New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-13
NJ. DE GIERS.
THE FIRST VISIT OF THE RUSSIAN CHAN
CELLOR TO PARIS.

THE FIRST VISIT OF THE RUSSlAN ChAN-
| CELLOR TO PARIS.
| Paris November 81.
The yist OF NJ. de Giers to Paris was neces-
STATED by his visit to Monza, and his having
arranged to visit Berlin where General Caprivl IS
to see him, and of course the Emperor TINS Is
the first time he has been here, though he OFTEN
| visited Nice-and yet he is n septuagenarian NJ.
| de Giers gave out--or the Russian Embassy for
him-when it was decided that he was to come
TO Paris, that he trusted he would be spared
wearisome ovatons He could not stay long, and
| he had much to see and hear. To hear at
| tentively and rctentiyey he must be quiet. The
Russian Chancellors advent, NJ. Rouvier observed to
him this evening at the Elysee has been saluted
on the Stock Exchange in a characteristic way
State bonds of every description, but chiefly
French and Russian, went up with bound
Even little Portugal, whose creditors have such
good cause for uncasiness, profted by the upward
| rush.
NJ de Giers is Finn by blood. He was reared
at ST. Petersburg and was all his life digent in
his business, which diplomatic, and to be
well Informed about the resources and affairs OF
| the countries in which he represented the late
Gar. They were the Danubian provinces, Persia
and Sweden, all three important in the eyes OF
| the Russian Chancellcry, the first being on tho
road to Turkey the second lying between the Cas-
plan and the Persian Gulf, and the third being
the indissoluble cOpartner Of Norway on one OF
whose greatest natural harbors, Woest Fiord,
Russia has had her eye since Catherine the Great,
and toward which she approached by inducing
Napoleon / to let her have Finland. Woest
Fiord is never frozens has vast natural break
water defending the long, wide sound by which it
is entered from westerly winds. NJ de Giers
proved his value diplomatic agent in Persia.
He married Princess Cantacuzene, niece of Prince
Gortschakoff who brought him into the Chan
celery as head Of one of the most important de.
partments there.
NJ de Giers has an instructive repugnance to
firebrands like Katlsoff, and to energetic men not
weighted with scense of moral responsibility.
lie was therefore, in his uncle's time no favorite
of the Pan-Slavist agtators, of whom the actual
Gar was then the friend; but he had the con-
fdence of the amiable and peace-loving Alexander
I. Every one thought when Alexander III came
to the throne that he would replace Prince
Gortschaloff by General Ignatieff. The reasonable
people were agreeably surprised on hearing that NJ.
dc Giers was appointed. He had won the esteem
| of the present Czarina who did not wish to
| have a man with loose ideas about women in a
high place Of trust which would bring him
often into relation with her husband. Her
children delighted in his company, he being in
| his talk with them regular Peter Farley. Enter
| ing into their sports he played coach and horses
with them, he being one Of the horses.
| NJ de Giers has shown himself an honest, serious
| minded statesman, with a conscience and a clear
sense of reality. He has no taste for war, but
is always ready to say to the Emperor, not my
WILL but yours, and to bend to it in every direction
unless where bending would imply dishonor. Thus
| he could never be got to receive KatkOf, even
when the latter was authorized by the Emperor
| to demand an interview. He also had the bold
ness when he expected call from Alexander Ill
| to place the busts Of two dishonest Ministers on
each side Of large scuptured wooden crucifiX
|, which he had bought at Oberammergau.
| why, if these men are all you say" asked
the Emperor, place them on line with our
| Lord?"
| Because Christ crucifed ought to hang between
a couple Of thieves" the answer.
NJ. de Gers is widower. He suffers from a
sluggish liver and the consequent rheumatic af-
lection. He is thin old gentleman, the lines of
whose face give the history Of his life-a life
of methodic and constant application to official
duties. His whiskers are cut in what used to
be the diplomatic style. The stopped shoulders
speak of years of desk work. The eyes look tired
and there is the drawn expression of the face
which men suffering from the painful disease he has
| contracted nearly always have. 1t is the one
which tormented STAFFORD. Cromwell. Napoleon
| III and the Emperor William in his extreme old
age. warm climate eases it. But it is not
often easy for Russian Chancellor to 60 to the
sunny land. He was in warm spot of North
| Italy when invited to Mona. Because he went to
| Mona and has arranged to halt at Berlin he had
| to come to Paris which was greatly out OF his
way. But, if he did not come, the French would
have thought that Russia was going to slip from
the entente which was declared at Cronstadt
NJ. de Gers arrived yesterday evening by the
Oriental express from Stuttgardt, whittier he had
gone from Wiesbaden to pay his respects to the
Queen DOwager Olga His son, n distinguished
diplomat, now serving in Paris, accompanied him
| thence to Paris. The Chancellor was awaited by
the whole Russian Embassy, and by Comte d.
Ormesson, OF the Foreign Office, whom NJ Ribot
sent to welcome him in the name of the French
| Government. NJ de Giers asked hi INTO thank NJ.
Ribot for his amablc attention to which he ex-
pressed himself deeply sensible. crowd on the
quay cheered, but was not allowed to rush for.
ward. There was much crying Of "Vive la
Russe" as the Russian Ambassador and his guest
drove oG in an open carriage At the Embassy NJ.
de Giers was received by his little granddaughter.
Il child OF ten, who offered him bouquet and her
forehead to be kissed. lie rapidly compIimented
her on her growth in stature and las he assumed in
wisdom and goodness, and then passed on
| to shake hands with the Russian Ambassadress
who stood in the background. This morning. Inc
break fasted with his son, and then paid visits
seeing the Foreign Minister, person of great
distinction, whether judged as a speaker thinker
political man or from a portrait painters point
| Of views, NJ. Taboulaye, late French Minister to
81. Petersburg Comtc de Montebello. who is going
| there and has seen some time at Constantinoplc
and the Grand Dukes at the Continental. This
evening he has been to dine at the Elysec. The
| party asked to meet him small and suggestive
| OF an interchange OF ideas on military. naval.
foreign and financial affairs, ii being made nm OF
| the War, Navy Foreign and Financial Minister'S
Admiral Gervas and NJ. Laboulaye and Count
| Montebclo. ''