GAMBETTA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 832, 3 January 1883, Page 2

GAMBETTA.

We take the following biography <jfc the late Ldon Gambetta from “ Men of the Time” : I Gambetta, Ldon, a French ’statesman, born at Oahors, of a Genoese family, October 30, 1838. Adopting the legal pro* fession, he became a member of the Paria Bar in 1859, and soon acquired fame as a forensic orator, being much employed in political causes, both in the capital and in the provinces, while he obtained immense popularity ameng certain classes of the Parisians on account of his Republican opinions. In March, 1869, on the occasion of the prosecution of the Emancipation newspaper at Toulouse, the , young and eloquent orator a most enthusiastic reception in the south. At the general election held that year, M. Gambetta stood for Paris and Marseilles, as a representative of the “ irreconcilable opposition,” and was returned for both constituencies, but elected to lake hi« ; for Marseilles. In January,: [lß7o| he made a violent attack on the Olivier i Ministry, declaring that the day would ! come \yhen the majority ;,of the people : would, without appealing to ( force,eacceed in establishing a Republic. On the fall oi the Empire, and the consequent forma* tiou of the Government of the National Defence in September, .1870,' he wasnomi- , nated Minister of the Interior/.and showed that he possessed • administrative powers of a high order. WhenalWrious i misunderstanding took place between-the Delegate Government at Toursiand the , National Defence Committed in Paris, regarding the contemplated election of , deputies, M. Gambetta writs ’selected by his colleagues to proceed to'“the former i. city and explain the position of - affairs in i the capital Accordingly he left Paria on Oct. 7, 1870, in a balloon named the ‘ Arraand-Barbds,’ accompanied „by a secretary and an aeronaut, passed safely over the Prussian lines, and reached Rouen in the evening. Proceeding without loss of time to Tours, he there assumed the direction, andfor soma iponths was virtually Dictator of all those . provinces of France which were free frot%the German invaders. He urged the people to continued resistance, raised the army of the Loire, and after the Delegate GbVlrnment had been obliged to remove to Bordeaux, he issued a proclamation advocating war d outraace, and resistance even to complete exhaustion. 1 It is scarcely necessary to add that his of driving out the Prussians was not realised, and that his volunteer armies were completely crushed by the welLtrainad forces of the, enemy. On Feb 6, 1871, MM. Arago, Garnier-Pagba, and Eugene Pelletan, members of the Paris Government, arrived at Bordeaux, bringing with them a decree signed by all the members p£ itho Government, which annulled that of)M. Gambetta, by which certain classes of electors were disqualified as candidate&for the Assembly. In consequence of this censure, M. Gambetta at once resigned his functions. Shortly afterwards he; proceeded to Spain, and resided there for some months in seclusion, but has -since returned to France and obtained a Meat in the Assembly, where he is regarded as leader of the Radical wing of the republic party. His political conduct has been characterised by moderation and reserve, but nevertheless he has' constantly directed his efforts to one object—- : the definite establishment of the Republic. In September, 1872, he made a kind of Democratic “ Progress ” in the south of France, receiving a semi-official welcome from the municipal authorities. He delivered a famous speech at Grenoble, which was regarded; as a manifesto ’ and programme of the Red party, amounting to a declaration of war against the Government of the National Assembly. Another famous speech of his was delivered at Aix in January, 1876. At the close of the year 1877, M. Gambetta paid a visit to Rome, and had private. conferences with the leading statesmen of the Italian Kingdom. On Sept. 11, 1877, he was condemned by the eleventh Correctional Tribunal of Paris to three months’ imprisonment, and to pay a fine of 2,000 francs, for having said of Marshal M'Mahon, at a private meeting at Lille, that after the next, . election! the President of the Republic ipuat either submit or resign —“ H faudra op, sc soumettre, ou se demettre." M. Gambetta ,was-als;> prosecuted for his circular ip the electors of the twentieth arrondissemenfc.of Paris. Judgment was pronounced ;on October 12th, two days before the 'election, M. Gambetta being condemned ..to. three ! months’ imprisonment, r; j and to .pay a fine of .4,000. , francs Tjyo days later he was elected . Deputy . for the twentieth arrondissement. In the discussion in the Chamber respecting the election of .M. de Fourcou {Nov. 18, 1878), M. Gambetta called that statesman ;i liar. This unparliamentary expression led to their fighting a duel with pistols at Plessis Piquet, about five miles trom the Tuileries The encounter was a perfectly harmless one, and it was hint d that blank cartridges were used with the connivance of the seconds.