Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-10-11

ance, than she receiver he" otoet
exile to Coppet. Thither she went with
heavy heart, but was eonsoied by visits
from her Partisan friends In the autumn
of 1907. she set out for Vienna and passed
a year in that city. adding to the materi-
ais for her "Germany"-She then return
ed to Coppet, where she was chiefly cccu-
pied for two years in the composition OF
that work.
At the beginning of the summer OF
1910, having finished the three volumes
she transferred her residence to Blois, In
order to superinted the printing OF them
with more convenience. 1t was her in
tentions, she says, on finishing this task,
ito repair to England by the way of A
merica," the influence Of Bonapsrte be-
ing then such az to render this the only
safe route for her. The publisher of heri
Germany had assured her, that the cen
sorship had authorised the publication of
the work, after having made various sup
pressions and alterations. But she soon
afterwards received note from her son,
in which he pressed her to return at once
to Coppet, as great offence had been tax
en- with her volumes by the government.
The next information brought to her was,
that the Minister of Police had sent his
myrmidons to destroy the ten thousand
COPIES of her book which had been print
ed. and that she was ordered to quit
France within three days. The project
of the department in which she lived,
came to require the delivery Of her manu-
script; but she gave him only roush
copy. having secreted better, as we'll as
printed sheets of the whole.
Soon after, the Minister of Police, Sa-
vary, addressed letter to her of curl
Gus tenor. He tells her, You must not
seek the cause of the order of exile which
| have sisnifed to you, in the silence
which you have observed with regard to
the En- peror in your last work; he could
find no place there which was worthy of
him. IT has appeared to me that the air
Of this country did not at all agree rith
you, and We are not yet reduced to seek
for models in the nations whom you ad-
mire 1.-The Germans, English, and Ameri-
canS.l Your last work is not at all French;
it is by my orders that the impression has
been seized, Iregret the loss uhich 1T
uM occasion to the bookseller, but it is
not possible for me to allow it to appear"
When it is recollected, that it was woman
who was thus addressed-one whom the
whole republick of letters hailed as a.
mong the noblest intelligences and most
eloquent writer's of the age; whose atfec-
tions were centered in Paris, and whose
dearest hopes were bound up in the sue
cess of the performance which had cost
her several years of labor-every man of
common galIantry and feeling must expo
rience disgust at the tone of the Minister
Of Police and the proceedings of the gov
ernment Madame de Stael's own COM
mentary upon it is as follows:
The stale hypocrisy with which was
toi6<1lat the air of this country did not
agree with me, and the denial Of the real
cause of the suppression Of my book, are
worthy OF remark. In fact, the Minister
OF Polio. had shown more frankness in
expressing nimselfverbally respecting me:
be asked, why l never named the Empe
ror or the army in my work on Germany?
On its being objected, that the work be-
ing purely lite rary, could not well have
introduced such subjects, DO yUu think
then, replied the Minister, that we have
made war for eighteen years in Germany,
and that person OF snch celebrity should
print book upon it, without saying
word about Us? This book shall be des-
troyed, and the author deserves to be
sent to Fincennes."
The work contained, as to politicks,
only general reflections and reasonings
in favor of free institutions; and in 10
other respect besides this, was it foreign
to the French fashion Of the day, except
in declaring for the German and English
school of dramatick poetry.-She had
ventured to break from the trammels Of
the Partisan code of criticism, anu to pre-
fer the 'romantick" to the so called elias
sicaP' drama. The event of the violent
destruction of the whole edition Of her
Germany" produced strong sensation
in Europe, at moment when thrones
were falling, and great commissions were
expected She has detailed it in all the
circumstances, and in the proper colors,
in the preface of the London Edition of
1914. She has marked the mutilations
which the manuscript suffered from the
hands of the censor, before the imprim.
itur was given, which was so unceremo-
niously violated. The suppressed passa-
ges of much historical importance as evi
dences ofthe spirit, aims, and CONSCIENCE
of the imperial government; and the whole
transaction bespeaks the profound inter.