GUIZOT, THE HISTORIAN AND STATESMAN.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VII, Issue 397, 7 October 1874, Page 5

GUIZOT, THE HISTORIAN AND STATESMAN.

The "European telegrams to hand announce the death of one of the most remarkable Frenchmen of this century. Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizofc has passed away at the ripe age of eighty seven years. From 'Men of the Time' we learn that Guizofc pas educated at Geneva in ISOS, and at the ?ge of twelve made himself master of tho learned languages, German having become to him a second mother tongue, and English and Italian completely familiar. In 1805 he proceeded to Paris wioh the view of being called to the bar — an intention which he never earnestly prosecuted. About this time he met, in literary society, Mdlle de Meulan,' who was editing a magazine which enjoyed acoßßiderable,reputation, and who, through gratitude for the discreet assistauce she had received during a long illness from an unknown coutributor — no other than Guizot — consented in 1812, in spite of ti>e difference in their ages, to become his wife. She was 14 years nis senior, and her relations with the chiefs of the royalist ■party were soon destined to open a political career for her husband. In 1812 he obtained the class of modern history in the Sorboaue. After the fall of .Napoleon, the exalted idea of the talents of Guizot which prevailed among the old aristocracy of France made it easy to obtain important posts under the two-fold restoration of the Bourbons. He was ' successively feecretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior, and of that of Justice, tie belonged to the Liberal school under the Restoration, and lost power with his colleagues, M-M. Decazes, Koyer Collard, a.;d ■ Jourdan,when the assassination of the Due tie . Berri in 1819 turned the scale in favor of the ■ counter-revolutionary party. The Bevere measures of M. VllleU's administration called forth vigorous protests in the form of political pamphlets from Guizot, which created a, great sensation at the time, and their author was suspend d in 1825 from his lectureship. la 1828 the interdict! oa his lectures • was removed by the Martignac M nistry, and he then delivered the series since published as a *• Coarse of Modern History," and *' The History of Civilisation in 'Europe." , At the age of forty- two he was elected a member of the Chamber of Depu- I ties, and touk his seat in' the eventful session of 1830, on which occasion he joined in the celebrated address that provoked Charles X. to issue the famous ordonnances of July 25. Upott the accession of Loiiis Philippe, lauiss'it was named Minister oi the Interior, then the most important post in the Government. > The first Ministry formed by Louis Philippe lasted only three months. In the Cabinet of 1832, presided over by Marshal Soult, he. was Minister of Public Instruction, and from that period, excepting when filling the London Embassy, he was a leading 'member of every administration to the end of Louis Philippe's reign. Ie was, however, as a member of the Ministry of October 29, 1840, >th;iotfuh bacame^best known to Englishmen. On obtaining iß4fltfes>ta%a ; was. ex** ceediKgly difficult. England and France, were startled by the projects and, ambitions, of M. Thiers, and-it.iras.jßo easyr; matter to calm the excited, feelings of the French, ..and to ditupatfe the suspicions of the iinglisk fttttht devic* ot "pmtf my priced »

! a great degree succeeded, till the affairs of Tahiti interrupted the friendly relations of the two countries, and the vexed question of the Spanish marriages again excited considerable alarm and dislrusti G-uizot's con"l duct in the last matt'-r was thought by many to be discreditable to his diplomacy. His i rule came to an inglorious end in the revolu- . tion of February, 1848, after he had held the portfolio of Foreign Affairs for more than six years, and he withdrew from political life. Whatever may be thought of Guizot as a politician, he has earned a distinction as an author which must long secure emiuence to his same. Nor is he less entitled to praise as the originator of an extensive improvement in the literature of his country.