y, which governed, with perpetual parliamentary
disputes, till May 16, 1877. On that day Marshal MacMahon sent a
letter to his prime minister, telling him that he did not appear to
have sufficient support in the Chamber to carry on the government,
and reproaching him with his Radical tendencies. Of course the
minister and his colleagues at once resigned. The marshal then
dissolved the Chamber, and appealed to the people, placing the Duc
de Broglie _ad interim_ at the head of affairs.

In spite of all the marshal and his friends could do to secure
a Conservative majority in the new Chamber, it was largely and
strongly Republican. There was no help for it; as Gambetta said,
the marshal must either _se soumettre, ou se demettre_,--choose
submission or dismission.

He had a passing thought of again dissolving the unruly Chamber,
and governing by the Senate alone. He found, however, that the
country did not consider him indispensable, and was prepared to
put M. Thiers in his place if he resigned.

But M. Thiers did not live to receive that proof of his country's
gratitude. He died, as we have seen, in the summer of 1877, and
the next choice of the Republican party was M. Jules Grevy.

[Illustration: _PRESIDENT JULES GREVY._]

For two years longer the marshal held the reins of government, but
he resigned on being required to sign a resolution changing the
generals who commanded the four army corps. "In a letter full of
dignity," says M. Gabriel Monod, "and which appeared quite natural
on the part of a soldier more concerned for the interests of the
army than for those of politics, he tendered his resignation. The
two Chambers met together, and in a single sitting, without noise
or disturbance, M. Jules Grevy was elected, and proclaimed president
of the French Republic for seven years."

It is said that in 1830, when Charles X. published his ordinances
and placarded his proclamation on the walls of Paris, a young
law-student, who was tearing down one of them, was driven off with a
kick by one of the king's officers. The officer was Patrice MacMahon;
the law-student Jules Grevy.

M. Grevy was pre-eminently respectable. He was born in the Jura
mountains, Aug. 15, 1813. His father was a small proprietor. Diligence
and energy rather than brilliancy distinguished the young Jules in
his college career. When his college life ended, he went up to
Paris and studied for the Bar. MacMahon's kick roused his pugnacity.
He went ho