The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1856-03-26
.ALLEYRAND AND ARNOLD.

| WAC . W ACd al
rived, hot foot from Paris It was the
darkest hour of the French Revolution.
Pursued by the blood. hounds of the
reign Of terror, stripped of every wreck
of property aud power, Talleyrand secu-
red q passage to America in ship about
10 sail. He was beggar, aud wan
der.r 70 q strange land to earn his daily
bread by daily labor. -
Is there an American staying at
! your houstT' he asked the landlord Of
the hotel. +" I am hound to cross the
water, and would like letter to some
person Of influence in the New World. ~
The landlord hesitated moment, aud
then replied:
"There Is gentleman up stairs,
either an American or Briton, but
whether an American or Englishman, I
cannot tell"
He pointed the way, and Talleyrand,
who in his life was bishop, prince, aud
prime minister, asceuded. a miserable
suppliant he stood before the strangers
door, knocked, and entered.
In the far corner of the room sat a
man of some iifty years. his arms folded
and his head bowed on his breast. From
window directly opposite, q food of
light poured over his forehead Ills
eyes looked from beneath his downcast
broWs, and gased upon Talleyrand s face
with peculiar and searching express
ion. His face was striking in: outline;
the mouth and chin indicative of an iron
will. His form, vigorous even with the
snow of fifty winters, was clad in dark
but rich and distinguished costume.
Talleyrand advanced-stated that he
was fugitive--and under the impress
ion that the gentleman before him was
an American, he solicited his kind and
feeling Offices: = asail
"Iam wanderer--an exilo. am
forced to Hy to the New World, without
friend or home. You are an Ameri-
canl Give me, then, I beseech you, a
letter of yours, 30 that may be able to
euTn-myz zbreads@I am wiffihiuE, -tviii m
any manner-the scenes of Paris have
filled me with such horror, that life
of labor would be paradise to career
ofluxury in France. You will give me
a-letter to one of your friends, A gen.
tlernan like you has doubtless many
friendsn ~ F.ss
The strange gentleman rose With
look that Talleyrand never forgot, he
retreated towards the door of the next
chamber; his eyes looked still from be-
meath his darkened brow He spoke as
he retreated backward; his voice was
full of meaning
"a am the only man born in the New
World who can raise his hand to God
and say, have not a friend-not one in
all America!'
Talleyrand never forgot the overwhel-
ming sadness of the look which accom-
panied these words.
Who are. you?" he cried, as the
strange man was retrcating rapidly to-
wards the ext room; your namer'
"My name-but he replied with
smile that had more mackery than joy in
it's convulsiye expression" my name
is Benedict Arnold" .
He was gone, Talleyrand sank into
chair, gasping the words
/" Arnold the traitorl'
Thus yon see he wandered over the
Garth another Cain, with the murGerer's
mark upon his brow, Even in that Sc
claded room at that Inn in Havre, his
crimes found him out, and forced him to
tell his name, that name the synonyme
of infamy.
The last twenty years of his life arc
covered with clond from whose dark
nc IS but few CLEANS of light flashed
out upon the page ofhistory.
The manner of his death is not exact:
ly known. But we cannot doubt but
that he died utterly friendless- that re-
morse pursued him to the grave, whis
nerinp John Andre! in his ear, and the
memory of his heart. murmuring forever:
{. True TO your country, what might you
have been, o, z rnold the Traitorn
.s--