Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-11-24

the other young agitators were dis
cussing Jacobin phrases he learned OF
ire achievements of washington, JET
ferson and Franklin.
Pursuing his medical studies, he aired
; his political and religious views by
writing In various journals OF the Latin
quarter, which were alternately toler-
ated and suppressed by imperial ca
price. In 1862 he conceived the idea of
celebration in the Place de la Bastille
in commemoration of the anniversary
of February "a, 184S. He organized a
students parade to the site of the old
prison. where he led cheers for the
| revolution and cries of "Vive Ia Repub-
liquel' He was arrested, imprisoned
in the Conciergerie and sentenced to
two months hard labor in the prison
at Mazas.
Little Hope in Profession.
Following his attainment of his med
! ical degree, Clemenceau felt that, un-
i der the imperial regime. little In the
! way of a professional careeE was open
! to him. He realized that to remain
| In France would mean either tame sub
| mission to the existing order or a sue
cession OF prison terms. He preferred
! to withdraw from his native land until
things mended. as he was firmly con-
WINGED they soon would do. and re-
solved to travel in the United States.
England and Germany. studying these
countries and their institutions He
elected to visit America first The rest
of his project never was carried out.
He arrived in New York in the Spring
of 1865, bringing letters OF introduc-
ton to Horace Greeley and to sub
editor of the Tribune. He studied with
care the condition of the working classes
in America and the political and social
institutions of the country so that for
two years after his return to Paris, in
1869. he was able to write an excellent
New York Letter" to lie Temps with
out moving out of the office of that
newspaper.
Upon his arrival in New York Glenn
enceau took up his residence in West
Twelfth street and cast about for means
of entering the ranks of the practicing
medical profession. Patients did not
come, however. and he was forced to
turn to his writings to make ends meet.
He contributed articles to several New
York newspapers and contributed ma
terial on American subjects to the Paris
papers. He also made q French trans
lation of John Stuart Mills book on
Auguste Comte. In the Fall of 1855
he was offered place as an instructor
in the French language and literature
AL q yOulLS WOIAldI dCd0CIlN at N1lCCl~
wich, Conn.,, which he accepted. One
of his students was Miss Mary Plum
mer. with whom he fell in love. Their
engagement was announced, but was
nearly broken when Miss Plummer
learned that her intended husband
would consent only to civil marriage.
Clemenccen was obdurate and finally
gained his point, the civil marriage be-
ing performed the year following his
arrival at Greenwich. The daughter who
was born of this marriage. Nine.
Clemehceau- Jacquemaire, lectured wide
" in this country on The Soul of
France" In the Winter of 1890.
In Revolution Of 1870.
Late in 1869 Clemenceau returned to
France with his wife and child and set
hardly established himself when the
news Of Benedettis interview with
william I at Ems and the consequent
rupture between France and Prussia |
reached Paris July 10, 1870. A week !
later came the formal declaration of
war. Clemenceau at once entered into |
relations with Gambetta and on the |
night Of September 3, preceding the |
proclamation Of the. French Republic. he !
went around Belleville for him to tell !
the members of the National Guard !
there to meet next day In the Place de |
la Concorde and make q clean sweep Of |
the empire Then he went to his old |
friend Etienne Arago, the self-elected |
mayor of Paris, and was intrusted by |
him with the administration of the |
18th Acknowledgement the most difficult
of all to manage, as was soon to appear |
from the events which gave Montmartre |
its tragic notoriety. After the failure |
of the popular movement in Paris on
october 81 municipal elections took
place in the Paris constituencies and
Montmartre confirmed by large ma
young mayor.
AS q result Of his efiicient admin |
.stration under the trying circumstances, |
Clemenceau, o strap-hanger few
months before gained such popularity |
that when the siege was over Paris |
elected him as one of its representatives |
to the National Assembly. He resigned |
when the body refused to deal with the |
Commune, returning to his municipal |
duties after opposing the preliminaries |
of peace. He was present in the Mont /
martre Town Hall when the Communist |
revolution broke out on March ID.
Clemenceau was severely condemned |
for falling to prevent the murder OF |
Gen. Lecomte and Gen. Thomas and |
other Communist crimes, and when he |
appeared before the conseil de guerre at |
Versailles as witness 1t seemed las II |
he were going to be transferred to the |
prisoners dock" He was able, how |
ever, to prove that he had done his |
duty as mayor. !
Clemenceaus position in the months !
Immediately preceding the Montmartre
tragedy had been difficult. He had be- |
come suspect to the Versailles govern |
ment because Of his advocacy of the |
extension of municipal rights. He was
distrusted by the Communists for the
reason that he disapproved Of revolu- |
tionary means. This latter became evil |
dent when the new government in Paris |
expelled him from Montmartre and or
dered his arrest. He would not, de-
spite this. cast his lot with Conservative
France and M. Theirs. but sought to
bring about compromise. He became,
with Floquet and Lockroy. the founder
and apostle of the Paris League for
Rights, and he started on a lecturing
tour of the provinces in order to pro-
mote the leagues object. The national
government at once stopped his prog
ress. He was in Paris when the gov
eminent troops entered the city on
May %. 1871, but he kept out Of the
way. He did all he could for the i'm
prisoned Communists, who numbered
more than $4,000.
His Pistol Always Ready.
Montmartre, in 1872, returned to its
allegiance and sent Clemenceau to the
Paris municipal council. He became,
in turn, secretary, vice chairman and
chairman Of the body. In 1876 he was
elected to the Assembly and thereupon
began a new period in his life.
Although a supporter OF Gambetta
in the early days of his political life,
Clemenceau, following his entrance to
the chamber, became the deadly foe
of the Opportunist doctrine held by
Gambetta and his followers. He fought