Herald of the times, and Rhode Islander. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1846-1849, 1847-10-14
correspondence Of The Philadelphia enquirer
"A Tale of Horror.
PARIS, 3Oth August

4 The utter stagnation of political news
here, owing TO the adjournment Of the
chambers, the absence Of the King and
royal ianily. and OF the principal mem
bers of the government, has been broken
by the horrible drama Of the Hotel Sc
bastlani, Of which you will probably have
heard something, even sooner than the
arrival Of this letter. Nevertheless, the
account of an eyewitness aud an earwIt-
ness, resident on the spot, may not be
unacceptable to your readers, where the
event is one which considered in all It's
bearings, may perhaps be said TO have no
parallel in the history of society IN civi.
llzed life for half a century.
Il Marshal Sebastian was, as is well
known, distinguished commander
and diplomatlst under the Empire and
under the Restoration. lie has engaged
the special confidence aud friendship OF
Louis Philippe. Under Napoleon, as
Emperor, he was sent as ambassador To
Constantlnople and shortly before his
departure for that place, he married the
daughter of the Duke de Coigny, mem
Der of the haute nOLtcSSe, one OF the old
est and most distinguished families OF
the Faubourg st. German. The lacy
had large fortune in possession, and a
still greater one IN rcverslon. AT Con-
slantlnople she gave birth to female in
lant, and died III SO doing, leaving the
marshal and ambassador, her husband, "A
young widow, with newly born infant,
The child under the care Of nurse liy-
ed. The state of Europe was such at
that time, that communication with Con-
stantinople otherwise than by land was
impracilcable, and the infant was accor-
dingly conveyed to Paris through Tur-
KEY, Austria and the German States.
The sole child grew into beautiful and
highly accomplished woman, apd became
the inhcri;ress, directly and by reyerson
of the fortunes Of the Duke de Coigny,
her uncle, Marshal Sebastian, her ia
ther, General Sebastian, her uncle, and
other wealthy relatives. In fine, her for
tune, in possession and expectancy a.
mounted in value to twenty millions Of
dollars.
\ At eighteen she formed love match
contrary to the wishes of her family,
/ with the Duke de Choiscul- Praslin, then
only one-and-twenty, and at the head Of
another noble family, not less illustrious
by descent than her own, and possessed
/ of large inheritance. To this marriage
mne children were born--six daughters
and three sons and the parents were
sull short Of the meridian of life, the
Duke being only ~, and the Duchess 30.
Causes of dlssension arose of late years
between them, out of circumstances
which engcndered jealousy in the Ouch
css, and a separation was threatened by
her. The Queen and Madame Adelaide,
who honored her with their especial
friendship, however, intervened, and
brought about seeming reconciliation.
/ On the 18th Of the present month, the
family, who were staying at their magnl-
ficent chateau of Vause-Praslin, came to-
Paris by the Orleans railway, with the
purpose Of proceeding to Dieppe, for the
bathing season. They arrived III town
at nine o clock in the evening, and imme-
diately left the railway station in two car
riages, one of which, containing the
Duchess and some of the children, went
directly to the Hotel Sebastian, their
town residence, in the Rue Faubourg st.
Honore, and the other, with the Duke
aud his other children, drove FIRST to The
residence of lady who had been lately
governess in the family, to visit her, and
thence to the Hotel Sebastian, where it
arrived about an hour later than the for
mer carriage, which brought the Duchess.
Common report says that the Duchess
expressed her displeasurc in strong Ian
guage at this visit TO the governess at
such an hour, and especially at her daugh-
tiers being brought there, and that a sharp
alteration ensued. BE this ms it may,
all was quiet, and the family had retired
to rest at eleven o'clock. The Duchess's
bedroom was on the ground floor, the
windows opening Oh the coIonnade of,
the hotel which looks upon the garden
The Dukes room was separated from II
by cabinet, ante-room and other pas
sages.
/ Those who are familiar with this quarter
ofthe city, will remember in walking up
the avenue of the Champs-El ysees, which
runs at the rear of the Faubourg St llo-I
more, after passing the garden of the
British Embassy, and before arriving at
that of the paIais Eysccs Bourbon, there
is pretty enclosure defended by iron
railing, tront'rs handsome hotel hav-
ing stone Coounadc. This building
Is tel 8 nistlani, and was the resi-
&c Due and Duchess ofPrasln,
~"o occupied 1t IN common with Marshal
sebastian the father of the Duchess. The
hotel adoins tho palace on the west side,
,d he Hotel Castellanc on the east
-" hcl-room Of the ID 10 ,ooked on the
garden, well rs on that Of the palace.
, ma ~ the Duchess, next to the hotel
'5stellane, looked only on the garden.
Such being the description of the pa
lace let us return To- the awful narrative Of
g! the facts, no, as they we're uniolded a,
the moment, but as the circumstances
since developed have disclosed them to