Page:The Annual Register 1899.djvu/558

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OBITUAEY.

[Feb.

attracted the notice of Gambetta, who offered him the post of Under Secre- tary for Commerce and the Colonies. The Ministry lasted only a few weeks, but in 1888 he was reappointed to the same post by M. Jules Ferry, and held it until the break-up of the Cabinet in 1885. Three years later he returned to his place under M. Tirard, and in 1893 became Minister of Marine in M. Dupuy's Cabinet, which survived the assassination of President Carnot, and M. Casimir-Perier's short tenure of the Presidency. His attitude to- wards the Chief of the State during this period was the subject of much subsequent controversy. He was thought to have combined with Gen- eral Mercier and M. Dupuy in conceal- ing from M. Gasimir-Perier important matters and documents in connection with the Dreyfus case, and many ad- ministrative acts arising out of it. The Dupuy Cabinet resigned on Jan- uary 14, 1895, and on the following day M. Casimir-Perier refusing "to expose himself longer to a campaign of slander and insult " withdrew from public life.

Two days later the National Assem- bly met at Versailles to elect a new President. M. Dupuy, who had been credited with having brought about M. Casimir-Perier's resignation, was un- able to organise his supporters, and the three candidates put forward by their respective supporters were M. Henri Brisson (Radical), M. Waldeck- Rousseau and M. Faure, the last named being almost unknown outside parliamentary circles. At the first ballot M. Brisson obtained the largest number of votes, but not an actual majority. M. WaJ deck -Rousseau who was last on the poll then retired, and at the second ballot M. Faure obtained 430 votes against 361 given to M. Brisson. His election was favourably received by all classes, especially in the great commercial centres, and it was generally believed that he would display shrewd common-sense and firmness in dealing with the intrigues of rival political parties. He sur- prised all by showing a more than ordinary wish to maintain the dignity of his office, and in making a greater parade at State functions than had been the custom of his predecessors. The chief event of M. Faure's presi- dency was the consummation of the Russian Alliance, of which the con- clusion had been the aim of successive French Foreign Ministers. The first formal incident had been the visit of the French fleet to Cronstadt in 1891, when the popular feeling displayed on

both sides strengthened the action of diplomacy. In the autumn of 1896 the Czar and Czarina arrived at Cherbourg, where a grand naval review was held in their honour, and thence came on to Paris where a magnificent reception was given to the imperial guests, followed by a military review at Chalons. Throughout their stay in France the Czar and Czarina were acclaimed with the utmost enthusiasm, and although no formal alliance was signed, this first public recognition of the republic since the downfall of the empire was the source of general satis- faction. In the following year Presi- dent Faure paid a visit in state to Russia, embarking at Dunkirk, and accompanied by a fleet of cruisers. His reception at St. Petersburg was as cordial as could be desired, and before his visit was concluded the Czar re- ferred in a public speech to the fact that France and Russia were friendly and allied nations. So long as M. Meline's Ministry remained in office M. Faure's position was unasaailed, but he had incurred the ill-will of the champions of Dreyfus by his connection with the Ministry whicn was in power when the proceedings commenced, and by his subsequent unwillingness to reopen the investigation of Dreyfus* guilt, and the proceedings connected with his trial. When at length M. Dupuy's Cabinet had been forced into referring the case to the Court of Cassation, President Faure was credited with having exerted himself to prevent the result being effective, and his attitude was attributed by the Revis- ionists to his desire to stifle inquiry. At the same time in the nation at large doubts had arisen as to the anticipated benefits of the Russian Alliance, doubts which were strength- ened by the apparent disregard of French interests in Egypt, and in the terms under which the proposed Peace Congress was announced to the world. M. Faure had therefore to face a general decline of his popularity, which had already suffered from his ostenta- tious love of ceremonial display on even trivial occasions. He was mer- cilessly upbraided with aiming at kingship in some form, and with forgetting his own humble origin. These attacks, which were probably unmerited, gave him great annoyance, and possibly undermined his health; but no one was prepared for his sudden death, which took place on February 15, at the Elysee, shortly after his return from his morning ride, the cause being an attack of apoplexy from which he never rallied.

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