France lost Marshal MaoMahon on Tuesday, the ex-President dying mainly
of old age at eighty-five, one year older than Mr. Gladstone. He was a good but not great soldier, and an honest but vacillating politician, who owed his hold upon France, firstly, to his splendid courage; secondly, to his almost accidental victory at Magenta ; and thirdly, to a character for rectitude so fine that his constant defeats in the war with Germany cost him no respect either with the people or with the Army. He is supposed to have been at heart a Monarchist ; and if in 1873 the Comte de Chambord had not insisted on the white flag as his ensign, he might have played the part of General Monk. He was probably, however, a lukewarm politician, knowing little except his soldier's work, and remember- ing that he owed his position wholly to the Bonapartes. In private life he appears to have been beloved, and he was absolutely free from the greed which has so often dis- credited French Marshals, and which spoiled the character of his civilian successor in the Presidency. He was not a brilliant man in any way; but he uttered two mote in his life which have become historical. One was when he said, on receiving orders to retire from the Malakoff, " I am here, and mean to stop ! " and the second when he told the Legitimist agent who asked him to adopt the white flag, " No ; the Chassepots would go off of themselves !"
