New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-08
IL
THE DOMESTIC SIDE-LIFE 1T THE ELY
SEE-ENGL1SH VIEWS OF THE PRESl-
DENT AND OF THE ASSASSINATION.
G. W 5.

~
London. June q.
What the French liked in President Garnet
was what the English Ike in the Queen: the
domestic side OF his life He was a good hus-
band and a good father The domestic circle at
the Elysee was known 10 be happy one. The
English viii probably continue 20 believe - the
end OF time that the French have u, homes and
that family ties weaker In France than here.
The contrary is nevertheless true, and II was
nre-crninentlv true in the case Of the Carnot
family. His household was we'll ordered His
servants liked him. He was considerate to his
staff to the officials with whom he came In con-
tact: TO everybody.
His immense elevation never turned his head.
and don't know that there Is a better proof Of
his solidity Of character than that Human nature
is but too susceptible t. these uplifting Influences
Nothing is more common than to a man
raised and especially II he be suddenly raised, to
a great post. intoxicated by promotion. To the
occupants Of all such posts there comes ncces-
sarily q certain amount of Difference: often OF
adulatiOn II IS openly shown. The man has not
been accustomed to II. lie forgets to compute
how large part Of II Is shown to the Office and
how little Is meant for the man. His predecessor
had 1t. and much the same sort OF homage will
be offered with the same outward marks Of re-
spect to his successor, and 70 the successor VINO
shall come after him. and so on. Yet the indi-
vidual who for the time being happens to bear
the title IS nattered and apt u think some ex-
ceptional honor is shown to him Individually.
Not 50 NJ. Carnot. although his election to the
Presidency OF the Republic. beyond question one
OF the most splendid positions in the world, lifted
him out OF something very Ike obscurity. lie
was compromise candidate. He owed his cleo
December at Versailles. to the rreconcilabe
rivalry between NJ. Jules Ferry and VI. de Frey
cinet each OF whom succeeded In making the
success OF the other impossible. True. NJ Carnot
had been twice Minister but almost everybody
in France has been Minister He was the Frank
lin Pierce OF French politics. The Radicals how
ever, were the immediate Instruments Of his
elevation. They not only hated. but dreaded
Jules Ferry They in him. and rightly, the
incarnation Of the principle OF authority. He
would have been King Stork; they wanted King
Log and they picked out NJ Carnot for that part.
They wanted a weak President whom they could
mould to their own purposes, or failing that,
ajoe or bully. Bitterly were they disappointed
when they found that they had mistaken their
man and that CarnOt, though he might lack
initiative and many other things. had an ahun-
dance of that quiet courage and unbending sense
OF duty which were so well fitted 10 battle the
enemies of the Government
Neither abroad at home did President
Carnot excite enthusiasm. 1t was not his mis-
sion in life 10 set pulses beating at fever heat.
Nobody thought OF him as great President or
great popular leader or as one Of those men
who sometimes gather up great State in the
hollow Of the hand and launch 1t at some other
Power, or take the lead In a crusade. II he
had been a man OF any one OF those types, he
would still have found himself curiously
hampered by the Constitution under which he
held office. A President OF the French Republic
has not little OF the power of President Of
the United States. He is, to a very large ex-
tent ornamental. He has to represent the Re-
public. 1t is odd variation upon official duties
but It is quite true that one part OF his business
was to make progresses from time to time