The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-08-18
aECOLLECTIONS OF DE TOCQUE,
n WILLIE.

vi.
pcqueville has lately been published in the
correspondent, by M. Ampere, who was one of
hs most attached and most intimate friends.
he sincerity of love, admiration, and regret,
which breathes through his memoir, is more
Impressive tribute to the nobleness and great.
MSS of the character described than any record
oiwhat De Tocqueville thought and said could
pssibly be. Even strangers, not only to M.
Tocqueville, but to France, cannot read un-
moved this sketch of what one of the best of mod
EN- Frenchmen was in his day:
:" 1t was at the Abbaye-aux- Bois,' says NJ.
Anpere, in the SalOn of Madame Racamier,
which was far from being bureau desprit, but
wnere noble sympathy for all that was truly
distinguished attracted all who were the orna-
ment of the times-it was at the Abbaye-aux-
Bois that first met M. de Tocqueville, some
time after the appearance of the first part of his
book on Democracy in America. / thencelor
ward formed the pleasant habit of going every
year to pass some time at Tocquevile, when
ever | was not at the other end of the world :;
and even that did not always keep me from
going back to join my friends there. When at
Paris, used to dine at NJ. dc Tocqueville every
week. He was then a Deputy; and no one
could have looked on his public duties as
more serious and responsible task. He was
also member of several important commit
tees, more especially of those selected to report
on the abolition of Slavery in the French Colo
MES and on the penitentiary system in prisons.
He was also much engaged with the affairs
and prospects of Algeria, aud made two Jour
neys thither in order to inspect the country for
himself, although the first Journey was the
cauSa IF q varv oariouS dicaa 90 nndar ,,b:ob he
suffered severely. He was accompanied by
Nine de Tocqueville-a wife worthy of such a
husband-his constant companion in every
task, project, and occupation. She, too, was
not to be beaten back by difficulties, and her
frmness astonished all on board the steamer
which transported the party along the coast of
Algeria, and which was so nearly wrecked that
the Arabs could be seen on shore, waiting to
take advantage of what they considered GER
tain prize.
M. de Tocquevile had many obstacles to
overcome in order to take his place as a great
g 6Rui h a rry one hagd
more sensible than himself, and he had 50
much to say that was worth hearing-such pro-
found convictions, such apt delicacy of Ian
guage, such spring of patriotic enthusiasm
that he gradually made his way in the Cham
ber AS a Minister in the early DAYS of the
Republic, he won universal esteem, not only by
his great talents, but by the incorruptible in
tegrity with which he always acted He was
also man of excellent habits of business, and
was singuarly accurate, precise, and courteous.
Even in ordinary life,' says M Ampere, 'he
demanded, in every little thing, the extremity
of exactness and precision. He carried pune
tualiiy even to minuteness. Never have /
known any mind less chimerical than his, al.
though so largely given to abstract studies, and
never was there any thinker who had greater
passion for good sense. He carried out every
detail of business, little or great, with a won
derful attention and circumspection. / have
often thought that he would have been model
diplomatist, for he had large mixture of firm
ness and inesse, and with the utmost grace oil
manner, an inflexible tenacity of purpose A
certain reserve, which was not exactly cOldness
and which was tempered by his natural sweet
ness, would have made him precisely fitted to
take the lead in a Congress and L feel sure he
would have had great success in that which
at one time was intended to meet at Brussels,
and In which he was to represent France, on
the nomination Of Gen. Cavaignac.'
an. de Tocquevie had, what is so rare in
men of meditative mind and frail constitution.
the temperament that fits men for action. AS
he once said to M. Ampere, do not fear re.
sponsibility' In the terrible days of June, 1913,
he went, in company with some other repre-
sentatives, to convey the thanks Of the Assem-
bly, to the National Guards. 1t was not without
considerable personal risk that, on his GRAND
he passed through the streets, then bristling
with barricades. When, on the oath of Feb
ruary, an armed crowd invaded the Chamber.
the only sentiment he felt was disgust for such
shameful acts of violence. He quietly calcu-
lated the chances of danger as the invaders
levelled their muskets at the unarmed members
sitting unmoved on the benches, and he re-
marked to his friend next day, that he felt
sure at the time that there was never any real
intention of firing.
Gle also declared that he had never felt SO
well as during the time when he was Minis
ter. Activity was, i'll fact, necessary to his hap.
piness, and an existence of prolonged and pas
sive reflection was utterly distasteful to him
Unfortunately, however, his constitution was
not strong enough to permit him to serve his
country without suffering for the effort. His
labors in l848 were followed by the breaking
of a blood-vessel and he was warned by his
physicians that he must spend the winter in a
milder climate He went with Nine. de Tocque-
vile and NJ. Ampere, to Sorrento, and it is
to the time spent in Italy-a time of quiet
thought, afectionate conversations, and de-
hghtful rambles under southern sky-that M
Ampere looks back with the keenest poignancy
of regret. We lived, he says, in a house
situated above the main road a little before II
reaches Sorrento on the first slopes OF the
mountain. From high terrace we saw on the
right Naples and Vesuvius, on the left the eye
plunged into valleys filled with orange trees
from which sprang domes and towers and white
villas. How many noble, eloquent, and subtle
things have heard him say on that terrace
Then we used to make long excursions on foot
over the mountain; for, weak as he was, he
was capital walker and to follow the straight
line that seemed always congenial to him, he
would make nothing of getting over hedges
bitches, and walls. We would halt in some
beautiful spot, with the sea in face of US, and
the sky of Naples over our heads. Then, pant
ing for breath, we lay still for a few minutes
and our conversations were once more resumed
His inexhaustible activity of mind never more
conspicuous than on such occasions, carried
him from subject to subject, by rapid but easy
transitions. He passed from remarks on the
highest and most difficult matters to hints Of
the utmost ingenuity, and to the most piquant
anecdote, which he told with delightful raci
ness of enjoyment, and without any bitterness
of tone or temper. And he was SO careful to
say everything he said in the best possible Ian
guage, that if his conversations In these un
guarded moments of frankness had been writ
ten down, they might have been given to the
world without correction