The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1899-06-17
Woman's Influence Often Prominent at the
Court Of the French Republic.

Paris Correspondence: NJ. Loubet,
The new president Of the French re-
public, has moved into the Palace of
the Elysee without ordering any
changes to be made in its furniture or
decoration. His course is different
from the procedure Of the late Felix
Faure, who ransacked the National
Garde-Meuble for ancient tapestries,
priceless carpets and historic cabinets,
tables, chairs, wardrobes and bed
steads. The late president reveled in
display. He found none of the ma
tional treasures too precious to decor
ate the presidential home. M. Loubet,
a severe republican of simple tastes,
has ordered nothing, but, on the other
hand, nothing will be changed. What
was good enough for Felix Faure is
good enough for him.
The palace of the Elysee is itself one
OF the most romantic of the great
houses of Paris. Constructed in 171S
for the Comte d'Evereux, it was used
afterward by the beautiful and naugh-
ty Madame de Pompadour. She gave it
TO her brother, the Marquis de Marig-
ny, who enlarged it.. During the revo-
. luton it was let out to contractors
for balls, festivals and similar pur-
poses, all joyous. At times it was the
home of dance and song. The eye of
beauty was no stranger to it. The
roulette wheel clicked within its halls.
Murat lived in it. Napoleon retired to
1t after Waterloo, and in it signed his
abdication. Then the Duke of Wei
Hngton took up his residence in it. The
emperor Of Russia was lodged in it in
1915. 1t was inhabited by the Due de
Barry at the time of his assassination.
Prince Napoleon plotted the coup
d'etat in what is now the library. It
has seen many alterations or addi-
lions since the beauteous Pompadour
took sunbaths at the windows of what
is the bedchamber of the austere LOU
bet
The care of the palace of the Elysee
falls on NJ de Gourlet, Inspector of
national palaces, who is responsible
for all the furniture, the carpets, cur
tains, tapestries and hangings so long
as they are in use by each president.
On several occasions he was much en-
barrassed by the impulsive generosity
of Felix Faure. At the time of the
visit of the car of Russia, the czarina
expressed admiration for a. certain old
Gobelin tapestry. Permit me to send
it to you!" exclaimed the gallant pres
ident. M. de Gourlet was worried
when the order came to pack it up.
He had to explain to M. Faure that
while all these fine historic things
were his to use and even to abuse,
their real owner was, after all, the
French nation. M. Faure was highly
1ncensed but when it was suggested to
him that a copy could be made, as
good as the original, by the present.
day manufacturers, he showed relief.
The inspector of national palaces, of
course, meant that the copy should be
sent on to St. Petersburg. It appears
that NJ Felix Faure misunderstood
him. At any rate, it is question
whether the cZarina has the original or
the copy. The responsibility of such
officials as M. de Gourlet is great. This
is why, on the accession Of each new
president, complete inventories pre-
cede a survey of the Elysee, in which
the new president takes part, to indi-
cate whatever changes he desires.
On the present occasion M. and Nine
Loubet were accompanied by M, de
Gourlet, inspector of national palaces.
M. Loubet, director of the Garde-Meu-
BILE, and M. Des Chapelles, the chef de
bureau des beaux-arts. It is the bust
ness of the last-named official to sup
ply the president with paintings, mod
ern and ancient, and to keep the fres-
Goes of the Elysee in repair.
The first thing to decide was the dis
position of the private rooms. M.
F'aure had kept the private reception
cabinet of NJ Carnot, while completely
modifying its style. In the time of
Carnot it had empire furniture, while
along one side Of the room ran large
library. M. Faure ordered this library
moved to the bureau of his secretary
general, and replaced it by superb
Gobelin tapestry. M. Loubet, being of
studious taste, like M. Carnot, has
called the books back. Under the
Faure regime the severe empire furni-
ture followed the library, being re-
placed by the gorgeous Louis XIV. style
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