The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-08-15

NHos OH NuttnS nm 1T ldfiS, ran towards nm
in kind of ecitacy, crying" Lai9es-n.ai Laijs,'
after his diigrace conlcled BIN with beautiful
poem entitled, d" Epitre un homu,e."
: no man was more worthy OF fuch a biogra-
pher than Voitaire himielf, the glory OF the
French literature. Accordingly, Condofcet pub
liihed his life in the year 1877.
I This new work not only iurpaGed all the pre-
ceding ones of the fame author, but every other
: of the fame kind, in either ancient or modern
timec; and had Voltsire himfels been alive be
would have felt that even his celebrated attempts
fell ihort OF his own life. Until then the hitory
of Charles the XII. of Sweden, was generally
thought the beit piece of TYPOGRAPHY in exiftence
II was 10 10 more after the lsbours OF Condor
Get.
, After having written the life of the immortal
Voltaire, Coudorcet might have topped in his
Career, but there was another eminent character
who now folcited and deierved his attention.
, In the Publick fitting of the academy OF fci-
ences, on the 18th OF November, 1890, he reci-
! ted the eulogium of Franklin, with the well
known motto:
/ Eripuis C5clo fulmen, uox fceptra tyrannis"
/ This publication, however, experienced but
little fuccefs. 1t was allowed, indeed, To be
worthy fecrctary of the academy, & every one
acknowledged that Condorcet had given a con-
cife review OF DR.. Franklin's exertions in favour
! OF philoiophy, of mankind, and of his native
country. But it was remarked at the fame time,
that the ideas were not always expreifcd with
iuifcient neatnefs of ftyle, and elegance of
phrateology.
1t was now high time for Condorcet to exh-
bit his abilities in poiticks. He accordingly
| brought forth new edition of Smiths inquiry
into the &c Wealth OF Nations to which he adj
ded his own notes. Sc 'Tiiis," fays he, switch
the Engliih call the frft of books, obtained in
France, the appreciation of fmal number of
adopts. Smith was the teacher of myherious
Ifcitnce, Whole improvements the tyrauts were
greatly deiirous to ftop, for they were ntereRed
to prevent their biettsffom founding the depth
of publick economy. Our revolution has p!a-
ced Smith in his true apogeum. Political eco
nomy is now an edfy icience, the comforting di-
vinity of the devotees OF liberty, and the anti
dote OF that deitru6tive art, which under the
name OF finance, formerly overturned the foun-
dations of publck happinefs, and undermined
the facred principles of equality"
1t might appear aNonihing, notwithstanding
70 many fingular merits, that Condorcet was not
appointed deputy to the itates-geueral, if we
did not know, that but few were elected on that
location, who happened to be either in the fer
vice ofthe court, or enjoyed places and penGons
under the old government.
But while the firt edition of the French patri-
OTIS performed the greateh fervices to their ma
tive country, in the national aGembly, Condor
Get dedicated his pen'to the promotion of the
new order of things, and in confequenCe of his
zeal, was nominated representative in the fe-
cond Legislature. In the mean time he beftow-
cd all his lcifure moments on the celebrated
work entitled La Bi5iotbeque de Pbcume Pub
lie" This publication was intended as an ana
lyfis OF all the political writers from Xenophon
own labours, had invoked the af1iftance of the
learned civilian La Croix, NJ. Peyfone, former
!yconful in the Crimea, author ofthe Commerce
de la Mer-Noire, &c. and other eminent men,
He himfelf, however, was the chief conductor of
the work, in which he alto interpreted now and
then, Tome ihort eiiays and diiiertations of his
own.
After the Bi6hiotbegae de Pbomnse Public, he
publiihed, in the year 1901, two very celebrated
memoirs on public inRruction in one of thefe
he fupported his beloved principle that mankind
was perfeGtable in izyfnitun7 ; in the other he
pointed out the execution of this plan in free
nation. Ifthe prefent mode of organizing pub
lie tchoos, and the national inftitute in France,
fhou!d prove beneficial to the republick, it ftands
indebted for both to the fuperiour mind of Con-
dercet. II was he who was the firlt to conceive
the idea of the four dltind degrees of infruc-
ton:
1T. For villages
Cd. For diftriets;
Sd. For departments
And, 18th. For the metropolis.
II is likewife owing TO him, that the project
of paying all fchool-mafters from the public
treafury, in order to fave them from the humii-
alton of the invidual fees of their pupils, was
adopted.
Soon after his appointment TO d feat in the fe-
cond Legislature, Condorcet became the BriareMJ
of the revolution. 1t is impoiIible to form an
idea, much lefs to give an enumeration Of his Ia
bourS and exertions. A Jingle day fcarcely oc.
Cured in which he did not fpeak on every
branch of administration, and the records Of the
jacobin club then uncontami1ated with bloody
tetify his frequent motions there. Bcides this
he became the chief conductor ofthe journal en-
titled, {" La C5jOniqne dc PariJ" he alto wrote
oocafonaIly in the journal of Brihot, called,
" l. Patriotic Francois" in the I" AnHaley P0tri-
oti7ueJ" of Cara, &c.
But If his ardent patriotifm obtained for him
the h;ghef reputation among the friends of liber-
ty, it e1pofed him at the fame time, to the mott
illiberaI abuie on the part Of the royafts and
aritoCi ats.
In June 1902, he apologfed in the hall Of thc
jacobins, for the conduct of Petition and the peo-
pie of Paris, who had repaired 20 the ThuiIleres,
in order to prefent the red eat 70 the king. On
this location he was particularly happy in the
following fentiment /" LIE peuple ofert au