Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-11-22
lr'an'iacd Tor ,he Was. ingion ChrsniclsJ
CHARLOTTE CORDAY

'"' ofo ~ III ~
Normandy, at 81. Siaiurniz, near SEEK. N 4sr
year i76s. Her noble parcDts had hsf ae72
Gated IN a convent. A perfect swUstnc.y ~
disposition "A charming hgure-a light end
graceful form . a cultivated mind nm imsr.n-I
alton easily fired 20 and a soul susceptible of thsg
most lively emotions-p promised to q hrsbsns
the most amiab,e Of companions, and 10 Franre
the most couro geous Of heroines. A nuU,bssr
Of suiiors presented themselves, but none wss
accepted. Charlotte loved, above every thing,
independence. the only source Of general ibsrvs
~. Al an age when pleasures were pressing
around her, Charlotte CorL.y cultivated be.s
mind by reading the philosophers, and desivvS
from Their winnings ,hoss precepis Of gfcafre&t
and hctoisin al which she " as about 10 lea v.i
so remarkable an example. Crcumsts = en-.
idroIed the deveiopemcnt Of her bold and ser-f
sible soul a common enthusiasm had &c zoe
France, which too Implicii, belle ved that INE
be wo.ihy OF Liberty, II " as sufficient 10 viii IN
Every person pressed forward with frenzy ioO
wards ihis blessing, which unceasmgt y escaped .
him, and to which his devotion and yrrt We p
would have conducted him more surely. Thes
KING persisted: Europe, IN arm. was rscyisse 3
by the enorgy OF Liberty. supported by hops
Whist an unrely popuiace hocked 70 tho sasa
OF The National Assembly TO dictate ito wils
and to demand the heads of tho Eoundsns si
this growing republic. the best deputies we're
uofCS Hc0fI MOuf0 NV
have revolted AZ so many crueliies aud 80 uir~A /.
injustice /. a single Woman devoted hesselfta
the cause o! The prescribed. One ~oftbpin. tho .
e'oq,ent Barbaroux, fed 10 Carn, with s.sns p
othe' deputies who were Outla ed. Charlotte, FL
who had seen HIM IN his family, went to seek
MN, to obtain sone Information upon The state
Of France. and IN relation to The chisfs Of the
tjrdUnlcai demagogu,s, and took the rssolut ioh
To drpar, immediately for the capital. Mem
hmm .a.l. -,
tracing 1t 10 IA vulgar cause. have raised sves
pIcIons upon the nature Of the connexisn be-
tween ih.s admirable woman and the deputy
Barbaroux. We will destroy them by Q.otimi
some lines from The memoirs of ono Of the ~oH.s
panions Of the unfortunate Barbaroux himssIfl
She crme,' gays Bouvet, in his memo r.,
" constantly accompanied BY a domestic, and
attended Barboroux IN a ssloon whure ore Of
Tho other OF us was always present." tn eos
icii pardon Tor some Of her relations WAS vs,a
queslion'bly the pretext of her visits. Put hst
tue motive was to know some Of the founders
Of this %republIc, for which she ives about TO dss
vote herself; and perhaps she INDUCED the
hope that one day her character would be piops
eriy appreciated and honored. Finally sh4
departed with the fixed design Of plunging a
p~ojgnard into the bosom of one Of those mod
who had banished the Girondists. The deputy
Fauchet, 10 whom she addressed hers~it, ins
iIoGuced her INTO the ttibunes Of the convens
ton; but he aiieraa ards paid for his compiler
sance with his head. Charlotte Corday hid
an opportunity of seeing the terrible MoatxRus,
She heard each day calumnies and ihve csivss
repeated against The fugitives, which ga " new
strcrg b TO her resolution. But the most hid.
eous 81 the representatives Of the anarchical
fury, (Marat) did not appear for three days
he was sick. Charlotte wrote to him the tois
lowing billet :" Citizen % l have just arrived
from Cuen. Your love for your country iss
MADE .ou, without doubt, desi,e to know thc
oycRIs that have lranspired in that part. Of tic
republic. | will come to YOU in about an hou.
and put you in a situation 10 render a Rfest
service to France To ihis note che reserved
no answer; wrote another, which shared this
same fate; and upon the 13 b July, l793, she
\ sent a third, more pressing than the two ptes
cod m whlch she spoke o! the great secrets
she hat 10 rere0i, and of pc, sondi niA}o iunrs,
She sent this letter, and followed 1t immediate
y. They refused to let her enter. Two wos
! men who were n the anti-chamber opposed
her passage. Matat, who VAS in tie bait
overheard the CONVEX sation, ard discovering bi
some word that they we're speaking to the
young woman who had written 10 him, order,
ed Cha lotto 10 b. introduced. The CONVERSE
ton was short. They spoke Of Calvadox. ~
the prescribed. and Of the adminisiia tor, Ell
taeu and Errcuy. Marnt wrote tie names NJ
/ these last, according 10 her d,ctation, add ri
that they should be cuIlioiined IN a few d-ss
AT these words Casrlotte drew 4 knife whnn
she had concealed urder her robc, and plunged
unto tie bosom of Narat. "Against me. my
dear friend he CRED and expired. Chariotiu
WAS instantly arrested her trial was insti,uted
immodIately. Conquer 1inville affected a.
introduce all tie judicial formalities OF whict
the case was susceptible. There was now de
yc'opcd ore OF tie finest spec iuisns Of cours
age OF which history makes mention hoi n
npment OF wcakness-not n sign ci authorizations
--not IA trace of cxiravaganco-pot a wort
that could bc'ray any passioD; but a p'rhr 2
trnncss IN all her answers. A pa inter- icc>
her portrait during one Of the sessloU-; -t,pi
turned towards hi IN IN order that he might ba'
Ter seize her features. Cheuveau La gurde va
named her oil cial defender. he comprclapde a.
The soul OF Charlotte, ,ud defer dcd her INSET
only manner which was suited to the accue-i
lie admitted all-the murl,I long p,emedi /,
ted. ma'urtd wi h care, and cxt r,aed wi,iotl
romorsc. So iharked her dcfe ndcr With e
grace at once noble and tout hing. and ~. az
cv,donce of her gratitude, ds.i ed him 10 de
charge some debts which she had conirncics
while in prison. The sentence Of death waAl
pronounced; she did not q Dan; but moor I'D
the gloomy car, and heard with indider.ass
the shouts Of a stupid AID fcro, io,f 20 puiao ~
How can ono AVOID a feeling Of ptoi,niid N.
s~ignation when be sees on orc eide . uem.n 4,
IN all the beauty of her sex in all The siooia
NJ youth all he sGt hni,y OF ! croIsin; snr
~ the other side, twenty thousand men shs
pursued hOr " uh o%oicTes, aud iheusssds Of
o hers who regarded her dc.'h win a fst,ha
= OF torpor: At this . eciac's who would NJ
avow that justice and virtue were not Of th6