The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-02-26
SECRETS OF SADI CARNOT.
"reminiscences of Somebody Who
is Initiated.
Correspondence of THE HERALD.


Seeing that you take interest IN mat
tiers pertaining to the new French
President, venture to communicate 6
few things concerning Sadi-Carnot
which, believe, have as yet been laid
before few if any American readers, al
though they are of telling interest, and
come from Swiss lady intimately con-
versant with all the facts hereinafter
related:
Contrary to the generally accepted
theory that Sadi-Carnot owed his eleva-
ton to family considerations, 1T is the
cold fact that much more than to hered-
itary celebrity, it was te his felioitous
fnanciering genius that he owed his
election to the highest politseal dignity
Of France.
As a simple bridge engineer, he had
arrived at Tunis where hestudied the
situation closely, and arrived at the re-
solution to exploit that rich land for his
native country, and to reduce the do
minion of the Bey to little more than o
French province. When the motion
for Tunisian loan was made in the
Chambers, and they asked for its guar
antee by the French government, II was
Carnot who not only supported it, but
as chairman of the special committee,
occurred it's adoption.
His most inveterate adversary out
side of Parliament was Cernuschi, the
aged Italian, who was naturalized in
Paris, in 1870, because France had lost
so many of her sons, and he wanted to re-
place one." The Journal des Debats and
the Temps were the two battletields
where the two antagonists measured
swords, and the YiLuperativeness of
Cernuschis language often excited the
risiblss of newspaper readers. Carnot
remained cool in the face of the gross
est denominations. Not even the
calumny that he was interested at the
Bourse in the new loan affected him.
Even when the two had a personal c. l.
loquy in Jules Ferry's saloon, Garnet
never abandoned his customary amIable
smile. which Victor Hugo had once
animadverted upon, speaking of Eliza
beth, the daughter of Carnot: "She re-
sembles her father in everything. even
her smile is like his: one might call her
an electric doll"
At the SOiree in the poets home at
Passy 1.-THE last reception of the author
of Les Miserdbles) there was much talk
about the possibility of a war of re-
oanche against Germany. In the study
of the poet, with its plain oak furniture,
| the dark Persian divans and the white
Chinese goat pelts, there were sitting
before the cracking hearth fire, the
celebrated minister of the Empire, and
the greatest journalist of the Republic
Jules Ferry and Edouard Lockroy
who soon were joined by Carnot with
Madam Adam on his arm. Lockroy
vehemently defended the idea of a
speedy campaign. Simon chatted with
the author OF these "reminiscences
Ferry only shrugged his shoulders and
shook bis head, while Juliette Lamber
MADAM Adam, the celebrated edltress)
ciapped her hands in applause. Sadi-
Carnot, however, spoke up gravely: ~
any one should advise q government to
Lead France to war, it would be per
fiGy which would be compelled 10 re-
ST with all the strength of patriotism
The Republic is not ready for war. and
she cannot desire il in twenty-five years
She will only be mistress in her own
house, and guard her honor and inter-
ests herself. In spite of her def-a
fifteen years ago, in spite of the ability
with p hich the panic has been organ
lied, we have not yet reached the point
where to tremble before our shadow
Let them not play too much with 6
sentimentalism which were silly, were
it not criminal; fer they would easily
off f< kak
pected. France is still far from beng
solid in the interior, and the Republic
will only remain if she keeps peace in
Enrone AItbong
the exotic expeditions do not result in
much benefit. they at least do no harm
and serve as fields of eXerclse, and TOT
the occupation of idle. unweIcome CO.
servers-advantages which l beg YOU not
10 underTate."
As concllistory as these words seemed
wards Germany, as little sympathy
has Carnot for Russia; he prefers Po-
land. England he hates right out. In
her he sees the natural enemy OF France
on all fields of colonial policy; in China
as in Egypt, Tunis, Morocco. not to
speak OF Constantinople. When there
was talk of mediation by Gladstone,
Carnot daily urged his friend Ferry and
all around him to prevent such an ar
rangement. "If only Russia were the
mediator!" he said; "Engiand's medi-
alton can be no arbitration; it is mere
Intervention in which England would
secure the lions share. In the orient,
they might think France were the vas
sal of England, because there English
goods predominant on the market over
French; this must be stopped"
For this reason Carnot effected the
conversion of the Tunisian loan from
81 to per cent, and made possible its
guarantee by the State, where the loan
was, So to speak, doubly secured. In
consequence of this arrangement, the
reputation of French values rose in
Africa, and in Europe the confidence in
the solvency of the Republic grew.
This was a bold move, which brought
Carnot many admirers and no less
enemies for numerous big spectators
Baron Soubsyron, the Credit Lyonnais
and others) were greatly injured by
Carnot's success.
During the presence of Count Her
bert Bismarck in Paris. concerning an
approachmenS of France to Germany
for common advance in Egypt and in
the Orient, Carnot was one of the most
earnest advocates oflthat bold plan, and
nXnregsed unFeserVedlV his oDjnion fh at