The Sun.
London, England, 1841-03-15 00:00:00

CHATEAUBRIAND AND MAR-

SHAL VICTOR.

(From t►ie Quotidicn?ze.)

M. de Chateaubriand has addressed to us a letter Oa
the subject of the lamented de Ath of the Duke de
Bellune. We hasten to give it insertion.
Assuredly M. de Chateaubriand's name is always
welcome to the press, and in this instance we greet it
with double avidity, for it is for the purpose of render-
ing homage to one of the most valiant warriors lett to
the empire by the monarchy as a model of honour and
fidelity.

Lri us add that the appearance of M. de Chateau.
briand's name in the press is a significant omen, for us.
The moment is propitious for him to resume his po-
litical per, for murmurs are increasing on the side of
power, and threats are secretly made against writerF.
We will tell him our opinion and that of the day on this
subject.
The following is his affecting letter : _

" Paris, March B.

" Sir—You have been kind enough to call into no-
tice, with tut) much culogium, the work, the' Congress
of Verona?, It has no other merit than being a coll'e-
tion of authentic documents ; bit, as it expresg::,s my
strong opinion against the unworthy Tteaties of Vienna,
and as, at the period it appeared, when the author,: of
these Treaties were still in existence, it met vk ith both
the obstacles of power and of wounded vanity, it will
remain at last as an irrefragable proof that a poet can
tolerably well understand and conduct affairs.
" You have republished, Sir, a letter from Marshal
Victor, iaserted is this ' Congress.' If the Duke de
Bellune hal bo.en simply a veteran, twice wounded at
the siege of Toulon—distinguished by t,le attacks of
Saint Dine and Rases—victorious :it Ancona, rec,iving
a sword of honour for having contr.boted to the battie of
Marengo ; wounded again at Jena—appointed a Mar.
shat of France on the field of b ittle of Fried-
land—victorious at that defile of Pena-Perros, where
the French army, struck with the beauty of the Guad.ll-
- presented arms to Andalousia, commanding the
9th corps in the campaign of Russia—covered with glory
t:t tie passage of Bt.oeiina, making 15,000 Austrian pi i-
soners at Dresden—wourv'ed again at the affair of Craone
—there could only be said of the Duke de Bellone, for
eli these warlike feats, what is said in praise of that
France of the Empire, no personage of which will speedily
remain. Bet, at the Restoration, another career
opened for this intrepid soldier. He continuA to
pursue the honourable line of conduct which was so
natural to him. I have seen him ranged, in the most
unassuming manner, on the side of the exiled Louis
XVIII., just as he unostentatiously marched in
the midst of Bonaparte's triumphs. He varied
no more in the second episode of his life than he did
in the first: his career was changed by the fortuity
of events, without change of mind. If he could
not speak in praise of the Restoration, be never
abandoned it. Minister with myself in the year 1832,
his disgrace preceded mine. It was at that period
that he wrote to me the letter which you have quoted.
" When Bonaparte's star had bean set, and he was
lost in the immensity of the ocean, no mausoleum was
better suited for the ruler of the world than the rock of
St. Helena. Every flag saluted him in passing. Sepa-
rated from his historical scenes, Napoleon contemplated
them in the midst of tempests : to him history was the
St. Danis of winds and seas—to the Bourbons that of
religion and peace. Restored to our shores from na-
tional feeling, but to the detriment of his glory, Bona•
parte, has returned to pass a last review, and rally round
him the few com7anions in arms who had survived him.

"!Jul to Franca as she is and France as she was,
Marshal V:ctor will repose, it is said, near the Emperor
—under that dome which the great King has erected
to our worn-out warriors. At this moment I should be
incapable of dwelling further on a loss which the country
will deplore as much as myself. Contrary to the cus-
tom of d l man, I shall not be garrulous as my l►fe di-
minishes ; I wish to reconcile it with my words.
" I !I iaVd the honour to be, &e..
" CHATEAUBRIAND."