Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-07-29
BURpEAU's RISE FROM oescURITY.
Once = Blacksmith's Apprentice Now
PresIdent of the Chamber In France.

There Is a very weli-known anecdo,e,
remarks the Paris correspondent or the
London Times IN a letter OF July eth'
about the Veretian Ambassador at the
Court OF Louis XIV. who. while Walking
in the galleries at Versailles. was asked
what had most struck him during MS
trip What most strikes me-. replied the
Ambassador, 'is 10 see myself here.
recall this old anecdOte." said he. De
cause II sums up what must have oeeh
to-day the impressions OF NJ Burceau-
a man whose modesty equals his merit
on taking his seat as president OF 'he
Chamber and delivering the customary
little speech incumbent upon every newly
elected president. | must add that tne
chief impression made upon the entire
Chamber by ". Burdeau's appearance IN
the presidential chair was one of admir-
ing surprise.
at f.. indeed, always with considera-
BILE feeling OF surprise, whatever the In
tringic merit OF HIM who calls X forth,
that one sees those born N the most
humble circumstances reach me hlghcst
honOIs and attain a position when l.
was quite impossible 10 foresee. DO
not believe that the history OF the Third
republic contains a more striking or rlore
touching instance Of political fortune thah
that of NJ. Burdeau. There nave teth
men throughout It's history who have cb-
tanned office at a very early age without
their names having been on me lips OF
the crowd. and have held their own for
a time but then have disappeared, 10 De
swallowed up again in the SHADOWS from
which they emerged. But none OF the
predecessors Of NJ. Bur1eau has had TO
fight the same battles or overcome the
same difficulties as he. Gambetta, the
only one to be compared with NJ Burdeau
IN brilliant and rapid elevation. had gov
erncl France during the second portion
Of the war, ana his accession to the
presidency Of the Chamber was To a
rank inferior 10 lis previous position. VI
Dupuy had been Prime Minister before
he became president OF the Chamber NJ.
Casimir-Perier was a grandson or CAST
mir-Perier NJ. Bullets renown went back
to the empire. All, in a word, reached
this high post as the logical result OF
their position and rank.
FROM OBSCURITY.
M. Rurdeau, on the contrary, born ~
obscure surroundings. apprentlced 10
blacksmith, thrown in his earliest infancy
among WOrkingmen TO gain with them
procariOus livelihood. nevertheless man
aged with a sort of a miraculous foresight
IN his melancholy childhood TO devote ms
rare moments OF leisure 10 those studies
by which one day he Was 10 reach one
Of those pinnaclcs from which are d.
rcctcd the destinies OF nations. The his
tory Of tbs small child Of the people
destined To- suffering, working through
the solitude Of the night TO find a way
out Of the atmosphere Of his daily task
working almost at random, instlnctiveiy'
and without direct guidance or counsel
to tell him exactly OF what intellectual
weapons he stood most in need, is truly
touching. one day he completes for
scholarship offered by the city OF Lyons.
He gains il, and from victory to victory
he goes on until he reaches the Normal
School. lie obtains a profcssorship OF
philosophy IN the Provinces, is noticed
by Paul Reri. becomes his chef de cabinet.
stands for Parliament in he same city
Of LYONS which he knew as chiid,
enters the Chamber AZ deputy and thsre.
by the dignity Of his character. by his
integrity. by his varied and multiple ca
pacitics. by his faculty OF assimilation.
and by his affabity, shortly steps into
the very front rank.
1T was VI. Burdeau who accompanied
". Jules Simon To Berlin, as delegate 10
the Labor Congress assembled by the
German Emperor When VI. Cavaignac
quilted the post Of Minister OF Marine IL
was VI. Burdeau who succeeded MN. lie
himself relates the following charming
anecdote: on the day he entered upon
his duties at the Ministry an usher
showed him the way 10 his cabinet. in
a corner OF the room ne noticed splen-
did piece OF Louis XIV. furniture, gilded
rosewood bureau What is that bureau!
asked NJ. Burdeau. 1t was the bureau Of
the great Colbert replied the usher. Then
after a moments silence. he added: The
last great minister We have had here
The lesson was severe. but VI. Butueau
accepted II with a laugh, and some weeks
later on he conducted the Dahomey al
fair with a rapidly and resolution worthy
Of his great predecessor. As Minister or
Finance, only few months ago, he sue
ceeded In carrying 10 successful issue
the onerous task OF converting a capital
Of : milllards OF francs, securing to
France without any sort OF trouble or
perturbation an annual economy OF 20
coooof. Several lays ago public
opinion regarded him as destined to be
the Prime Minister Of NJ. Casimir-Perier's
Cabinet. II he did not become SO II Is
because his fan would have been looked
upon as a check for NJ. Casirnir-Perier
himself. while Dupuy Cabinet had no
such Significance and left intact the per-
sonality OF the President
To-day, as the result Of yesterdays
vote. NJ BurIeau. who was born IN
September. 1871. Is President Of the Cham
Der. and it was - the sound Of repeated
applause this afternoon that he delivered
tn, customary inaugural speech. This
speech. which Is neither commonplace" nor
brilliantly striking is the utterance OF
a modest man, who takes himself at less
than his real worth II is impossible
o. share the hopes Of VI. Burdeau that the
Chamber viii be fruitful OF all good par
liamcntary) works, nor can one share his
Illusions when he appeals 10 a House In
which a compact band OF noisy Socialists
have raised obstruction TO the rank OF
principle TO work in harmony and unity.
This is a cOnsummation devoutly 70 be
wished. but as yet far distant. But IN
any case, It IS possible, and even duty,
for all those who admire great qualities
Of Industry, as well as honor and IN
tcgrity, to applaud the brilliant role
" hich has fallen to the lot OF NJ. Burdeau.
His elevation is a ground Of hope for
all who work in obscurity. II is an en-
couragement for all those who. without
oti or weapons than their own energy and
their own Intelligence. are striving 10 OBJ
tain a position in the world"
"Where Ignorance Is Bliss" Etc.
street * Smith'sD