The Express.
London, England, 1847-02-01 00:00:00

DUMAS AND THE PARISIAN PRESS.

()n Friday, at the Tribute de la Seine, the Paris
papers, Le Conetihsfionnel and La Prose, preferred their
charge against M. Alexandre Dumas and the proprietors of
certain Parisian journals. M. Alexandre Dumas was
charged with having broken his engagement with the two
above-named journah in the year 184.5, and for not having
written any one of the works he prunsited to write for 1846.
The damages demanded were 50,000 francs.
At an early hour a large crowd was mumbled, it having
been announced that the " illustrious" author of " Monte
Cristo" would plead his own catue ; and the doors were
scarcely thrown open, when every corner of the house was
filled. For two hours and a half the impatient audience
had to listen to an uninteresting ease which was going on,
and their impatience was in nowise allayed by the non-ap-
pearance of M. Dumas. It began already to be rumoured
that he would not appear, when he was ushered in by the
huimier by a private door. He was at once recognised by his
dark complexion, and his being extremely over-dressed. The
first outburst of satisfaction at has appearance having sub-
sided, a deep silence prevailed.
M. Alex. Dumas pleaded his own cause, in • style marked
rather by eloquence than by modesty, as follows :
" Gentlemen, I desired to plead my cause in person,
because the circumstance which brings me before you is
not an affair of man to man, or interest against interest, but
rather a sort of duel between honour and honour. I regret
not seeing here M. Vireo (of the Corutitutionnel) and
M. Girardin (Presse), for I be obliged to fire in the
air, and the ball, instead of essleing them, will fall at their
feet." M. Dimes then read the double agreement entered
into between MM. Wilton, Girardin, and himself, and re-
marked that although that agreement was a conditional one,
the Consfitutionnel and La Press. announced on the following
day, that" M. DUMB, being free from his engagements on the
death of Pd. Dnjarrier, had entered into an agreement with
them to write exclusively for them for the term of five
yeasts." " That was not true," said M. Dumas, "as I still
, bad to publish about eighty volumes on previous agree-
ments, making altogether 226,000 lines, • number which the
Academy, if they were called upon to produce an equal
number in two years (and they ere forty), would find no
easy task to accomplish. I am accused of not having pro-
vided M. Wren with four volumes on the Ist of July, and
four others on the 15th of December i but owing to a
clause in that agreement, the agreement awl( was subordi-
nate to the annulling of the previous agreement with M.
Dujarrier. Until then M. Veron could demand nothing of
me, and on the other hand I could not fulfil in December an
engagement which was only confirmed on the Ist Jan. I
herefore to fulfil my previous engagements, and I did
what I may say no man ever did before me, or will do here-
after, I began the publication of five different novels in five
different papers at the same time, and completed them ;
advertence are these to say if it was not all in my own hand-
writing. On the 15th August, M. Vim called upon me,
and mid, " My dear Dumas, we have been unlucky enough
to publish a feuilleton likely to renew the glorious days of
desabonnemna to the Conasagionnel ; we have still eight
days of it left, but if we do not then give the public an inte-
resting amusing novel such as you write (these are his own
geode) it is all up with us. We must have it this day week.'
' Eight days is quite sufficient,' I replied—(laughter)—
'when a man is idle, but not so when a man has five teuille-
tons in hand.' And I was at that moment publishing five
feuilletons in five different journals. Three horses, three ser-
vants, and the railway, scarcely sufficed to bring me the proof-
sheets. At 2 a.m. my servants were on the route to St. Ger.
mein. I nevertheless agreed to do it, and on the de,' appointed,
Aug. 27, he received the first volume." M. Alex. Dumas
then explained that while the Coastitutionnet and the
Presse announced that he worked exclusively for them, tho
Sleds, the Dibale, the Palrie, and the Commerce an-
nounced the publication of fenilletons from him to which
they were d'ily entitled. He stated that all the advance he
had received from M. Girardin was 454 francs, and that he
had to pay him (M. Dumas) 157,000 francs within three
yews. M. flumes remarked that at the time of his departure
for Spain he had published 48 volumes in 18 months. He
was tired, be said—many would have been tired mush sooner
—and was obliged to procure a certificate from his medical
adviser to pacify M. Oirardin, Shall I allude, said M.
