The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1883. Leon Gambetta.

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

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 1883. Leon Gambetta.

Since the beginning of 1881 England has lost her most famous natural historian and philosopher in Charles Darwin, and a celebrated prelate in Archbishop Tail, and America has had to mourn the founder of her higher literature, in the death of Emerson, and her most popular poet LongfeUow has also gone over to the majority. Russia’s greatest general Skobeloff was taken away prematurely, before he had completely fulfilled the promise of his early brilliant career, and the world’s hero Garibaldi has departed full of honors and of years. And now another name has to be added to this list. On the first day of the new year, as we learnt by cable yesterday, there died in Paris one who has been the most prominent figure in French politics during the past twelve years, Leon Gambetta. It would be difficult to find a parallel in the world’s history to the carter of the late statesman. Twelve years ago his

name was almost unknown outside of Paris, although in that city he was admired as an orator of surpassing, eloquence, and his denunciation tof the> weak-minded Olliyier far back as 1870 is still remembered. It was then that he prophesied that the day would come when prance would demand a republic, but even he probably did not know how near that day was. It was but a few short months after this that the Emperor Napoleon was taken prisoner at Sedan, and the empire was a thing of the past. These were troublous times for the country, and men of energy were needed at the head of affairs. Gambetta, who had hitherto only been known as a talker, had an opportunity of showing that he possessed administrative ability, and it must be admitted that he was equal to the occasion. It is a matter of history how he passed over the Prussian lines in a balloon, and managed to reach Rouen. Here he immediately set to work to organise the army of the Loire, and in a few days there was placed in the field the only body of soldiers that was able to make any stand against the Prussian forces. It was, however, too late to stem the current of disaster, but Gambetta had done sufficient to prove that he was destined to take a high place among the politicians of his country. In his early, days {he was a red republican, but time modified his opinions, and bad he lived there is little doubt that he would have been President of France. During the past few years he has virtually been the ruling power in the country, and his death will be regarded as an irreparable national loss. Such a man as this could not fail to have many and bitter enemies, and these were only too ready to discover in his short career as Premier that he was not fitted for the post. Whether time would have falsified this verdict, and proved that

God did anoint him with his odorous oil To wrestle, not to reign, can never be known. But it must be remembered that the Government of which he was the head was composed for the most part of utterly unknown men. Let it be borne in mind, too, that Gambetta was at the time of his death but forty-four years of age, and that he had by the sheer force of his intellect and character raised himself to be the foremost man of his country, and it will be seen how impossible it is to predict what place he might have occupied in the history of the world had he lived.