Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-07-05
HORACE GREELEY IN PRISON
WHAT HE THINKS OF 1T.

d WHAT HE THINKS OF 1T.
The last steamer from Europe brought the
f intelligence that Horace Greeley had been
{ imprisoned. Persons famila. with the wor-
kings Of our Government for some years past
: supposed that the next thing would demand
for reparaton for the insult from the French
y Government. But Horace Greeley acts Just
: as different from other people while in a
French debtors prison as he does while in
New York City--so, instead of raising a
hullaballoo about the matter he endorses a
history Of the whole transaction to the Tri-
bune. He writes with the most admirable
sang Jroid, and as if the imprisonment was
got up for his especial amusement. We
make soma extracts from his very funny letter
which we give below. Horace, more than
ever, deserves the name of philosopher, for
we venture the assertion that there lives mot
ten men in all Uncle Sans dominons who
would have taken matters as coolly as he did.
-ED CHRONICLE.
No 20 RUE DE CLIcHY, PARIS, June 3,
1855.
Most proverbs are hyperbolical; not SO that
which affrns that Zone half the world don't
"know how the other half lives" This is
not merely true, but good deal inside of the
truth. We visit scores of people, feast with
them, dance with them, buy and sell with
them; yet Of how very few we really know
how they live7 Just think of US travellers,
fer instance, whose displays of our ignorance
are only more conspicuous and empatic than
those of other people--what do we know as
| to the real manner of life o. the nations we
write about! To realize how much ignorance
may be crowded into l2mo., open almos:
any volume of recent travels. Think of
Frenchman or German whisked through The
United States, steaming up few rivers and
over half dozen railroads, taking breakfast
in New-York, dinner Gin twenty minutes) at
Utica, tea at Buffalo, and on the strength Of
three months of such racing and as many
weeks spent among his particular friends
! (mainly foreigners Of course) In two or three
of- tho sssat eea2orts, undertaking to tell
Europe what sort Of people We are and how
we live! Fairly considered, the mere auds-
city of the attempt challenges amazement if
not admiration.
I had been looking at things if not into
them for good many years prior to y yesterday.
had climbed mountains and descended into
mines, had groped in caves and scaled rreci-
pices, seen Venice and Cincinnati Dublin &
Mineral Point, Niagara and st. Gothard and
really supposed was approxi1ating mid.
ding outside Knowledge OF things in general.
| had been chosen defendant in several libel
suits, and been fattered with the information
that nv ceusures were deemed of more con-
sequence than those of other people, and
should be paid for accordingly. | had been
through twenty of our states, yet never in a
Jail outside of New York, and over half
Europe yet never looked into one. Here
had been seeing Paris for the last six weeks.
visiting this sight. then that, till there seemed
little remaining worth looking at or after
yet had never once thought Of looking into
debtors prison. should probably have
gone away next week, as ignorant in that,re
gard as came, when circumstances favored
me most Unexpectedly with an inside view of
this famous "Msnsion de Detention" or
Prison for 'Debturs, 10 Rue de Clichy. l
think what have seen here, fairly told, must
be instructive and interesting, and suppose
others will tell the story if d. not--and |
don't know any one whose opportunities will
enable him to tell it SO accurately as ! can.
So here goes:
But first let me explain and insist on the
important distinction between inside and out
side views of a prison. People fancy they
have been in prison when they have by
courtesy been inside of the gates; bu: that is
properly an outside view-at the best the
view accorded to an outsider. 1t gives you
no proper idea of the place at all-no access
to its penetrditd. The difference even be.
tween this outside and the proper inside view
is very broad indeed. The greenness of those
who don't know how the world looks from the
wrong side OF the gratngs is pitiable. Yet
how many reflect on the disdain with which
the lion must regard the bumkn who perverts
his goadstick to the ignoble use of stirring
said lion up! or how many suspect that the
grin wherewith the baboon contemplates the
human ape who with umbrella at arms
length is poking Jocko for his doxy's delecta-
Lien, is one of contempt rather than compla-
,ency! Rely on it, the world seen here from
behind the gratiugs is very different in aspect
rom that same world otherwise inspected
Others may think so i knop it. And this
IS how:
had been down at the Palace of Industry
and returned to my lodgings when.a little be-
fore A O'Clock yesterday afternoon, four stran-
gers called for me. BY the help of my courier
soon learned that they had a. writ of arrss:
for me at the suit of one Mons. Lechesne.
affirming that he sent statue to the
N. Y Crystal Palace Exhibition, at or on
The way 10 which it had been broken, so that
It could not be Cat all events it had no, been)
restored to hin--wherefore he asked of me,
as a Director and representative of the
Crystal Palace Association, TO pay him "douze
mile francs," or $4,000. Not happening to
have the change, ana no idea Of paying this
demand if had it, could only signify those
facts; whereupon they.scld me that ! was
lrfder arrest, aud must go along, which 1
readily did. Ne drove circutously to tho