The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-24

= (S ~.
+ whsn, everybody had bssu mistaken. s',ee,
anteoedents.- such services. had carried
hi name even into the smallest townships.
His authority had no peer. his friends
applied to -, him the words Of Thucydides
upon Perioles: Thanks to tho elevation
Of his character, the depth OF his views,
Perioles exeroised an inconkest able ascend
ENJOY over Athens. Wherever he appeared.
says one Of his adversaries. he took without
dispute tho frst place In the awful hours
when stricken nation faces itself, faces
its own errors and the consequences OF
its errors. when 1t begins to doubt its des-
tiny 1t gladly intrusts tself to mon who
seem to have been prepared by some higher
Providence to seize the command, and
grasp tho helm M. HanotauI holds that
this little brakeman with tho fiery soul
--Thiers's own phrase. speaking Of himself
observed. upon the whole. tho remark
able oommendation addressed to him by
a friend who became an opponent: you
will have great place In history, which
will never have sean swordleas hero chang
OF his mind
1t Is suggested that the pliancy OF his
intellect was, perhaps, the most valuable
| Quduty Oh lIneIb a. ILIc tiuo Wheh hc Se>AA'o
! to power He lent himself to all oom-
binations. and encouraged all hopes. Tho
Royalists thought that, at heart, he was
with them. or At least, would come back
TO them. The Republicans did not forget
that he had constructed a happy formula
In favor OF the Republic: 1T is the form OF
government which divides us the least. '
Had he. to speak strictly. any convictions!
.1,,As
viction is too cut and dried for a mind
! that Was In a state Of perpetual evolution
! -One day NJ. de Belcastel asked him: What
were his relations with God7 On that
point he replied. laughing, we shall I'M
! derstand one another, for / am neither OF
the court nor Of the opposition He held
the same attitude on many questions. His
game between Republic and Monarchy re-
calls that which he played under Louis
Philippe between the Crown and the
country. He was the very antithesis OF =
party man He has been reproached with
! 1t. 1t was said that he was Of the party OF
NJ. Theirs: Yes, but was not NJ. Theirs more
often than not Of the party Of Franoe?'
Il is admitted that a Republican by con-
viction Theirs never was. He had but a
moderate faith In the magic Of formulas.
He was not afraid Of the Republic. how
! ever. and therein he was differentiated
from the majority Of the people among
whom he lived. Talking to Lord Granvi
In September 1870, about the form OF Gov
eminent which suited France, he said
! The Republic Is at the present moment
: everybodys government; bringing despair
| to no party. because 1t realizes nobody's
wishes deAni,ively. 1t now suits ALL :"
Speaking to Prince GortschakotY not long
afterward. he uttered these prophetic
words: 1T is Republic that is to-day the
best Of your friends 1.-THE reference was to
the United StatesI, and. perhaps. there will
soon be two republics included in your
affections; at least wish It,.
i OF NJ. Jules Grevy. who, in compliance
with the wish Of Theirs. was almost unani-
mo,lsly chosen President Of the Bordeaux
Assembly. we are reminded that. while
he had held aloof from politics under the
Second Empire. he had played a striking
! part under. the Second Republic He had
! bern named vice.Preeident Of the National
Assembly Of May. lsAs and. apprehensve
OF efforts to resuscitate the Napoleonic
Empire. he had advocated In the course
! Of tho debates on the Constitution, an
! amendment upprcsdng tho proposed Preti-
dency OF the Republic At the tifne OF the
J. nrst plebisdte In December, 1851. he had
protested with great energy against the
principle embodied in such q consulta-
ton OF the nation: In demanding an
answer from the people to specific ques-
tion.' he said. you practically give it an
! order OF this unwavering Republican,
! who. himself was twice TO- he chosen Prcsi-
dent OF the Third Republic. and was
! ultimately. to suffer for faults not his own,
We find the portrait outlined in the fol-
lowing sentences: He was dignity per-
sonifed. His cool, impassive and saga
dously impartial attitude broke the tradition
confirmed by NJ. de Morpy OF presiding
officers who enlvened the aridity OF Parlia-
mentary debates with shrewd and sparkling
salles. Son OF that Franche- Comte. which
in no more than one generation had pro-
duoed Victor Hugo and Pasteur. he had
the measured wisdom. the cunning shrewd-
meas, the sense Of conduct and the sense
! Of consistency distinctive Of that province.
He admirably realized the ideal middle
claAs man Naturally less quick and less
impulsive than NJ. Theirs, prudent, self
controlled and calm. speaking little and
we'll, dropping from slightly contemptuous
mouth, rare, well minted axioms. without
RESN VIEWS hlu SIcoI poSe'oii'
he waa soon to be acceptable to everybody
by hts very prudence and reserve. and
noiselessly to build the road for very
secret and very tenacious ambition"
There Is no doubt that, In the Pc ace nego-
tiations. between Theirs and Bismarck. the
former was overmatched. Our author
recognizes that his good qualities would
have been more In their place in the pres
ente Of an areopagus, celebrating on the
consequences OF the German victories
His eloquence, his intelligence. his age
would have acted upon what would have
been In some sort q tribunal OF arbitration
On the other hand, his very merits clashed
with one another in tho presence Of the
COOL determination Of his powerful ad-
versary. Theirs was quick-tempered. oper
J and somewhat wordy. Bismarck had not
been slow to recognize his weak points
B,saoh testiAes that he thus passed judg-
mant on Theirs In his familiar circle: HE
J ie an amiable and slilful man, intellectua
!, and brilliant; but, for all that, he is not 1
diplomatist he Ia too sentimental for that
, He Is indisputably shrewder than julie,
. Favre, but. he too. lets himself be bufe<
| too easily. He has an unfortunate mania