East Saginaw courier. (East Saginaw, Mich.) 1859-18??, 1862-12-09
CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
BY JOHN 8. c. ABBOTT.

During the French revolution of 1889,
there lived in the city of Caen. France,
young lady, Charlotte Corday d Ar
mont, a grand daughter Of the ceebra-
ted Corneille. Though born of gentle
blood she had been nurtured in the
school Of adversely; her father had been
too aristocratic to work, and too poor
to live comfortably without work. In
early life she had been placed in mon
astery in Caen, where her whole future
destiny was influenced by the peculiar
discipline to which she was exposed, and
the ideas of duty which were inculcated.
In the dreams of the cloister her ardent
soul became fired with the ambition of
exalted deeds, which should render her
benetactress to her race.
After thus living for six years, the
Jacobn governmnet suppressed the con-
vent aud she took up her residence with
an elderly relative in Caen, where she
remained until she was nearly twenty
five years of age. Living amidst scenes
of the revolution, where the guillotine
was in constant exercise, and the mob
daily demanding the blood of new VIC
tins, her thoughts naturally turned to
the possibility of stopping these horrors.
She mingled as much as possible with
the Glrondlsts, to ascertain who were
the principal agents in these woes which
were desolating her native land.
Though Danton and Robespierre were
then in their ascendancy the sanguinary
delirium of Marat rendered him more
conspicuous to the mass of the people
who saw "tyranny and freedom in one
mans hands only" To Marat, then,
the eyes Of Charlotte Corday were di-
rected, as the one who was delugng the
country in blood. She thought that his
death would arrest this food and save
the lives of thousands. 1t had been an.
nounced that he had prescribed twenty
FIVE hundred victims in Lyons, three
thousand in Marseilles, twenty eight
thousand in Paris, and three hundred
thousand in Brittany. Conspiraces
were being organized all over the Re
public for the overthrow Of this blood
thirsty trant. The lover of Charlotte
Corday, whom she idolized with all the
purity and fervor of her impassioned
nature, was engaged in one of these
conspiracies, which, if successful, would
cost the lives of thousands, and, if un
successful would only consolidate the
power Of the tyrant Charlotte resolved
to free France of the monster at the
certain risk of her own life.
All the energies of her being were
now aroused for the accomplishment o
this object. 1t was no easy matter fo'
an obscure young lady to get such ac
cess to the tyrant as to be able to assassi
nate him. She, however, formed he
plans so successfully as to guard agains
every conceivable cause of failure. No
an individual was admitted to her con
fidence. Religious enthusiasm contrib
uted its strength TO her enterprise, fol
she doubted not that she was engaged
in holy undertaking. Her well rca,
Bible contained a pencil mark arounc
tho passage:
"Judith went forth from the city
adorned with marvellous beauty, whic
1 the Lord bestowed on her to delive
Israel"
Having made all her arrangement
she informed her friends that she wa
going to England to seek that asylum
which France no longer Afforded. 4
few tritling mementoes were conferre,
= on her intimate acquaintanccs, and o.
the 9th of July, 1889, she took the dill
, gencc for Paris. Her whole world
possession consisted Of small parcel q
clothes, and a volume Of Plutarch's lives
Charlotte was tall and diguified witt
proiuse black hair, and long eyelashes
which seeming even darker than lie
clustering ringlets, gave great depth t
her piercing eyes. Her cheeks wer
! well filled, and had the freshness an
i health of youth and were often crimson
ed with the blush Of excitement or mod
esty Her dazzling becuty, wiEnin.
manners, and vivacty in conversation
: quite won the hearts of her fellow tray
: ellers who tired unsuccessfully to dra,
: from her the object of her journey an
address. One young gentleman becam
so enamored that he begged permisso
/. to solicit of her relatives her hand i
: marriage She pleasantly repelled tn
honor, but promised that he shoul
know more of her ere long.
After two days ride sho arrived i
: Paris, and went to hotel, where sh
allowed herself days rest, that he
n faculties might be in the best condition
She bad no desire to figure as a hero
inc. 1t was not for fame that she wishe
i to sacrifice her life. In the cloister sh
learned the lesson Of selfabnegatiol
: and rather desired oblivion than motor
n ETY., as more pleasing to God. She a
so wished tho act Of assassination to b
a sacred, solemn scene, which shouI
strike terror into the hearts of all T.
rants. She wished it to be public, ths
|, many might witness the just retributio
of tiendlike cruelty.
Her fist plan was to kill Marat in tn
Champde Mars, at great celebratior
= which was to occur on the l4th of Jul,
The adjournment of the ceremony n,
cessitated change Of theatre; and sh
e decided u strike him in the midst {
!, the convention. surrounded by his safe
IL o.