then we should have
triumphed. VIII you believe i'm.
Leon Gambetta makes me think of this
trinity united in one single man."
'.Ah! if that be the case, want to
know him. You must bring him to see
me-"
The fact is that his ways are very
how shall | say?-very Latin Quarter
student-like. He is as free and careless
in his language as he is in his dress.
He speaks with q terrible accent; he dis
cusses with insolence; and | should be
sorry for you to hear the way he treats
me because | am one of the 1913 set"
but is he extraordinary, or is he
not?'
He is extraordinary, but thorough
Bohemian; vulgar, living as nobody else
lives. brutal. audacious. He is n man
for the pupulace. kind of Danton. only
more shrcwd. He speaks with great
authority"
Il want to know him." 1 replied.
On November IA. 1868, Gambetta,
who in the morning was only known 10
a small circle of friends. became fam
Gus in the evening. thanks TO his de-
fence of DelescluZe. the editor of lie
ReCeH. His pleadIngs flew like signal
all over France
The great force of Gambetta lay in
his faculty of translating currents of
opinion into words, which had no reaI
value in themselves, or, at any rate, a
value which they soon lost, but which
ut the moment calmed each ones
spirit of inquiry, and were the exact
expression of the opinions of all This
speech in defence of DelescluZe, which
caused SO much emotion, and rendered
SO admirably and so completely the eX-
plosion of the general conscience of
France, seems nothing exceptional if we
read it over now, but you can feel in it
the vibration of soul which others
made to Vibrate. Between Gambetta
and public opinion, SO far us he aban-
doned himself to opinion and did not
try to oppresS 1t, there was an extra
ordinary sympathetic communication.
He gave back one hundred-fold what
he received from it; satisfying it just in
the degree TO which it wished to be
satisfied. He was the model of a demo-
cratic orator. Often have l seen him at
the time when We were intimate, hesi-
tate in his reflections, question, grow
excited in order to provoke contradie-
ton, exercise his oratory in our little
! circle as if be were trying e feel the