Great Falls weekly tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1894-1???, 1894-12-14
THE WEEKLY TRIBUNE
RATES.
WEEKLY.
FERDINAND DE LESSEPS.

A long, eventful, and, in the main,
honorable, life was ended in Paris yes
terday with the death of Ferdinand de
Lesseps. 1t is true that the last few
years were clouded with a terrible scan.
dal that astonished the world, but even
that could not dim the brilliancy of his
record nor detract from the genius Of
this most remarkable man who wore the
cross of the Legion of Honor when its
possession was a genuine badge of dis
tinction, and whose civic triumps en-
titled him to the praise and commenda-
ton of the great of all nations. That
in his later years he fell must by all who
are just be attributed rather to his sur
~roundings than to any inherent wicked
ness. He was a victim to his own
genius, for he surrendered his native
honesty and became the tool of design
ing men IN the vain hope that by SO
doing he could accomplish a SPLENDID
purpose. The Suez canal is the monu-
ment of his greatness, the Panama canal
the monument Of his disgrace. That he
died with an unaccomplished purpose is
his misfortune, made doubly bitter by
the knowledge that he had in his en-
deavors used means that even the great
end in view did not justify. This is our
estimate OF the man, and now that he
has departed justice, not charity, will in
duce a like recognition Of his character.
A biographical sketch Of DeLesseps is
not at hand and would be useless if it
were. He was born in France in 1906,
and was consequently nearly 80 years
old. In neither of the stupendous en-
terprises with which his name has been
connected for good or evil, was he an
originator, but it was his masterful and
practical mind that utilized the theories
of others. The idea of the Suez canal is
almost as old as history, but It's modern
conception was in the late days Of the
eighteenth century, with NAPOLEON the
Great as its patron and protector, but
circumstances compelled him to abandon
the project. In 1841 it was revived by
the v~iceroy Of Egypt and routes were
surveyed, n in 1849 DeLesseps ap-
peared on the scene and succeeded in SO
impressing upon the Egyptian govern
ment its feasibility that in 1854 he was
granted the concessions he asked. There
were objections and delays, but the will
of the man triumphed and in August,
1859, the work was begun, and to use
his own language on the occasion, "In
the name Of the universal company of
the Suez canal and in virtue Of the deci-
sion of the council of it's first %administra-
ton we strike the first blow which shall
open the east to the commerce and civil
zaion of the west" In 1869 the canal was
accomplished fact and on Nov. II of
that year it was opened to vessels.
As in the case Of the Suez canal, the
opening of a water route across the
Isthmus of Panama had been long
and surveys had been made, but
it was not until DeLesseps took hold in
1869 that the project assumed shape. and
i was late IN the seventies before a
company was organized and work begun
several years later and was continued,
immense sums Of money being expended,
until the exposures which are fresh in
the memory of all we're made and the
was for the time being a wreck.
In this enterprise nearly all the capital
vas subscribed by the French, and
efforts are still being made by the finan-
ciers OF that nation to revive the CON-
pany and renew the work. for they still
have faith 10 its accomplishment and