The Express.
London, England, 1847-11-13 00:00:00

SUICIDE OF COUNT BRESSON.

On the subject of the death of this diplomatist, the
following is the intelligence dotted from the Paris
jeurnals of Thursday:—
The Delxas says :—" We have received very few details
on the frightful event which has deprived France of one of
her most noble children, the King's government of one of
its most distinguished agents, and a family honourable in
every respect of a brother, of a husband, who justly formed
ita glory and its happiness. It is however certain that M.
Bresson has destroyed himself. What can have been the
cause of this fatal resolution ? Thom who have known M.
Bresson, those who ham been able to appreciate the affection
so true and so tender that be bore to his worthy father, to
his wife so distinguished in every respect, to his brother.,
those who know how much he was the slave of his duties,
are obliged to evoke their souvenirs, and to call to mind
that some years ago he nearly died of a brain fever, and that
after this terrible malady he remained subject to inter-
mittent attacks which caused at times violent paroxysms of
the brain. Everything, however, caused it to be hoped that
the end of these crises would shortly be seen, every one
appearing to lose in intensity. On 31st October M. Bresson
was received in solemn audience by the King of Naples, who
treated him with peculiar grace and distinction. The next
day, after having occupied himself in his study in drawing
up the despatch which gave an account of his reception, he
went to pass the evening at the theatre of San Carlo, re-
turned to his hotel about midnight, and went to bed. It
appears that about the end of the night he was seized with
an attack of brain fever, that he rose, took a razor, and cut
his throat before the chimney glass. The noise of the fall
of his body on the floor awoke the Countess Brenton, who
ran to the spot, where she found her husband bathed in his
blood. Our readers may judge of the dreadful grief of Mme.
Bresson. All assistance was useless—M. Bresson was dead."
The Coneervateur says :—" A telegraphic despatch, ad-
dressed to the l'resident of the Council by die charged'affaires
of France at Naples, leaves no doubt as to the cause of the
melancholy death of Count Brenton. This despatch is thus
worded Naples, Nov. 2.—Count Bresson died last eve-
ning in a fit of brain fever. The mantes* will embark, in
three or four days, on board the Magellan, with the mortal
remains of the King's ambassador.' It results, besides, from
the following extracts of letters from Count Bremen, that be
felt himself for several days attacked with the malady of
which he was so unfortunately the victim. Count Bresson
wrote from Naples on Oct. 25, to the President of the
Council :—' I arrived here the day before yesterday. I
eannet say whether it is the effect of the fatigue or of the
Pontine Marshes, but I have experienced some symptoms of
fever, and I have not yet been able to recover my deep.
Fortunately my wife and my son are well.' On the 28th,

after having written a letter, in which he treated of a num-
ber of subjects with great clearness of intellect, he added
' I have been constantly suffering since I entered southern
Italy. From the time I left Florence I have had neither
appetite nor sleep. It is a nervous over-excitement, which
will be necessarily followed by a great loss of strength. I
see now how wrong I was to complain of the climate of
Madrid ;it did not treat me so ill.' The letter written to
the President of the Council by M. de Montessuy, our
charge d'affaires, informs us that from the time of the arri-
val of the ambassador at Naples he was really ill, but that
he always refused to pay attention to his health."
The Consfitutionnel says We have sought with the
greatest cue for details calculated to throw some light on
the tragic end of Count Brecon. We can guarantee the
exactitude of the following : Count Bresson, after having
accomplished the Spanish muritges and returned to Paris,
made known to M. Guixot that he could is.,t return is Spain
an ambassador : and that he considered the influences which
surrounded the young Queen as powerful and lasting.
Count Breuer; did not the less insist with the Minister of
Foreign Affairs on his claims to an eminent diplomatic
position. He demanded the embassy to England, but this
was refused him from political motives easy to understand.
M. Brum then went to London, and saw Lord Palmerston.
M. Breuon on lus return again claimed the embassy at Lon-
don. The pretensions of M. Bresson were again rejected, and
he was obliged, notwithstanding his very great reluctance, to
aceeptthe embassy to Nap:es. M. Bresson had no fortune. On
arriving at Rome he learned the revolution which had been
accomplished in the circle of the Queen of Spain. He then
greatly regretted having considered his return to Madrid
impossible. Ile even wrote immediately to AL Guizot
asking him to be allowed to return to Spain as ambassador.
Ile at the same time wrote to several of his friends at Madrid
to announce his early return. Vain hope! M. Brecon
received a formal order to proceed to Naples. All the
letters written by M. Bresson since his departure from Paris
display great excitement. The persons who have seen
Count Brecon in private, and who have had long relations
with him, concur in saying that he was of a violent, pas-
sionate character, and easily discouraged. It is certain that
at Madrid he was attacked by a somewhat intense brain fever.
Still his suicide hu not the less profoundly surprised and
afflicted all those who have had the opportunity of becoming
acquainted with his rare qualities and his great intelligence.
M. Bresson leaves a father of an advanced age, for whom he
entertained the most tender affection. M. Bresson leaves a
widow and a young son, who, alter the celebration of the
Spanish marriages, was created a Grandee of Spain. The
brother of Count Bremen is advocate-general at the Cour
Royale 01 Paris."