Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-06-12
CHARLOTTE CORDAY,
The Heroine of tho French Revolution.

Had Charlotte Corday lived in the days ofthe Greek
or Roman republics, the action which has given oe-
lcbrity To her name would have elevated her mem
ory to the highest rank Of civic virtue but AZ u H.
no monument has ever been raised to her memory,
nor is IL even known where her body rests.
Marie Adelaide Charlotte Corday was born In l76s
at St Snturnin In Normandy Her family belonged
to the Norman nobility, of which 1t was not the
least ancient and she descended, on tho female
side, from Corneillc, the great French author, by
called the Shakespeare OF France she was cd
ucaied Mt the Abbey of the Holy Trinity ut Cnen,and
from her earliest youth eyinced superior intellectu-
nj endowments.
From peculiar bent ofmnd very uncommon In fc-
males especially Mt that period Charlotte Corday de-
voted herself to the study politics and the theory
of government Strongly tincturcd with tho phylos-
ophy Of the last century and deeply read IN ancient
history she had formed notions OF repnbhcnnsm
which she hoped TO ace realized In her own country
friend at first to the revolution, she exultedn the
opening dawn of freedom; but when she saw this
dawn overcast she thought only Of the means OF n
verting the calamtes which threatened to onslnve
the French people.
On the overthrow of the Girondns and their ex-
pulsion from the Convention, Charlotte Gorday was
residing at Cacn with her relation, Madame DC
Broeville She had always been an enthusiastic
ndmrer of the principles of this party 40 eloquently
developed in their writings and had looked up to
them as the saviors of France She WAS therefore
not prepared for the weakness and even pnsillnnmty
which they afterwards displayed,
The Girondis representatives sought refuge In the
department of Cnlvados, ,whereehcy called upon every
patriot To take up arms In defence OF freedom. on
their approach Coen Charlotte Corday ut the head
of the young girls of that city bearing crowns and
flowers went out to meet them. The civic crown
was presented to Ianiuinas and Charlotte herself pln-
ced il upon his head -, 4.
Mnrat was nj this period the oscnsible chief Of the
Mountain party and the most snnRninary OF Its mem
bcrs lie u monster both in mind and person;
his ank aud distorted features covered win lepfosy
and his vulgar and crocions lcer were true ihdcx
of the passions which worked in his mind Sc
ries of unparalleled atrocities had raised him to the
highest power with his party and though he
protested to be merely passive in the revoln-
tionary government, his word was law WIN
the Convention and his fiat irrevocable In every
thing related TO the acquisition Of wealth he was in
corruptable, and gloried in his poverty But
| the immense influence he had acquired turned his
brain, aud he gave full range to the propensites or
| his nature now unchecked by any authority lie had
formed principles of political faith In which, perhaps
he sincerely believed but which were founded upon
his inherent love of blood and his hatred OF every hui
man being who eyinced talents or virtue above ms
fellow-n The guilone was not only the after OF
the DISTORTED thing he worshippcd under the name
of Liberty but IL was also the instrument OF his pleas
ures for the writhng of the victim who fell under its
| axe pleased him Even Robespierre attempted to
check this unquenchable thirst OF human blood put
in vain opposition only excited Marat TO greater at
rocites lie would loudly declare that rivers of
blood could purify the land; and the guillone spar
| ed none whom he designated.
Charlotte Cordny having read his assertion, that
three hundred thousand heads were requisite to con
solfate the Liberties of the French people, could not
| contain her feelings. "What lshe exclaimed, "is
| there not in the whole eountrya man bold enough
| to kill this monster
Meanwhile an insurrecon against the ruling lac
ton was in progress and the Grondists had estab-
ished central assembly at Caen to direct its oper-
ations Charlotte Corday nccompaniedby her iather
regularly attended the stings OF this assembiywhere
her striking beauty rendered her the more reinarkh-
BILE because from the retired life she ledshe was pre-
| viously unknown to any of tae members. Ihongn
the eloquence ofthe Girondins was here powerfully
displayed, their actions but little corresponded win
| IT, A liberatng army had been formed IN the de-
| partment and placed under the command OF gehefih
| Felix Wimfpen. But neither this general nor thc
deputies took any worthy OF the causethelr
| proceeding spirtless and emasculate ana excl
ted without checking the spirits in power Marat de,
nounced the Girondins In his paper ana oemahueu
their death as necessary Tor the safety o 'he 'ne ro-
| public.
Charlotte Corday was deeply afflicted at the nerve
less measures of the expelled deputies and imagining
that if she could succeed in destroying Marat the ial
of his party must necessarily ensue she ae'er,
! mined to offer up her own life for the goou OF
| her country. She accordingly called on Babaroux,
one of the Grondist leaders, with whom she was not
personally acquainted and requested letter OF intro-
duction to Monsieur Duperret deputy favorable 10
| the Girondins and then ut Paris. Having also re-
quested Barbaroux to keep her secret she wrote to
her father stating that she had resolved to omigrate
to England and had set out privately for that coun-
| try where she alone could liyein safety
She arrived at Paris at the beginning ofJuly 1898,
and Immediately called upon Duperret But she
found this duputy devoid of energy rs of talent
| and therefore only made of him to assist her in
| transacting some private business.
A day or two after her arrival an incident occurred
| which is worthy ofa place here. Being at the Tul-
cries. she seated herself upon bench in the garden
A little boy, attracted doubt by the smile with
which she greeted him, enlisted her as a companion
of his gambo Encouraged by the earesses, he thrust
his hand into her half open pocket and drew forth
| small pistol
"What toy is this?" said he,
"Its II toy" Charlotte replied, (which may prove
very useful in these times" So saying she quickly
concealed the weapon, andlooking round to see
whether she was observed Immediately left the gar
den
On the llth of July, Charlotte Corday attended the
sitting of the convention with a determination to
shoot Marat in the assembly But he was to Ill TOO
leave his house.
On the 9th at nine o'clock in the evening she call
| ed on Monsieur Prudh omme, historian OF taeht
! and veracity with whose writings on the rerou@on
| she bad been much struck. NJ. Prudhomme says .na'
in this interview Charlotte Corday appeared TO MN