LESSEPS, FERDINAND, Viscomte de; b Versailles, France, 1805. His father was consul or commercial agent of the French government, in many different countries. His mother was sister of the grandmother of the empress Eugenie. De Lesseps was educated in Paris; at the age of 20 was an attaché of the French consul-general at Lisbon; at 22 was employed in the commercial department of the minister of foreign affairs, and soon after made consul at Tunis; at 26 he went to Egypt' as vice-consul at Cairo, and bad the management of the'business of the consulate-general at Alexandria. His noble conduct during the plague in Egypt which, in 1834-5, destroyed one-third of the population, pro cured him in 1836 the cross of chevalier de la legion d'honneur. He was again made manager of the Egyptian consulate and diplomatic agent of France, and gained influ ence with Mehemet All the great viceroy of Egypt. In 1838, '39, and '42, he was appointed successively to the positions of consul at Rotterdam, Malaga, and Barcelona. When the latter city was bombarded, his devotion to the safety and comfort of the for eign residents procured him their gratitude, and thanks and decorations from several governments. He remained consul-general at Barcelona untillthe revolution of 1848. t Then, recalled to Paris, lie was appointed by Lamartine minisfer to Madrid. In Feb., 1849, this place was given to Napoleon Joseph Bonaparte, and Lesseps returned to Paris. He was at once sent as minister to Switzerland; but on the breaking out of war at Rome between the French troops under Oudinot, and the Italians under Garibaldi, he was charged by M. Drouyn de Lhuys with the delicate mission of restraining the French gen eral from a too warlike attitude towards the Italians, while managing to retain the footing of the French army in Rome. During that discreditable meddling of the French with the affairs of the people of Rome, M. de Lesseps frankly informed his goverment of the mischievous consequences that might result from its enforced occupation of the city, of the unpopularity of the pontifical power, and of the earnestness of the resistance of the Roman people; avowimg with courage his belief in the noble character cad aims of Mazzini. The government in Paris, already become reactionary by the combination
between Louis Napoleon and the clergy, recalled Lesseps. disavowed his acts, and let loose the French army against the Romans. He published in 1849 a little book entitled .11Ia Mission a Rome, in which he defended his acts and avowed sympathy with the Italians in their struggle under the leadership of Garibaldi and Mazzini. Towards Mazzini, then defeated, banished, and proscribed by the French power in Rome, he had the courage to express the warmest admiration of his virtues and talents. The French minister charged the council of state to examine M. de Lesseps's acts in Rome, but in the absence of specific charges, the latter refused to make any explanation to them, but published his defense in two books entitled, ,item,oire au Conseil d'Etat, and Une reponse a l'Eramen de ses Actes.
Out of government employ, M. de Lesseps went to Egypt in 1834, and securing the concurrence of the viceroy 31oharnmed-Said-Pacha, projected the construction of the great interoccanic canal of Suez. In 1856 he published his plans and projects under the title of Tenement de C isthme de Suez, expose et document ojiciels. Obstacles multiplied as attention was attracted to the project. The Turkish government, at the instigation of the English, refused its authorization. The engineer authorized by the state condomned the project as chimericaL In the face of such obstructions, and with the need of enor mous sums of money to construct the canal, 3I. de Lesseps devoted himself to the work with such tact and indomitable energy, by social persuasion, personal interviews with statesmen, capitalists, and journalists, by essays and speeches, that he not only kept the public curiosity aroused, but attracted its sympathy and confidence; won the govern ment to his support, and secured $40,000,000 in subscription to the capital stock required for the construction. Work was actually commenced in 1859. On Nov. 20, 1869, the completion was celebrated with imposing ceremonies.