Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-28
TIL RSDAY. JUNE -, 1913.
The Now President of the French
Republic.


The French national Congress yesterday
elected President 10 take NJ. Carnot $
Mace. ana we judge that II chose good
man IN NJ. Jean Cas.nir-Pcrier
Caglmir-Pcricr belongs to family
which has furnished France with three
generations of statesmen lie was born
I'm Paris in 1917, had a liberal education
and served in the army during the Franco
Prussian war. when he won the cross u
the Legion Of Honor. lie entered pubic
nfe as the private secretary Of his father
who WAS the Minister Of the Interior
lie was President Of the Chamber Of
Deputies last December, when he Ie-
signed. having formed ministry lof
President Carnot, who was then iice 10
face with crisis. 1t is said That one OF
the conditions which Caslmir-Perier made
when he accepted the responsibility oil
the premiership WAS that Carnot SHOULD
retire at the expiration of his Gar
not's) presidential term. Whether ms
is true or not We do not pretend TO know
Carnot never admitted the truth OF III
nor are we certain that Casimir-Perier
ever fatherod the story.
At any rate. it came TO be rumored In
France that there was an UNDERSTAND
ing Of this character and that Carnot
WAS unfalthful 10 his pledge and was
scheming against Casimir-Perier
After some months In the premiership
Caslmir-Perier determined to quit that
post and ne rode for fair; that Is TO
say. he courted defeat in the Chamber Of
Deputies.
There was u proposition pending in the
Chamber of Deputies with reference to the
miners eight-hours' law. and on the 22d
of May last Casimir-Perier demanded the
order of the day aud was defealed-2i5
10 -0j.
II f. alleged by some OF his opponents
that If ne had addressed the Chamber for
a few minutes and explained the object
of his motion he would have carried the
day: but he allowed the question TO be
put without vouchsadug any explanation
and was bcatcn-as it is believed Hc
wished to be- And thereupou be resigned
the Premiership lie was succeeded n
his ministerial office by NJ. Dupuy ami
took the lattcr's place as President OF
the Chamber Of Deputies. and became an
avowed candidate for President.
It is important 10 know that the cleo
ton OF Casimir-Pericr to the presidency
of the French republic WAS quietly ef-
foctcI-that is t. say, quietly for France
TINT the vote bee received showed great
public confidence IN him as the man for
the emergency, ana that throughout
France he is regarded ass an able, coura-
gc1us, and patriotic man. He las expert
,noo gained in the tented field. in lcgisla-
tive halls. m the ministry, and in nu-
mrrous other public positions. In poll
u.. he is a Conservative Republican ana
"a rroteotiouis,." His election was al
most a forcgone conclusion when the Con
gross assembled at Versailles yesterday
Indeed. % is not improbable that he could
have defeated Carnot had Carnot lived to
compete with him for the place.
K is not merry thing for man to
be elevated to Office when his predecessor
lies dead nj the hands of an Anarchist as
tdEslN, ana OF course lit h'N i''A'''''
would. have preferred promotion under
happier circumstances. The solemnite'
of the occasion cannot hut impress hin
deeply. and move him TO give his whole
heart and mind to the cause of the re-
public.
Jacques ST. Ccrc in his dispatch from
Paris. published in the New York Herald
OF Yesterday. said that what the Frencl
people want IS a man with a firm hand
md ho predicted the election of Casimir
Perier for the reason that he represents
the principle Of authority ana force"
The new President, it seems. is very
rich. and is connected through his wife
who was born Comtesse dc Sesur. witt
noble families Of the Faubours st. Ger
main. Some of the radical friends o
Premier Dupuy said il Dupuy should b'
elected they could "go 10 the Elyset
Palace IN sack-coats and smoke ana cha
without ceremony" while in case of tn
election OF casimir-Perier they would "b
obliged TO wear drcss-c0ats, and Their
would be no smoking ana chatting there!