THE NEW FRENCH PRESIDENT.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1653, 7 June 1879, Page 2

THE NEW FRENCH PRESIDENT.

A. writer in the "Whitehall Review" speak* of Jules Grevy in the following words : —The firtit thing that strikes you on being brought into the society of the President is hit intense coldness, stiffness, and reserve. He is a psrfect type of the oldfashioned notaire deprovince— grave, correct, with an expressionless, lead-coloured face, and a brow thai; iadicates no extraordinary intellect within. He is, indeed, completely devoid of personal charm, and his manner ia indeed almost repelling. He is like a French edition of Mr Dombey, and in this respect differs essentially from his great chief, M. Gambetta. The* last-named gentleman has an irresistible charm of manner which can never fail to captivate, no matter how much one may detest his political principles, and which has had not a little to do with hia success in life. Gambetta is passionate, excitable, ana eloquent in conversation, and hi* voice is simply perfect. Grevy, on the other hand, is icy, sullen, almost stupid in conversation, and his voice is the mest discordant squeak one can well imagine. The point, however, on which the President of the Republic is superior to the President of th Chamber is this: whereas one can have perfect confidence in the stolid honesty of M. Grevy, he would be rash indeed who believed one-half of the torrent of eloquence which pours from the mouth of M. Gambetta. Th« great virtue, indeed, of M. Grevy is honesty —no one can assail him on this point. He i« not brilliant, but he is hard-working and a true Republican at heart; he may not be clever, but he is faithful and honest. The two most charming public men we have ever met are Count Andrassy and M. Gambetta j the two most disagreeable and repellant ia man. ner, Mr Q-ladttouo and M. Gr*vj\