Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-09-10
Woops1pE
HOW GREVY WAS RUINED.

An Account Of the "wilson Affair." That
Drove the President Into Retirement
The New York Sun in its review Of the life of
ex-President Grsvy Of France says that his
troubles began with his second term. NJ. Grevy
had married early in life and soon afterward
his wife died, leaving him one child, his daugh-
ter Alice. All his affection conferred about her
and she ruled him absolutely. 1t is said that
he was not at all pleased when NJ. Daniel Will
son asked her hand in marriage. But NJ. Will
son had already won Mile Grevy's heart and
her father allowed her to marry him.
For many years before his election to the
presidency NJ. Grevy had kept house with the
aid OF peasant woman, who was comedy and
good hearted but, very ignorant No one can ex-
plain how it happened, but he at some time
married this woman. But he kept the fact SO
secret that his neares. political friends thought
him a widower at the time of his election to the
first Office of the nation. Then Nine. Grevy
appeared and created good deal Of amuse-
ment by her strange way Of keeping up the
dignity of presidents wife. She never pro-
nounced foreign names properly and was re-
markable In her conversational endeavors gen.
orally. But she was SO honest and amiable and
unaffected that she afterward became as popu-
lar in a way as was ''le pere Grevy."
The domestic household of the president was
husband, NJ. Wilson, and their infant daughter,
whom NJ. Grevy adored This N. Wilson was
notorious for his escapades, both before and
after his marriage. and, had it not been for the
child, NJ. Grevy would in all probability have
refused to endure him. As it was NJ. Wilson
get at all official secrets, and, through his wife.
exercised considerable control over the old
president.
All Paris soon began to talk about Wilson g
fortunate speculations. carried on through a
knowledge Of state secrets. But no one sus-
speculations. At last the police arrested a
notorious woman who was the intermediary in
a traffic in the ribbons of the Legion Of Honor
which the president Of the republic is supposed
to confer upon people of distinction. Through
her Gen. Cafforel and some other high officers
OF the army were implicated.
Wilson was put on trial, but escaped through
technicality. The trail of dishonor led pain
fully close to President Grevy. SO close that at
the time-the spring and summer Of 1S87-the
general belief was that Grevy himself had been
cognizant of the traffic in the honor of the re-
public and had profited by it. Paris was on
f1re and the ministry was In q tumult At last,
just as everything was going to pieces, Grevy
resigned. This was on December q 1887
1t is certain that NJ. CREWS misfortunes were
due to the failure of his powers of mind in the
last years of his administration. Before the
exposure OF Wilson he had begun to show a
childishness and irritability, loss of mental
balance and an uncertain grasp of events which
were in contrast to the earlier years of his ad-
ministration. After his downfall he retired
to his estate near Montsous-Vaudrezw where he
had been won't to pass the summer months
His mind and body failed rapidly and the last
two years OF his life have been most sad. The
French people recovered their belief in his
honesty, but he did not recover from the dis
grace SO utter and so untimely.