Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1859-01-14
CHARLES, coMprE DE moNrALEMBERr.

tiyatcd and most rnS'aycd OF European ut
tinns Rut those who know his character. VIII"
have observed the earnest sincerity. the rare
courage. the unscliishncss and dcyoiedncSs
that have characterized his political life, will
agree that these culogieS are mcritcd, and that
in this instance, the language Of admiration
can hardly be too strong
1t WAS oEr privilege IL witness. IN February
1872. an interesting incident in this statesman :
career his reception aS one OF the iorty o The
French academy. The little rotlnda Z" the
Institute palace was throngcd with literary and
scientific celebrities with disnitaricS OF state,
aud noble women. There were .lrasn Vile
main. Cousin, i.amartnc, Lord i'roughal:l. We
ter Hugo. aud others Of worldwide fame. This
is not the place 10 describe that memorable
scene We have alluded 20 ii to present
sketch Of Montalemhcrt by the ahest Of his
political opponents; for. when the new acade-
mician concluded 4 ma>tcrly Grafton on the
French Revolution. NJ. Guzo;, director Of the
academy. responded and commenced with the
following. personal rccollcctions:
II know not, sir. whether You recall the first
OCCASION on which had the honor To meet You;
for INV ow. part. ! remember il. and nave al
wav. rcmcaherod Il, with y lively sentiment of
interest and pleasure. You were very young
then, scarcely nineteen years Old. iou had
lust returned froin Sweden. where your father
had been the ambassador Of Charles y. Iou
were strongly interested in the struggles the
old Swedish institutions were undergoing. and
desired that what YOU had observed a;il ict in
tho land Of Gustav,is Adolphus :iiould bc known
and appreciated in the country Of tho Cardinal
dc Rchclicil, his firm ally. ! fastened IN aid
in tho accomplishment Of your wish. There.
sir. wa; o,rr first meeting and your first book.
Your work indicated rare talent, and ! was
struck hy il; hut ! was m"rc impressed hy
yourself than by yonr work. Such .obricty ri
though, with such strong emotions: Suc!i So
robustness cf n art and such arcor oi inacina-
ton, your deep faith, your phy>;osn"my, Your
conversation ahoundin- q. once IN reflection
and passion. and yo;,r extreme youth display
inc 50 brilliantly these rich stores Of your na
turc with i,s rn.cino,i- incXpcricncc, its lofty
aspirations. and H. noble instincts; these gave
YOU. sir. an original and attractive character,
whicl, !clt ,!cc;, and pleasing impression on
me to this dav. aud mad. me predict i"r !v0u Il
noble future
.'Many years. an'l wha, wears. have elapsed
since then. ani o,ir relations haze UNDERGONE
MANY yiciS>itud,., We have been long StTan-
rcrs 10 one another and often adyersaIicS.
from tn. ou,sct, have taken the foremost place
among her ,uoSt zca"uS defenders. have ad-
hercd to the Protestant faith Of my fathers.
had the honor 10 br, for long timc, onc OF The
advisers Of the monarchy Of 1880. AMI yo'ilonG
rombatcd not that monarchy itself, perhaps,
but the policy il uniformly arioptcd, consider
ing il concnimable 10 the best interests "f the
country Notwithstanding such wide 'i;Sa-
I Iuv, pcvoN I,;lcI IN rc,l Gov yo,t
the interest and regard with which you first
inspired me- Ainid the struggles Of public
life, though often a<sailcd by you and often re-
taliatiiig, have always had an instructive per
ccption of secret sympathy which. at bottom.
united our aims and cliort,. sentiment |
s,norhcrcd when had 10 combat yoT but
which take pleasure in expressing to yon
to-day
Though fcrven; Catholic, Mantalcmhcrt has
ever occupied the exceptional position Of ativo-
eating the largest political freedom as most ia
yorablc to the prosperity Of his church. You
have ever" ~ Guizot said to him, planted the
flag of liberty beside the cross. iou
have taken more Just view Of the times and
of the church than those who would make her
the ally Of dcSpotic power; YOU have shown
that. if she is the support Of social order and
! Of government 10 the great necessities of his
terv and can accent and protect those noble
liberties Of the intellect and Of social life, which
are more or less developed and practicable ac-
corlins 10 the times. but which once recognized
and adopted become the civil honor Of nations
You have always defended those liberties
those Of your country rs well as those Of yOnr
faith and YOU have thereby served the cause
Of religion" Montalcmbcrt glories in asserting
that the only country that, in this century. has
proclaimed and LOYALTY protected liberty in all
things, is Belgium, the only one in which Ca
tholicism has the upper hand; for he claims that
the governments of Spain Italy and Austria
are inimcal to the religious orders
During the reign Of Lonis Phillpc. Monla-
lcmbcrt acted with the opposition. either i'll the
character of peer, or in the legislature, as the
representative Of DOubS. part Of the ancient
province of FranchcComptc Of Burgundy, OF
which he has Justly said that Its name bears
the impress oi its history, its ancient indepen-
dcncc. and the manly courage Of It's children
In his leisure, nc produced several works, that
have gained for him high literary distinction.
OF these, volume on "NandaliSm in Art. l.
as fasinatng as the works Of Ruskin. which it
resembles 4 biography of that queen Of
Hungary. wife Of Louis the crusader, who Is
rcycrcd i'm Germany as the dear saint EliZl-
beth" is q picture Of medieval times Of charm
,nc poetic beauty Montalembert'S wife tthc
Countess dc Mcrodc) is q dcScendent ot this
princess. connection he perhaps had i'll mind
when he concluded his fimous speech III dc
fence Of the liberties Of the French church.
with-"Wc are the successors Of tho niartyS
and We shall not tremblc before the successors
of Julian the Apostatc; we are the sons OF the
Crusaders and we shall not recoil before the
sons Of Voltaire lofty words. preserved IN
the medal struck in his honor by the citizens Of
Lyons. Two other orations appear in his col
lcctetl work. one in defence Of the monastIc
orders. the other in behalf Of the right o. III
dividuals to establish schools, education having
been made government monopoly under i'"'ii'
Philippe.
Since the revolution of 1s4s, Montacinbcrt
has from time to time engaged IN public affairs
with his usual independence. When the La
MARITIME administration broke down amid anar-
chy and confusion, he advocated the claims al
Louis Napoleon to the presidency. When the
despotic designs of this ruler were revealed h;
the coup Getdt, he protested against them IN
two political pamphlets, which earnestly re,
jcctcd the doctrine that free institutions couid
not be sustained in France.
This brings us to the grievances which the
emperor has avenged by the recent proSecu-
tions. 1t will be recolectcd that the first i'm
portant act of Napoleon. after MS successful
usurpation, was the confscation of the Orleans
property. which had been secured in 1880 to
the children of Louis Philippe by solemn
compact, compact rcligously observed by the
republican government, which restored TO his
family even the books and pictures Of the ex'
lied king. Shortly after the larceny, the so
called 'lcg ative body was convened, an eiec
tive assembly thout power TO originate laws
and design I'd to vote supplies as they were ask
ed for. II m 'alembert was in this body, as dep
uty from Deubs His eloquent plea for thf