The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-04-02

to the statistics of those countries, not one in
twenty could answer the very simplest question
relative to them.
As to reasonipg,sor discussion. on any subject
to matters immed lately affecting their localities,
they are generally quite unequal to the task !;
and they themselves know it, but they do not
wish It to be known by others; and, in order to
read their speeches. 1t Is trade In Pans to
compose speeches for the deputies; who then
successfully shine at the tribune, and, during q
fortnight, dissert on general questions, without
the trade in speeches, though fortunately tor the
public and for public questions, many OF the de-
putles cannot even read correctly the speeches
written for them and they would be doomed to
perpetual silence, If the ministerial strategy had
not provided most important employment tor
their lungs. At signal given by one OF the mi
nisters braves, cheers, interruptions, murmurs,
cries of order, all in gradatiOn beginning with
No! No and rising to savage yells, resound In
the asse mbly This Is the order, the regulation
of the debates, on important occasions; it gene
rally secures the triumph of the ministry; then
the shet p-headed Jacques Letebvre cries, s. Viue
lie Roi :" which Is immediately re-echoed by the
whole parry. and the assembly adjourn and
walk off in triumph.
Such being the general composition of the
house, it follows that ready and extempore
speakers pass for geniuses among their parti-
Fans but, with the exception of one really great
orator, and two or three sens BILE polemists, there
Is not one OF those geniuses that would not Ell
Their be cou ghed down, or sllenced, BY a unlver
sal explosion of dissatisfaction, or left speaking
to empty benches, In the British House of Com
mons.
These ready speakers, always excepting three
or TOUR, have no other merit than the practice OF
public speaking and the utmost confidence in
themselves, which, however, varies according
to the habits and professions of the parties who
may be divided into three classes-the profess
sors, the kings attorneys and judges, and the
barristers.
The professors, (and there are halt dozen OF
them, with Gulzot at their head,) accustomed to
speak to young men, to be listened to, without
any contradiction, to convince an auditory bound
to jurare in rerba magistri, have the greatest
share of self confidence. 1t really amounts in
them to conviction of their own superiority,
and OF the immense inferiorlty of their auditors
Indeed, there is all this, and more there Is q
sort OF contempt in the posture, In the tone, In
the gesture, nay, in the very words, which no.
body could stand, but mass of unintelligent
and degraded varets.
The kings attorneys and other mag lstrates
have good deal of this, but to a less extent
They are, in their judicial functions, subject to
be contradicted, and they often must argue,
while the schoolmaster needs only to assert
Yet they have one advantage over the advocates,
who come next, since they cannot be interrupt
ed, and are always listened to with attention,
which Is not the case with the latter, who, how
ever, IN political in judicial discussions, con-
slider themselves privileged to say all they can in
defence of their clients.
Beyond this self-contidence and practice of
speaking on any subject, there Is nothing that de-
serves TO be mentioned as eloquence and talent,
II we except Berger, and, hough very Inferior
to hlm, Mauguln, Arrago, and Lamartlne. Ber-
ryer Is really an orator, a grand orator. His ln-
telllgence IS of the first order; and, on hearing
him, one feels the truth of the remark of Cicero,
"Pectus est cuod diseytum facit." There is no
affectatlon OF superiority, no selprepossesslon III
his manners; but there is feeling in his counte-
nance, in his words, in his voice, in his ges-
lures It is to be lamented that he belongs TO a
party which Can never be national: He Is the
Mlrabeau OF legitimacy but he will never re-
build what Mlrabeau has destroyed, since Mira
beau himself could not do it.
would not mention Odlllon Barrot, 1T a sort
OF engoument, so common In France, had nc t
made great man OF him. He himself sho VS.
his conviction OF his own Importance In all his
department. On seeing him walk, stop, SIT, or
make the slightest movement, selt-concelt is the
only visible faculty of the man. Ignorance OF
the first principles of social order is manifest III
all his speeches Commonplace ideas, present
ed without order, declamatory sentences, and 4
dull, heavy, thick, monOtonous delivery, charac-
terlse his oratory. A French friend defines him
thus:-" Cette tete nest quune bale de gros sons
and do not know more appropriate definition
The liberals, taking him at his own valuation,
have made him their leader. | ought rather to
say, that they accepted him as such, from the
past and present ministers, who, having taken
measure of him, treated him leader; quite
sure that they had nothing to fear from party
IL
disappointed in their expectations. The polit-
cal acts OF Odillon Barrot as absurd and as
harmless to them as his oratOry.
The son OF a member OF the tribunal who had
boldly opposed the march of Napoleon to the
throne, having married the grand daughter of
Fable de POmpieres, (another OF those few who
have always been true to the cause OF the peope,)
Odillon Barrot was introduced by them both as
rising as he did, and his being placed In the first
ranks of the liberals. Though his mind was not
equal to the task, his heart was at first ,und
director; but the heart and the mind have Ion &
since been at par.
Mauguin is, in many respects, very superior to
Odillon Barrot. But his probity is suspected by
the liberal party, and nobody cOntides in him
Arrago, who seems destined to be the chief OF
the small band of patriots In the chamber, by the
ascendency of his talents, by the extent OF his
political views, and by his sincerity, is some
times equal to Berger In eloquence he Is now
the only one who has obtained popularity. ID.
Tracy, one OF the best citizens In France, and d
man of first rate abilities, has, during the last
twenty five years, constantly and bravely fought
all the battles of liberty IN the chamber and
but for his modesty, wou long since have been
acknowle dyed as the leader OF the national par
ty.; no. one deserves it better. But, satisfied
with doing his duty to his country, he never
thinks of popularity. He has no newspaper ct
his command, like Mauguin, OdillOn Barrot,
Theirs, GulZot, and others.
Cormenin, the first political writer of the day,
scarcely ever ascends the tribune. lsanbert, the
best of the French jurisconsuts, is no orator..
The same must be said of some others Their
principles are sound, their logic is conclusive,
their arguments are unanswerable, They do not
attempt to be eloquent; they think it better to
be reasonable. They .dlsdain big words and well
turned sentences they prefer plain common
sense and clear and simple language
In chamber of deputies so completely devoid
of honesty and of intelligence, principles, logic,
common sense are quite thrown away. Ihey
understand no other language than that OF their
interests and of their passions. They under
stand the word Of command, and they obey. Ii
they appear to hesitate, they are. told that the
monarchy is in danger, that the national honor is
taraished, that public order must be supported
They very well know that monarchy, national
honor, and public order, mean nothing but them
selves, their functions, their emoluments, their