The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-17 00:00:00

THE SECOND EMPIRE.

The affair of the Brothers Duruy and the
Brothers Cassagnac, the duellists, is assuming large
proportions. As already stated the Brothers
Duruy, objecting to an article in the Journal de Paris
arguing that their father, the Minister of Public
Instruction, was unduly severe to the normal
school in dissolving it for a bagatelle, and unduly
indulgent to his sons in maintaining them in im-
portant official posts after their notorious escapades,
went to the office of the paper accompanied by a
third person to act as their witness
and reporter. Without first giving their
names they obtained an interview with
M. Weiss, the editor, and when he refused to fight
a duel one of the Duruys, as he has publicly ad-
mitted and boasted, knocked the editor about the
head with a roll of his own journal. It has been
much remarked that, whereas the usual course in
" affairs of honour " is for one principal to send.
two friends, here two principals went together,
accompanied by one friend, and the three of them
propounded an ultimatum to the man desired
to be fought with, and, on his refusal, I
took the law into their own hands. I said
three'days ago that this affair must come before
a law court--and so it will ; but, wonderful to re-'
late, the Minister of Public Instruction, and not
M. Weiss, is prosecutor. Again, because the
Courtier Francais wrote the name of Granier de
Cassagnac Grainer (de Cassagnac) with a parenthesis,
the brothers Cassagnac, jun., called together upon
M. Duchene, of that journal, and delivered'
an ultimatum to him. They required, on
pain of mortal combat, that he should insert a
paragraph stating that he was mistaken in
writing the name (de Cassagnac) in a paren-
thesis, and that he should do it with
an appearance of spontaneity, not saying
that M. Grainer de Cassagnac's sons had inter-
fered in the matter. He declined to do this, but
was willing to insert a letter from them correcting
what they alleged to be his mistake. Thereupon
they insulted him by word of mouth, and in their
father's journal, the Pays. In that paper they said
that the Courtier Francais people were rapscallions,
because they wouldnot fight when provoked, whereas
they (the Cassagnacs) belonged to good society
(the monde des salons). In reply to this
assumption the Courtier Francais published
extracts from a well known trial, showing that
M. Grainer de Cassagnac was second in a duel
in which his brother-in-law, M. Beauvallon,
killed M. Dujanier, the manager of La Prose,
and that President Espartees de Lusaan severely
censured him for having sworn that the pistols
used by M. Boeauvallon were new pistols, untried,
whereas it was proved that they were pistols
lent by M. de Cassagnac, and that M. Beauvallon
had practised with them. Beauvallon was
sentenced to a • heavy term of imprison-
ment. The inference drawn from this by
the Courtier Francais was, that however
much the Caasagnacs might talk of the honour
of their family, it was at any rate a dangerous
family to fight with. The Cassagnacs replied, with-
out noticing the awkward affair of M. Dujanier,
that since the Courtier Fran faie would not tight
it could only be dealt with by contempt," adding,
however, in the next sentence, with great inconsis-
tency, that their only remedy was the cudgel. There-
upon the Courtier Franfaissaid it would be provided
with a body-guard of its friends against ruffians.
The Cassagnacs print in the Pays that M. Louis de
Cassagnac, meeting M. Vermorel, the editor of the
Courtier Francais' walking in the street arm-in-
arm with a friend, spat in his face several times,
and that some of the spittle fell upon his friend—
spittle which, he says, he is very willing to
consider withdrawn. This is published under
the head of Bulletin No. 1 of " Vermorel's
courage." Bulletin No. 2 states with great glee
that M. Louis de Cassagnac the next day met M.
Vermorel, escorted by six friends carrying large
bludgeons, that he spat upon him exactly between
his eves, and that neither he nor the six cudgel-
bearers took any notice. The reason why they did
not inflict the chastisement which they might easily
have done is, I suppose, that M. Granier de Cu-
sagnac, deputy for the Gers has instituted a pro-
mention against M. Vermoref. So far it would seem
that the sons of ministers and government deputies
might lord it over common mortals as they please ;
but the Moniteur of this evening introduces a new
element in the matter, in the shape of a letter, not
very clearly worded however, from M. Pietre, the
prefect of polimit deprecating in severe terms the
fighting tendencies of certain journalists, and
recommending the commissioners of police to pro-
tect peaceful citizens against them. A great deal
more will be heard of these affairs, which interest
the public intensely, and oven affect the Bourse.

Ten Accrnzwr TO THR NORTH AMERICAN.—AI
despatch was received in Liverpool yesterday, to the effect
that the passengers of the North American, which went
ashore on the island of Anti-Costa, had been transferred to
the screw-steamer Si. George. The cargo was being saved
by schooners. The fore and main compartments and en-
gine-room were tight. A tug and divers were also present,
working at the damaged portion of the hull.
Intelligence was yesterday received in Liverpool
to the effect that the monster ram Dunderberg, which left
New York for Cherbourg several days since, after being at
no
a few days, was obliged to put beck to the former port.
with her engines in a very disabled state. Our readers will
remember that the Dunderberg was originally constructed
for the United States government, but the naval authorities
of that country, after the vessel was completed, found fault
with her, and ultimately refused to aooept her. Being
thrown upon the builder's hands a European market was
nought for, and after some negotiations the Dundarborg
became the property of the French governments