New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-06-05
AFFAIRS IN FRANCE.


PARIS, May 20, 1853.
The absol bpg theme Of the weeks talk is duel.
A French duel ia not ordinarily very great affair,
even for the two principals engaged. 10 the one
that took place last Friday, 10 the forest of st.
German, the whole community lie taxing deep
rterest Under the influence of the general emotion
excited by tie duel aDdts attendant circumstances,
mary who two weeks hence will have ceased 70
speak OF think Of the sar, giving it, doubtless,
too large importance. In the calm Of Distance,
you will Judge Of It's real significance from the fol-
loving brief history:
NJ. de Pene, q yourg journalist here, OF some note
for his wit and liyeliDess, wrote an article for
Figaro two or three weeks ago, in which he spoke
with Laughing dsrespec: of the sub-lieu.ensnt who
was always troubling fashionable balls by tearing
ladies trefses with bis spurs, and taking possession
Of TIE IefreshmeLt. Such is the sum, and abou, the
verbal substance, Of few lines pubhshed in light,
sstirical newspaper, which aroused the ire of the
brave sub.heutenaDts of the French Army. IL has
been raid by the friends OF the unfortunate writer,
that be bsd in view only one ill-bred soldier; but
by virtue of thai esprit dc corps 50 mu;h admired
and encouraged under the present regime, all his
fellows ill., bred and sol dsant welbred, chose to
accept him as their type, and regard the laughing
paragraph as a serious insult to their honor. They
began by writing letters TO the author, which soon
ran into challenges, of which he accepted several,
while more were in preparation. That of one NJ.
COurtiel, a cavalry secOnd-leutenant and nephew
of Gen. EsDinasse, the Minister OF General Safety,
was the first in order, and meeting near st. Ger
main was arranged for the l4th (last Friday.
Meantime the editOr.n-chief Of Figaro, who was
at BOis, learned the alarming state of things, and
having first sent forward singular telegraphc let
let to his sub-edVors in which he most energeti-
cally "repudated" the unlucky paragraph, both as
to matter and manner, and, above ALL the intepresa
ton that had been given to it, protesting witha his
great respect and esteem for the army and remind
ing the world (for the telegram was intended for
immediate publicatOn) that he was the son OF
colOnel-having forwarded this deprecatory tele-
gram, NJ Villemessant hurried up to Paris. The
duel had already been fought
De Pene and COurtiel met and crossed swords
according to fue. Courtiel was wounded in the
arm and held out his well hand to De Pene, who
accepted it cordially, and made a courteous apology
for having Internationally hurt the feelings OF NJ.
COurtiel by the few lines in the Figaro. The duel
was over, De Pene's seconds were walking of with
the swords, when one of COurtlels seconds, named
Hyene, stepped up, and, declaring that De Pene
should not get off so cheaply forced the latter, by
on the face TO resume the fight, and, after a few
passes, ran his exhausted Antagonist through the
body. After conside rable delay, and with great diff
fculty, the victim was removed 10 miserable au-
berge where he still lies in most critical state
The attendant physicians entertain hardly hope of
his recovery They have not yet ventured to probe
the wound, and defer the giving OF any decided
opinion on his case ill next Sunday. Almost the
only words he has been able to utter were
generous declaration TO magistrate that the second
combat was conducted fairly. In spite of that, 1t
looks TO us civilians much like a murder. People
believe that it was planned at meeting OF military
men, that challenges and duels should succeed each
other until the off nding man OF letters was wounded
if not killed. 1t has been SAID that forty sub-lleu-
tenants were on the ground on Friday: thls is,
believe, one of the many gross exaggeratlons that
grow out partly from the excitement OF mems
imaginationS and in larger part from the want OF
faithful newspaper reports of the affair. Although
it was generally known in Paris on Friday that the
duel had been fought, none of the large Journals
had word TO say about It till tuesday. And al
though il is a matter in which their readers are just
now vastly more interested than i'll any other, none
of these journals venture TO give voice to the public
emotion. They copy, one after the other, the few
facts furnished them by Figaro, without addition OF
details or comment The fear of infringing on the
law of the press when speaking anything but praise
Of ANYTHING connected with the army, checks all
open expression Of the indignation which, III the
present case journalists must feel more than other
citizens
This Hyenne, whom small Partisan wit ncknames
l. Hgine, has not even the poor excme of being
young subleutenant. He is over 40 years old, is a
captain AID, what is worse, formerly fencing
master. 1t is but justice to add here that two
officers have sent TO De Pcnes seconds, with their
expressions of sympathy for the wounded man, no.
tee of withdrawal of their challenges and that
other members of the army show their dlsapproyal
of the folly and brutality that has been displayed on
the occasion by some OF their fellows.
When NJ Nillemessant found that il was too late
TO prevent the duel he applied 10 the Emperors
Secretary for an audience. Half an hour after he
received from the Secretary the following reply to
his application - / hasten to inform NJ de Vii
lemessant that the Emperor being unable to grant
him an audience, invites him 10 repair 10 the
Minister of Justice, 10 consult with his Excel
"lenCy on the best meals OF preventing the grave
"reeults that the most unfortunate affair We were
"sReaking of few moments since, must apparently
''ead to.
This letter, ike Vilemessants telegram and the
silence of the journalists is not insignificant MS
foreigner might suppose. The Emperor cannot
chow much severity toward the army; he would not
like TO interfere 10 punish one OF It's members con-
siGering the admirable esprit de corps that relgns
among them. But civilian jealousy, heated by sym
patty for poor De Pene, and the old father and
young wife who watch in despair by his bedside
must be considered as well. Let, then, lhe iuriher
management Of this unucky business go into the
hands of the civil minister of justice, which is
sort Of concession TO the bourgeois and at the same
time washing of the imperial hands before the
army, should civil justice succeed IN Furnishing
Hyenne. Meantime Figaro shall express Its pro-
found respect for the army: generous DE fene shall
persist with dying breath that the fight was fair
one; and journalists shall be invited " to say "a.
little as possible on the unpleasant theme. And
it is to be hoped the nne days talk will talk itself
out, and fe t. or an inc0grO prince ~ the Hotel