New-York tribune., 1886-01-31
BRISSON'S BUBBLE BURSTS.
CAIrsES OF HIS DOWNFALL.

CAUSES OF HIS DOWNFALL.
frncu TuF rrGrGAE CORRESPONDENT or INV TRInrNrA
PARIS. January Is.
We had during Christi and New Years
weeks more political turmoil than Is usual at that
time of the year. "The confcctioncrs' truce has
not been kept. ana are not the worse Tor its
breach Great efforts made To shunt NIL
vexiuc ane>t,ous But they failed owing to the
turn ta1eu hv the Tonquin debate. the Presidential
election. NJ Brissons chagrin thcreat. ana his
consnauent resignation. and the difficulties which
NJ Julcs Ferry secretly threw in the wav o. VI. de
Frcyciuet when he accepted the task OF forming n
Cabinet.
NJ. Brsson. since 1851, when he was elected to
replocc Gambetta as Speaker of the Chamber, made
m his mind that he and nobody else was to succeed
VI. Crcvv rs President Of the Republic this year.
Perhaps il world bc more just to say that ms
am.ahc and excellent wife, who Is as iona OF hlm
as when they were first married three and twenty
years ago put it into his head that he was predcs-
tined to fll the position and had the physique
phy,ognomy ard manners best suited for it. he
beiuu tall. hanGsomc grave with bland sweetness.
decnlv imprcs.rd with n sense Of his own dignity
md imposlnQ respect as Nel ~ deserving 1t. When
Gambettn died every one seemed to take u aS
matter of course that Brissnn was to succeed
Grew Nobody asked why this notion should be
realized and believe that If VI BrIsSon had not
descended last April from the chair OF the House oil
DEPUTIES g. bc Prime Minister he might have oeeh
to-day at the Elysac, because his candidhtnfc
ycopld have prcvcntrd tho actual President Of the
Republic from having an absolute majority at the
first ballot. i'm which case he would nave retired.
The other then must have coIne in. But VI.
Rrissop. who has a mind that takes new bearings
slowly and who i'll adapts himself TO fresh sItnd-
tiop.. had got used in the long interval between
the retirement OF MacMahon and the taH Oi W.
.JnIeS Ferry to see the OpPortuE ets ENJOY All
mower They formed an overwhelming majority IN
the Chamber where they were more ferrylte thah
they had ever lcrn GAnbcttist and had become
the strongest party in the Senate. WITH therefore,
m eve to thc Presidential election. NJ. Brisson on
taking office ~ Premier became the outward ana
v,srlc sim of NJ Ferry's lobby management. As
W. Camille pclletan says. he (M fcHetahl "heh
going On the stump last autumn FROM bordeaux
10 1onlon confronted with VI. Brisson's speeches IN
favor of the colonial schemes Of NJ. Ferry and Of
tbe general policy OF the latter. This was done bv
enen,ios of the RepnbNc who wanted 10 persuade
tbo Nation that whatever shade Of Republicans
entered Office French blood and treasure wonld be
poured ont In TOaquin and Madaga'caT Tor tho
pood of chartered companies ana that no serious
politicll or administrative reforms III france
would be accomplished. NJ. Clcmenccau saw what
mischief this notion was likely to do and brOke
altogether with the OppOrtnnists. NJ BrlssOh dld
not and went on acting as their instrument Inc
coLseuuence was that 20l MOnarch7ts OF different
tvpes we're returned to the Chamber, the Oppor-
| tunlsts were beaten at the general ana Suppie-
mental elections. and n great accession Of voting
| mower WAS given to the Radicals NJ. Brisson WAS
| nrahlo 20 grasp the Parliamentary situation thus
formal and went on with the colonial scheme oil
Ferry 70 drop which he maintained. would be to
| neict n deadly wound on French honor"
| n de Freycinet saw in glance the changes
| opcrated by the elections and inado MS Dook
| accordiuQly He at once began TO conrt tho Rad
icala who he saw could by voting with the R0val-
| isIs whenever 1t was possible to do SO without
| betraying the Republic, upset every posS oie
| Ministry. NJ, Brisson went on WIN MS cand-
| 1atnrc and there was n iuncturc last November
-h, Lc nnnearcd almost sure 10 obtain the Pres-
| Grncy. II was when NJ. Grevy's health Appeared
and indeed was-seriously inpalTea " 'ne ne iar 40
had IN stepping into hlted carriage III We tpo s'iGot %
| ClIemenceau who dislikes NJ Grevy, Thought ne had
| nearly come 60 the end OF his tether anu was
| nrepnrcd to support his rival. lie had a loh2
| rronfcrcnce with the latter at the Ministry OF
| Iustice which might have resulted IN coalition
| if NJ Brisson had not gone III dead against tno t
| committees elected to report on the demand Tor
| Tonqnin and Madagascar crodlts and Whcn
renorted against them. This threw the Radicals on
since NJ. Brisson (whO took offence at his defeat
| and at NJ de Frcycnets declared opposition to ms
| cnnddaturel resigned, the new Prime Mlhi"ter
has lost no opportunity to court the KallcaIs' no
| nonsulted ClemeI ceau about every step no took
dnrIna the Ministerial crisis that ended January z.
On 1nnuaIy q ! in TIE oihco or la
| b,stjce chatting with Clemenceau. An attendant
| brought IN a card, on seeing which the Radical
| leader said to me: "Stay here, ana IN u may oe
ten twenty or thirty minutes. or perhaps an hour
| sbaII be able to give you some news worth hear
ing, though perhaps you won't be at liberty to talk
about it," .. . a., , 90,
! which time Clemenceau came back and bcckOned
I, me TO 90 into the little room whore he had boen
When went in he said -" Here IL the Ministerial
list that Freyc,net has been proposing to me
Under tho circumstances 1t is good one. ~
Iockroy does not come in. my friend Vaehet "ii
have the portfolio OF Commerce. In any case there
will he i'm il three of my friends and those who are
! MOI arcentuated Radicals wall have under-seore
tares OF State OF our shade of Radicalisn. ! have
nromi,ed To support Ministry 30 cohstltntod, bu
nv snnport will be Independent and freycnet anC
his colleagues are not 20 forget or ignore the lesson
gwen by tie country in October, and by fari9 II
Tie ba,lotage aud last elections Inc preceding
Sunday the flst colloqny took place between VI
de Frey cinet and NJ. Clenenceau at the residence
of tho latter in the Rre Mcntaigne: IL lhsto.
three horrs NJ. Goblet. who lnousht IL abo"'
| wPs present at 1t.