id, when the bitter news of the
surrender of Paris made all his labors useless, and dashed to the
ground his cherished hopes. Without one word to trouble the flow of
events that were taking a course contrary to all his expectations,
he resigned his dictatorship when it could no longer be of service
to his country, and took himself out of the way of intrigues in his
favor, passing over the Spanish frontier. As soon as the Germans
were out of France, M. Thiers also was prepared to resign his power.
He called a National Assembly to determine the form of government.

There were several points of primary importance to be settled at
once; first: should France be a monarchy, or a republic?

That she would again become a monarchy was generally anticipated; but
the Comte de Chambord had, as we have seen, forfeited his chances for
the moment. If France were a republic, who should be her president?
Should there be a vice-president? Should the president be elected
by the Chamber, or by a vote of the people? Should there be one
Chamber, or two?

M. Thiers was opposed to having any vice-president, and was in
favor of two Chambers. He vehemently urged the continuance of the
Republic, saying that a monarchy was impossible. There was but
one throne, and there were three dynasties to dispute it. On one
occasion he said: "Gentlemen, I am an old disciple of the monarchy
[he was probably alluding to the opinions which his mother and his
grandmother had endeavored to instil into him]. I am what is called
a Monarchist who practises Republicanism for two reasons,--first,
because he agreed to do so, secondly, because practically he can
do nothing else."

The Assembly proclaimed the continuance of the Republic, and likewise
the continuance of M. Thiers as its president for seven years.

On several occasions after this, M. Thiers carried his point with
the Assembly by threatening to resign; and as the Assembly was
quite aware how difficult it would be to put anyone in his place,
the threat always resulted in his victory.

The immediate cause which led to the fall of M. Thiers on May 24,
1873, after he had sat for two years and a month in the presidential
chair, was a dispute concerning the election of M. Charles de Remusat
(son of the lady who has given her memoirs to the world). M. de
Remusat was the Government candidate for a deputyship vacant in
the Paris representation. He was at the time Thiers' Minister for
Foreign Affairs, a person