Dumas, in conclusion, to the pecuniary sacrifices I have
made to remain on good terms with MM. Veron and
Girardin ? Shall I spade of " Fabien " burnt, and the
volumes I bought off at an expense of 44,000 francs
From those gentlemen I received 26,000 or 27,000 francs,
and they now ask 60,000 francs damages, so that after
having already disbursed 44,000 fr., I should still have to
pay 33,000 more. This might astonish people if it was not
known that the persons I am at law with are, one the inven-
tor of the piite de Regnauld, and the other the founder of
the Music des Famillee (sensation in the court). Those
gentlemen pretend that at my villa at St. Germain I re-
mained idle. I wrote there eight volumes of " Bahama." At
the same time, I was occupied with representations of Shak-
speare and Dimas in the Theatre of St. Germain; but I do
not think I can be reproached for that, specially as I gave
them 27,000 lines in two months. As regards my journey
to Spain, I never solicited a mission ; the Duke of Mont-
penaier, gni a onetime: domes pour mei, said to me as his
brother had said formerly, " Come to my marriage, I wish
you to be present eta national fete." M. de Salvandy then
asked me if I could leave for Spain and Algeria, and I
replied that it wet the very thing for me, as I
required repose. ' You will then go to Spain,' said
the minister, ' and to Algeria, • country not much
known, especially to err deputies, who speak about it every
day • ithout knowing anything at all about it.' (Laughter.)
I left for Spain as a guest, and was the only Frenchman
Present at the private marriage. It was then I received the
grand cordon of Charles 111., which was given not to the
literary man, but to the man—to me, Alexandre Dumas,
Marquis Dloy de la Pailleterie, and friend of the Duke of
Montpensier. (Sensation in court.) I thence went to Tunis,
where the Bey was absent, but I was honourably received
by his brother, who received me as a French envoy, and
conferred upon me the order of Niehan. I did not love my
time, but collected during my stay such valuable documents,
that in four days, if I liked, I could pi.blish an entire work.
In seder to reach Tunis, the French government bad placed
at my disposal the steamer Veloce, of 220 hone-power; it
was for the use of myself and the Bey of Tunis alone. Stich
favours are only granted to princes and friends. We were
close to the African coast when I learnt (speaking with a
sort of inspiration) that our prisoners might be liberated by
a prompt intervention on my part. Twelve lives were to be
saved—twelve lives which were every moment in danger of
falling by the knife: amongst these were brave officers, and
a woman, the sole remnant of the unfortunate captives who
escaped the massacre of Sidi Brahim. It was I, who, with
the Veloce under my orders, saved Captain Cognard and
his brave comrades, and brought them to Melina, where
3,000 persons offered me a banquet, the reminiscence of
which is sufficient to repay me for any injuries I may have
received here. lam now, forsooth, inked for 50,000 (ranee
damages for having been idle—whilst I—yes, I—saved from
the sword of the enemy the lives of twelve of my courtesy
men ! I took six persons in my suite, who represented the
art of painting, as I myself represented the art of literature.
To defray my expenses, I was obliged to sell railway shares
to the amount of 50,000 franca, on which I lost 7,000 francs,
and I spent 21,000 francs of my own money. The 10,000
frames credit were only to be touched on my arrival at
Algiers. I spent 11,000 francs ; but the day after my
return I returned 1,000 francs to the minister. Such, gen-
tlemen, is the true statement of facts."
The case is adjourned till next week. A large crowd was
collected outside to see M. Dumas come out; and they ac-
companied him to the Rue Barillerie, where • magnificent
Arab charger, with gold trappings, was welting for him.