The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1896-12-22

ALEXANDRA RIIoT.
WY to nttcrd the coronation Of the car,
Then came Sir Charles Russell. lord chief
Justice of England. on pleasure bent. Fol
lowing him came Ii Hung Cham, China's
grand old man, and Joseph Chamberlain
another English celebrity Another dis
hnEuished visitor is NJ. Alexandra Felix
Joseph Rihot, cI-rrcmicr of France ana
who may lie said to be Oh tho threshold of
TIE presidency of our sister republic. He
has an American wife, and that makes him
nll tho more interesting to US
For moro than 10 years ~ Eihot l,aG
been in he very center OF the turmoil Of
French politics. ard hc is now cnioyin1.
what is PROBABLY u ECst grateful breath
ing spell. Although today 10 is but n
private citizen. tomorrow he is likely to 10
in the thick Of the fight again, the man
upcn whom the eyes of all his countrymcn
VIII lie turned. With true republican sim
plicty, NJ. Ribot camo ununnonnccd and
slipped away quietly into Vermont. where
lie Is being entertained by personal friends.
nj. hDot although an Eek" is by no
means "has lccn." for ho is today nm.
douEtcdly one of the nest eminent states
men in France. Howas born - Years 400
at st. Omcr, department. of the Pas 90
Calais. He received u classical education
and then studied law in Paris. receiving "A
doctors degree at the univ ursity when he
was but , years Of age. AS y LAWYER he
rose rapidly in his profession, and the stem
INTO politics was an easy ono. He was frs,
chosen secretary OF the conference of nd.<o.
Gates in Paris, ard Just before the In of
the second empire WAS made deputy iudpe
of the tribunal of the Seine
Dnring tho ensuing cried of disturbance,
he was II locker on, but in 1873 he wnc
giNon Il ] laco i'll the depart nlcnt of iustico
rs director Of criminal cases ard rartlons
lew months later no was promoted to
the Office OF secretary general THEN n
ministerial crisis, the first OF many in
which lie was destined to figure, occurred,
ana he retired to take his position in the
forefront OF tho Paris bar
Tic had had taste OF politics, however.
ard he was bent on having more. All
through the crisis which the MDcAInhon
government experienced lie was active as a
camEaigncr, and in 1878 lie was Gle. ted q
deputy for Eoulognc- sur Ner, in his native
Department
ms later career was stormy in the ex-
tren!c Often hc held Office and ms often
refused To accept it. His policy was mark
cti ont with IA clear bold hand He came
out us an unilinching supporter of the re-
pnOllc against nonarchicul reaction bl,t
Inc proved himself an equally s,cadfasr
champion against the comn,nnistic ten
denotes of the Radicals The crisis of 1857.
when NJ. Greyy WAS forced to resign,
brought NJ. Eibot To the front Asal!s;.
resort NJ. Grcvy turned 10 him and asked
nm TO form n ministry, but hc declined.
Then the unfortunate Carnot became rhe
chief executive and under him A. Moline
invited NJ. Mbot To enter the cabinet, but
he again refused. His third opportunity
came i'll 1880. when he was asked 10 he
como mihiater OF foreign affairs by NJ. do
frcycinct. Ito accepted aud was ore of
tho most successful ministers France had
ever had.
he retained the samo portfolio under NJ.
LouCct, and when that ministry fell he TO-
came III turn prime minister ard minister
OF tho interior. He held Office until March,
iS93, and during the years Of his ministry
france passed through the most storm =
period OF Its career rs u republic The
rahhmn scandal reached its height and
shook the government from center TO cir
cumicrcncc but, although many Of his fcl.
low cabinet ministers were disgrnccd for
lie, NJ Ribot, being entirely free from
any completely with tho disgraccful swim
aleS' came oft untouC he'd by SO much as n
breath OF suspicion and finally retired from
ofllce with srotless character.
In January, 1895, when NJ Cassimir.
Perrier suddenly retired from tho prcsi
aency and the Dupuy ministry fell when
talk OF revolution and revival OF tho com
mure was rife. President Faure turned TO
NJ Ribot and asked him to form min.
istry. 1t was n job which man less brave
might have declined, but NJ Ribot rntri
otically came forward and organized Il cab
met of conservative republicans, who
brought the republic through the crisis in
safety. Last October the Rihct ministry
was dissolved ana NJ. Ribot retired with
nh untarnishcd reputation.
Mrs Ribot, his American wife, is q ma
Two OF Chicago. Her father was Isaac w
Burch Of Buffalo, who went to Chicago
ABOUT 1880 and became millionaire bank.
er. In 1850 he sued his vito for divorce
lie lost and after settling large sum of
money on Mrs. Burch took ore of his two
daughters and went to Paris, where no
died several years later but not until Mrs
Burch had securedu divorce on the ground
OF desertion and remarked His daughter
and companion married at IN early ago q