CRE3IIEUX, ISAAC ADOLPHE, 1796-1880; b. at Nimes, France, of Jewish parents. He studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1817. About 1830, he went to Paris, where he soon became famous as an advocate, particularly in the defense in political prosecu tions. Ile entered political life in 1842 as a deputy from Chinon, and served till 1848. He sat on the left, and in opposition to the reigning dynasty. Under the republic of 1848, he was elected as a deputy to the constituent and legislative assembly, acting and voting always with the left.
On the night of the 2d of Dec., when Napoleon throttled the republic, Cremieux was arrested and thrown into the prison of Yams. During nearly the whole reign. of Napo leon he remained in private life, devoting himself to his profession. In Nov., 1869, he was elected a deputy to the corps legislatif, where he took his seat on the extreme left, voting always with Gambetta, who was for a time a clerk in his law-oflice. His name is connected with many acts of legislation and many decrees. It was he who rendered the famous decree which chased from their scats the infamous magistrates composing the ." mixed commissions" under the empire, whose infamous judgments drove from France into exile so many of her most distinguished and most gifted sons. Another decree justly bears his name, the " Decree Cremieux," which naturalized in mass 30,000 of his coreligionists in Algeria. The French nation will never forget his private sub scription of 100,000 francs for the liberation of the French territory, Ile was a man of the highest sense of hoilor. Deutz, a Jew, who had surrendered up the duchess de Berri at Bordeaux, finding his treason overwhelmed by universal reprobation, asked from Cremieux what was called a " memoire justificatif." The advocate addressed him a letter in reply, which created much sensation at the time. He said: "I can do nothing for
you. it is impossible for me to justify you in the eyes of the public. France is deaf to the justification of cowardice. It is necessary to submit to shame when one has com mitted a treason. I can see nothing that will excuse is crime which I detest, and which arraig:ns you before no other judges than public opinion. If you count me as your coreligionaire you will see your error." A member of the provisional government of 1848, he was one of the first seven named by the chamber, and proclaimed to the people from the Hotel de 'Ville. They were Marie, Lamartine, Ledru-Rollin, Cremieux, Dupont de l'Eure, Arago, and Gamier Pages. With the death of Cremieux, no one of that number now survives.
Cremieux was made minister of justice of the government of 1848. Under the republic, which followed, he was elected a member of the chamber of deputies, and again in 1869. In 1875, was conferred upon him his last and greatest honor in his elec tion as life senator under the French republic. lIe had an authority and influence among his people which no other man possessed. Wherever a Jew was persecuted, there appeared the old Hebrew advocate. It was in 1840 that C. went into Syria to defend the grand rabbi of Damascus, against whom bad been made the accusation, as absurd as it was terrible, that he had cut tho throat of a monk in order to moisten with his blood the bread that the Jews eat during Easter. The great advocate procured the acquittal of his client and those accused with him. As a recognition of that service, it is said he was escorted out of the country on his return by 12,000 Jews on horseback.