THE I.I IK OF PASTEUB 



politics in January, 1876. Pasteur, who, in his extra- 

 ordinary, almost disconcerting modesty, believed that a medi- 

 cal diploma would have facilitated his scientific revolution, 



kgined — after the pressing overtures made to him by some 

 of his proud compatriots — that he would be able to serve more 

 usefully ' use of higher education if he were to obtain a 



6<at a! the Sena - 



He addressed from Paris a letter to the senatorial electors 

 of the department of Jura. " I am not a political man," he 

 said, " 1 am bound to no party ; not having studied politics I 

 am ignorant of many things, but I do know this, that I love 

 i my country and have served her with all my strength." Like 

 many good citizens, he thought that a renewal of the national 

 grandeur and prosperity might be sought in a serious experi- 

 mental trial of the Republic. If honoured with the suffrages 

 of his countrymen, he would " represent in the Senate, Science 

 in all its purity, dignity and independence." Two Jura 

 newspapers, of different opinions, agreed in regretting that 

 ] istenr should leave "the peaceful altitudes of science," 

 and come down into the Jura to solicit the electors' suffrages. 



In his answers to such articles, letters dictated to his son — 

 who acted as his secretary during that electoral campaign and 

 accompanied him to Lons-le-Saulnier, where they spent a 

 week, published addresses, posters, etc. — Pasteur invoked the 

 following motto, " ience et Patrie." Why had France been 

 victorious in 1792? ' Because Science had given to our 

 fathers the material means of fighting." And he recalled the 

 names of Monge, of Carnot, of Fourcroy, of Guy ton de Mor- 

 veau, of Berthollet, that concourse of men of science, thanks 

 to whom it had been possible — during that grandiose epoch — 

 to hasten the working of steel and the preparation of leather 

 for soldiers' boots, and to find means of extracting saltpetre 

 for gunpowder from plaster rubbish, of making use of recon- 

 tnng balloons and of per!" telegraphy. 



The senatorial electors numb red 650. Jules Gr/vy came 

 to Lons-le-Saulnier to support the candidature of MM. Tami- 

 aier and Thurel. In a meeting which * | laofi the day before 

 the election he said, " You will give them your suffrage to- 

 morrow, and in so doin;; yon will have deserved well of I 

 Re] tblic *nd of Fran He mentioned, incidentally, that 



M. Pasteur's character and scientific work entitle him to 

 oniv< I and esteem ; but b not has its natural place 



