New-York tribune., 1891-08-30
PRESIDENT OF COUNANL.
THE CURIOUS POLITICAL CAREER OF NJ
JULES GROS.

,hat IL has been allowed to pass without nouce.
T1,ere have been diplomatic letters OF regret.
M Government has taken any formal cognizance oil
Flo avent There has been no speculation on
nossih,e political complications Indeed. had NJ.
JJnIes Gros not been anything more than pam
AN. Jules Gros, Publieist,' as be used TO syie
bin,self. he could not have made his exit from
tbe world with less of stir and commotlon. fee
the universal and unanimous sufrages OF o iree
and indepcndent people had made him their chiei
eveeutive. and he had passed through the varied
experiehces of the head of a State, including d
revolution by which he was deposed.
Some people say that NJ. Jules Gros was d
fool He was not He was really an intelligent
and accomplished man. Perhaps he was tfine
visionary; but that may be said of many men
whom no one would think Of calling fools Hc
u,as educated here in Paris, whittier he came from
Ain, and he took his degrees easily and VAIN nign
bonors. Then he became traveller, and visited
almost all the known lands Of the world Inns
he did with scientific aims, and the BOOKS Oh
travel which he afterward wrote and pupllsheo
show that he was o keen and appreclative oD-
server wharever he went. The French Geograpni-
cal Society gladly elected him member ana 20
did many other learned bodies. Why not! lie
was scientific geographer of undoubted taieh'S.
Just to look at him was TO I've impresscd moSO
favoraby. An inteectual-looking, gentie-rpaI-
nered individual he was, with Eyeglasses ana
long hair. One might have taken him lor
learned professor. Probably had he STUCK 10 Ills
sciences, he would have become eminent IN eneii'
Put in an evil day he met NJ. Jean Ferreol GulgeS'
freeh from Counani.
This Counani does not. it is true, occ ipy very
considerable space on the map OF the giooe' III
doed there Arc some toerably complete maps on
which Won will NOT find it at all; even il you know
where to look for it, which, in the case OF nine
persons in every ten, is doubtful However, lt Is
there or should be there j: lies between Brazh
and French Guiana There is bit OF country
there which is sort of No Mans Land. Inc
statesmen who made the Treaty of Utrecnt dlu
not clearly define the boundaries OF the COUNTRIES
and so this tract got left with no particular owner
It's inhabitants thereupon decided to set up thcni-
selves as it6 owners, and so they 1ormeu nan
dozen little States. known as Independent Guiana
Couani is one Of tpese, and it has been III exist
once since 1713. One day, Of cource, there will
be some new surveys, and some diplomats VIII
chat together over their wine glasses, and it will
be decided that the region belongs to Brazil OF
TO. France But they have never yet considered
il Of sufficient importance to DO so. In the mean
time the people of Independent Guiana, numbering
1927 feel very free and very great And the
neonle Of Connani. numbering 3I1, feel freest ana
greatest of them ALL
For wears they have been getting on very nicely
Peace and prosperity, and law and order, reigned
though there was no government and no polltlcs
But on one luckess day some Counarians got hoid
of paper It is said that If was New.York
paper, published during a Presidential campaign
But that is improbable, for no one in Counam can
read English. They did read this paper, how
ever. and were greatly moved. The scales fell
from their eyes. and they saw their wretchedness
They had no Government no taxes, 10 corrupt
officials, no political animositses no wars, no reYo
lutions. It was terrible to be so far behind the
times. So they made a frantic appeal to this NJ.
Jean F. Guignes and demanded of him what they
should do to be saved-or ruled. NJ Guignes was
practical man, goldminer in French Guiana,
originally from Macon, France.
"Oh," said he, it's easy enough. What kind
of a ruler do you want? A President as we have
in France? Good Well, you must have pie
biscite Get together and vote for somebody. For
whom? Eh? There's my friend Jules Gros.
He's clever fellow, ard you couldn't do better
than to elect him. COme pebiscite!
plebiscitel" "
| Forthwith n plebiscite was taken, and the peo-
| pie of Counani unanimously elected NJ Jules
never seen him. lie was at the moment in
| France But lie would at least do to begin with
| If they found they didn't like him, they could
! organize a revolution, turn him out and elect
some one else. Indeed, it was almost TO be hoped
that this would be the case, 50 as to give then
| practce and experience in such things. 80 they
| prepared formidable document, setting forth
that NJ. Gros had been duly elected President o.
Counani etc. signed it, sealed it, and delivered II
TO NJ Guigncs 10 convey to NJ. Gros, with {
hope that he would come over at once and ente
upon his Presidency, 50 that they could see wha
manner of man he was, and whether they woulC
better let him govern for time, or turn him ou
at once.
NJ Guignes found the President-elect serving
as a Municipal Councillor Of Vanves and had nC
difficulty in persuadng him to accept the prof
fered honor IN fact NJ. Gros was delighted
He would now have chance 10 put into practic
| all the charming theories of government which h
| had cherished for years in lis lofty mind. Ill
would not, however, at once resign his Mlunicipa
Councillorshp, which paid him salary. Tn
| constitution Of Counani did not forbid its Prcs
dent to lie also Municipal Councillor Why
come to think Of it, there wasn't any constitution
in Counani at all. And ne would not leav
France at once, either: because TO travel {
Counani would cost money, and the Conanian
had sent him 10 remittance for the purpoee fror
their treasury-becapse they had no treasury; no
had they sent ship Of their navy to conve
him gratis and in state-becau5c they had no navy
But he must do something TO show that he wa
real, live President. He therefore set TO form
ing a Cabinet. lie appointed Minister 70
Foreign Affairs, Minister for the Interior
Consul-General at Paris, and score or so G
secretaries and clerks. As TO their salaries, h
fixed them at a liberal figure, and announced tha
they would be paid out of the Treasury at Counar
as soon as the Government went thither In III
meantime he required each and every one of ther
TO pay TO him, NJ le President. round sum i
advance; and they did it cheerfuly, expecting {
recoup their advances handsomely as soon as The
Tot 10 Counani. Moreover, the President foundc
an order the Order of the Star of Counoni whic
was 70 surpass the Legion Of Honor. 1t is ur
| pleasant TO record that the decoration was prctt
| u.ideu cnnferred-in each case for cnnsidnro