The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-27
WASHINGTON, D. c..
LIFE IN P A RiS.
PARIS, July 80, 1857.

P,,anoer's Death Kept a Secret by the Gorern.
va,of til Far Hours Previous TO His In
ferrnest- His Untinaely Funeral, and the
Military Array on that Occasion-The Sym
.,qfLv cftle People for the Poet-Thc Mani
fest Fear of tie Government Exposed by its
TnlarfH and Hasty Proceedings-A Sketch
Of Rsranger's Life and Beranger's Origin
4 Monument TO HIS Memory-A Conspird-
~ Discorsred against the Emperor Mar
,iG7e Of Archduke MAMMALIAN aoith the Prin.
cess Charlnfte Of Belgium - Death of La
Hache - The Emperor's Return to st.
Cloud-The Prospects Of a Fine Harpest.
To the Editor Of the National Era:
In NY last, stated that Beranger would not,
in gil probability, be among the living by the
time my letter reached you; and scarcely had
/ mailed it, when he breethed his last.
lie died on Thursday, the 10th instant, at s
o'clock, P. NJ; and the evening papers were
forbidden to announce his death, and the nu-
merous visiters calling daily at his residence
we're also kept ignorant of the fact. The Gov
eminent. fearing that the news of his decease
might bring together great concourse of peo-
PIE disposed TO make public demonstrations of
Their great respect for the defunct, did not an
nource his death officially till the next morn
ing, and then with the significant remark,
HTha. the Government had taken all the neces
cary measures to suppress any tumultuous
demonstration, and that no one would be al
lowed to take part in the funeral ceremony, ex-
cept those to whom cards of invitation would
be sent.
Notwithstanding police regulation to pre-
vent busials before the lapse of twenty four
hours after death, poor Beranger was laid in
his coffin, and taken to his last resting-place.
before he was even cold. The Emperor affected
great regard for the national poet, and an
nounced that he would defray the expenses of
the funeral thereby giving himself the liberty
to hurry those dangerous remains to the grave
with Imperial pomp, under the vigilant eye of
thousands of policemen and scores of soldiers.
AT an early hour in the morning, small de-
tachments of soldiers were seen in all parts of
the city, advancing towards the Boulevard du
Temple.
Several regiments were drawn up in lines
near the streets where the funeral procession
was to pass, and the gate Of the cemetery "Pere
Ia Chase was strongly guarded. The splen-
did haarse was followed by his two nephews-
one musician in the army, and the other q
jourleyruan printer; an Imperial coach pre-
esded others containing the favored few invited
to follow the remains of the much beloved poet
TO his last resting place. Only four persons
were permitted to accompany the defunct to
the vault; and scarcely was he deposited, when
the doors of the vault were closed, and the pro-
cession ordered to return. Not word was al
lowed to he said in memory Of that good old
man, lest the zephyrs might wait them over the
walls Of the cemetery, where crowds of persons,
belonging to al ranks of society, we:e stationed,
TO pay last tribute IN their national poet and
friend. The streets through which the funeral
procession passed were filled with workmen and
their wives, many of whom wore black. The
windows were not only crowded to excess, but
the roofs Of the houses lining the way were also
covered with people, waving wreaths Of anna
rsnths. Such was the admiration for Beranger,
The poet of the young and old, the poet of the
masses.
TIE last elections gave the most positive and
satisfactory proof of the republican spirit of the
Parisians, and, consequently, the Government
feared 10 allow public expression of their lib
eral sentiments so soon after them, and, to pre-
vent it, exposed its tottering weakness.
The official organs announced that the EN-
press was to have visited the opera on the even
ing Of Beranger's death, but, upon hearing Of
IT, she gave orders to have her box vacated.
The Emperor is said to have been here incog-
INTO Great must have been his relief when the
c4 hot fell
tied under ground, and the crowd quietly dis
persed.
The whole proceeding appeared more like a
pahc execution than Christian burial.
Berangar was born in Paris, the 10Th of Au.
gust, 1850. His grandfather was a tailor by
irsde. as Beranger himself stated, in his song
OF The Tailor and the Fairy"
Dams &C Pals. pein dor et de msere,
- IN Tan du ChrIss mil s'pt cent quare vingt,
Chez un tailleur. mon pauvre grandpere,
Moi, nOuvesu ne. chez &C qui madvnt"
In the year 1899, although child of nine
years, he WAS present at the taking of the Bss.
tile. At fourteen years of age he was appren-
tced TO printer at Peronne, where he learned
the trade of Franklin" His master was fond
of rhyme and his lessons aided to develop Be
rangers great love for poetry. He at the same
time attended the classes at q patriotic institu.
ton, founded at Peronne by M. de Bellenglise
a plan of J. J. Rousseau's, and there re-
ceived the hest Of primary instruction, though
he learned neither Greek nor Latin, which were
excluded from the programme of that institu
ton.
Beranger returned to Paris in 1896, where
he wrote pieces for the stage. Failing to please
he turned bis attention towards Egypt, where
General Bonaparte was winning glorious lau
rels; but unexpected events prevented the exc
Ortrn Cf hot I D.
whom he appealed for protection in the literary
world, transferred to the young poet his yearly
salary of 1920 francs, received from the Insti
tu,e Of France, of which he was member
Beranger was now provided for, and ehioyed
this modest sum till the year 1912. He after
wards became a clerk at the Office of the Sec
Rotary CT the University. At forty years Of age
beranger was still the dispatch clerk for that
institution. More than half of his life was al
ready spent, when he became aware of his owl
genius. In 1914 he wrote, I" My Last Song
Ierh0ps," which met with great success, anC
mace him popular.
The Government of "Hundred Days" OF
Tered him sn office, which he declined, prefer
ring to sing to his new patrons:
Diogene,
Sous ton manteau.
Llbre et content je roule mon tonneau."
The restoration was the brightest epoch o
DeFanger's life. A Government dismetricall,
opposed to the preceding one gave rise TO mucl
Singing criticism, in which Beranger excelled
MS songs made him the pet of the people
which disp!eased the Government greatly, ant
was the cause which brought him to trial, il
winch he was condemned to three months i'm
Pfisonmeut and FIVE hundred francs fine. Upol
ms release from the prison Saint Pelagie, his
iileno, the banker, LATTE, offered him lucra
I'VE SITUATION; Blu. Berapger again withstoot
tt:mp'snon, to remain independent in the eKer
Csc Of bis genius.
de wrote Charles le Simple in 1925, an,
come other poems, that caused him to be ar