Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-16
Written for the EVENING star
TRANSATLANTIC PORTRAITS.
Pen Sketches of Marshal MacMahou
and Sir William Thomson,

| - half century seem to have 50 entirely
withdrawn themselves from public notice
~ as Marshal Mac Mahon--theg grand old man
Of France. And yet. when one notices the tall
military figure that during these summer
months may be frequently seen riding through
the streets Of Paris, accompanied by an abide
| camp, it 10 not hard to imagine that the hand
some veteran was for fifty years one Of the
| most famous soldiers in Europe. Eighty-two
years have not fallen heavily on him. His &C.
tivity, his straight and graceful bearing, and
his ruddy complexion make him An ideal Of
robust manliness. The marshal comes from Q
family OF soldiers. His father, Count
Maurice, ranked high in the French army, az
did his uncle, while his elder brother was an
active leader in the revolution Of $780, which re-
suited in the downfall of the bourbona
The subject Of this sketch-Patrick Maurice
MacMahon-vas born in 1903 at the castle of
Sully near Antrim. At the age Of nineteen he
graduated from the great military academy of
ST. Cyr-the French West Point-taking high
| honors, and a few years later. as q young
subaltern In Africa, began his climb up the
| ladder OF fame. For his bravery at the siege
Of Auvers in Belgium he won the cross of the
order Of Leopold, and shortly after was pro-
NOTED. In 1886 he received his first wound
and his only one until forty years later, when
he was placed hors de combat at Sedan. The
| memorable year OF '48 saw him a general of
brigade and governor Of Tlemcen, one Of the
most important commands in the Dark CONT
nent In his new post he acquitted himself az
we'll as he had already done in the field, and it
was thought that he possessed qualities as q
| statesman equal to those he had shown as q
soldier. But his greatest laurels were not vet
won. The capture of the Malakoff, in the
Crimean war, was his most famous exploit
and for his reward he received the cross Of the
Legion Of Honor from Napoleon and WAS nomi-
mated X. G. B. by Queen Victoria. Sebastopol
the great Russian stronghold, had long with
stood the siege Of the allied armies-so long in
fact that the chief wearied of its protracted-
| ness and resolved upon grand assault. Gen.
Mac Mahon was ordered to storm the Malak off,
one OF the most important of the besieged
towers. After fierce struggle and in the
midst of deadly fire. he took it. uttering as he
entered the fortress the famous sentence that
has since become almost proverb: "J'y suis
ct jy reste!" and he held the tower until the
Russians were driven back headlong and Sc
bastopol fell. When peace was re-established
Gen MacMahon returned home and was made
a senator of the empire, being also intrusted
with the command OF the entire army Of the
reserve. The war with Austria gave him an
other opportunity for displaying his military
| skill, and at Magenta he turned certain defeat
into decisive victory. The Austrians were
routed, leaving several thousand dead on the
field and as many more prisoners. For this
brilliant piece of energetic strategy Gen. Mac
Mahon was made a marshal and duke Of the
empire. While governor general of Algeria
he committed a great blunder in statesman
ship by attempting the establishment Of an
Arab kingdom, and the failure OF this project
lost him much of his popularity. War being
declared against Germany in 1870. he returned
to his country and took up his command. At
the battle of Woerth in spite of his bravery
he was overwhelmed by the forces of the crown
prince of Prussia. At Sedan, the battle that
sounded the death knell of the French for
tunes he was severely wounded and was taken
prisoner by the enemy. Being released, how
ever, in the following year he returned to
France and resumed command of the
to Paris to assist in the sup
preston Of the communist instruction. In
1873 on the resignation Of VI. Theirs, Marshal
Mac Mahon was elected president Of the French
republic. At first, never having given single
moments thought to the presidency, he fatty
declined but yielding at length to consider
able persuasion he reluctantly accepted. But
he did not feel at home In the political arena.
Long and active service in arms had untitled
him for the intriguing methods Of parliament
The sword and battle field were not SO easily
changed for the pen and portfolio. He had
not the necessary political education. and in
consequence he was, IN the opinion of great
many, an indifferent politician. But while he
may have been unhappy in council and uncer-
tain IN decision he still was the admirable SOL
der. 1t is to be regretted that he found it i'm
possible to introduce into his political labors
some OF those soldierly qualities which made
him rank so high as warrior. He had been
a most excellent governor of o colony, no doubt
because that office savored largely of the mill
tary, yet, as president of the republic, he felt
like fish out of water To his ministers,
therefore, he left the direction Of political af-
fairs and reserved for himself the question of
national defense. While he was president his
renown gave his country great influence in Eu-
rope. In France even those who were his po-
litical opponents admired him for his patriotic
disinterestedness and trusted him for his 10y
atty and honor. Since he resigned the Office,
eleven years ago. he has lived in total retira
ment, and excepting the military organization
of his country, has taken but little interest in
its affairs. His words to the presidents of both
chambers, written on his retirement, reveal his
character in sentence:
Il have the consolation of thinking that dur
ing the hfty-three years that have devoted to
the service of my country l never was guided
by any other sentiment than that OF honor and
duty and of absolute devotion to France"
SIR WILLIAM THOMSON, F. RS
II the question, who is the leading English
man OF scienceT' were put to an average Eng
lish crowd two names would be uppermost on
their lips-Tyndall and Huxley Yet neither
of these can honestly claim the title Merit is
not always the standard by which popular fame
is measured. Among those who know Sir Will
edged as England's foremost man Of science,
and, indeed, some would go far as to affirm
that he Is the greatest scientist living. William
Thomson was born at Belfast, Ireland, in June,
1924 He seems to have inherited his mathe-
NAUTICAL genius from his father James Thorn.
son. who occupied the chair of mathematics at
Glasgow University, which at the age Of eleven
William entered Six years later he went to
Cambridge. graduating III l841 as second
wrangler some months before he became Of
ar aImnlt ral iHln q
may seem strange that such genius as young
Thomson had proved himself to be did not
obtain the coveted senior wrangership. The
| reason only illustrates again the unsatisfactory
nature OF competitive examinations as a test Of
merit The senior wrangler OF the year was the
late DIR. Parkinson, most excellent mathema-
| tician, but by no meansWilliam Thomson's equal
In 1916 Thomson was appointed professor of
natural philosophy in Glasgow University,
which position he still holds. He has received
honorary degrees from Oxford. Cambridge,
Edinburgh, Dublin and other universities, be-
| sides being awarded the Royal Society's gold
medal, great honor in British scientific cir
cles. He has been president of the Glasgow
Geological Association and was also for some
| time president OF the British Association. In
| 1865 he helped to lay the Atlantic cable and
was knighted for his successful labors Few Of
| the thousands who telegraph to each other
beneath the Atlantic waves or who read of the
daily events happening across the seas have
| any idea OF the elaborate and delicate analyses
| made in Tbomson's Glasgow laboratory by the
| results Of which the old world is now so closely
united with the new Sir Williams researches
L 4 Il n