Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1862-09-09
CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
BY JOHN S. C. ABBOTT.


nellie. Though born Of gentle blood. she
bad been matured in the school of advers.
sity, her father had been too poor to live
without work. In early life
she was placed in monastery 10 Caen,
where her whole future destiny was ipfu
enced by the peculiar discipline to which
she was exposed. and the ideas Of duty
were inculcated. In the dreams of the
cloister her ardent soul became fred with
the ambition Of ex aited deeds, which
should render her benefactress to her
race.
Alter thee living for six yssrs. tho Jxc..
obin gogernment suppressed the convent,
aud she took up her residence with an
elderly relative in Caen, where she re-
manned until she was nearly twenty-five
years of age. Living amidst scenes of the
revolution. where the gulIotiue was 10
constant exercise, and the mob daily de-
handing the blood of new victims, her
thoughts naturally turned to tie possibili-
ty of stopping these horrors. She ming
led as much as possible with the Girondists,
to ascertain who were the principal agents
in those woes which we're desolatiDg her
native land.
Though Danton and Robespierre were
then in their ascendency, the sanguinary
delirum of NJ arat rendered him more con-
spicuous 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 directed, as one who
was delugiug the republic in blood. She
thought that his death would arrest this
food and save the lives of thousands. 1t
had been announced that he prescribed
twenty-five hundred victims in Lyons,
three thousand 10 Marseilles, twenty Ell yht
thousand in Paris, and three hundred
thousand in Brittany. Co1spiracies were
being organized all over the republic for
the overthrow of this blood thirsty tyrant
The lover of Charlotte Corday, whom she
idlzed with ell the purity and fervor Of
her impassi9ned nature, was engaged in
one of these cOnspiracies, which, if sue
cessful, would cost the lives of thousands,
and, if unsuccessful, would only consoli-
date the power of the tyrant. Charlotte
resolved to Free France Of the monster at
the certain sacrifice of her own life.
All the energies of her being were DOW
aroused for the accomplishment of this OBJ
ject. Ii was no easy matter for an obscure
Soung lady to get such access to the tyrant
as to be able to assassiDate him. She,
however, formed her plans so cautiously as
TO guard against every conceivable cause
of failure. Not an individual was admit
ted to her confidence. Religious enthu-
iasm contributed it's strength to her enter.
prise. for she doubted not that she engaged
in holy undertaking. Her well-resd
Bible contained pencil-mark around the
passage:
judith went forth from the city, adorn-
ed with a marvellous beauty, which the
Lord bestowed on her to deliver Israel"
Having made all her arrangements she
informed her friends that she was going to
England to seek that asylum which France
no l1nger afforded. A few trifling msmen
toes were conferred upon her intimate ac.
quaintances, and on the 9th Of July, 1898
she took the diligence for Paris. Her
whole worldly possessions consisted Of q
small parcel of clothes, and volume oil
Plutarch's Lives.
Charlotte was tail and dignifed, with
profuse black hair, and long eyelashes
which, seeming even darker that her clus.
tering ringlets, gave great depth to hel
piercing eyes. Her cheeks were well filled
and had the freshness and the health Of
youth, and were often crimsnned with the
blush Of excitement or modesty. Her daz
cling beauty, winning manners, and vi
! yacity in conversation, quite won the heartl
! Of her fellOw-travelers who strove unsuc
| cessfully to draw from her the object o
| her Journey, and her address. One young
/ gentleman became 50 enam0red that HI
| begged permission to solicit of her rela
| tives her hand in marriage. She pleas
antly repealed the honor, but promised tina
he should know more of her ere long.
After two days ride, she arrived a
Paris. and went to hotel, where she al
lowed herself days rest, that her faculi
| ties might be in the best condition. Sh
had no desire to figure as a heroine. !
was rot for fame that she wished to sacr
fee her life. In the cloister she had learn
ed the lesson OF sel!-abnegation, and rathe
desired oblivion than potoriety, as NOR
pleasing TO God. She also wished th
act of assassination to be q sacred, sclem
scene, which should strike terror into tn
hearts of all tyrants. She wished it to b
public, that many might witness the ju.
retributiou Of 6end-like cruelty.
Her first plan was to kill Marat IN tn
Champ de Mars, at a great celebration
which was to occur on the 18th of July
The adjournment Of the ceremony necessi
taxed a change of theatre and she decide
to strike him in the midst Of the conveu
ton, surrounded by his satellites. 81
had no doubt that the result to herse
would be that her body would be torn lin
from limb. This plan was frustrated, (
, Marat, for some reason, no longer attendG
the convention.
Her only chance now of meeting him W,
at his own house and it was by no meal
easy to obtain access to him there. Fea
ing, as all tyrants do, the dagger of ASA
sinatiun, be was carefully guarded. Di
!, stimulation wat necessary to accomplish b
nuruose, and she rec0iled from this mo
than she hesitated to strike the blow. ii
frank, honest nature was panied by Il
necessity Of resorting to artiice but in
= other manner could her end be gained
= She therefore wrote two letters to Mas
requesting an audience. so worded as
INDUCE him to believe her one of his a
mirers, yet capable Of a different interpr
, tati0n.
!, About half-past seven in the evening
= the 18th of July, she attired herself in I
A most attractive manner, and proceeded
:, the house Of Marat. 1t was an antiqD
= somewhat dilapidated mansion, where I
;, blood stained tyrant crowned by the me
affected the display Of the utmost dem
: cratic simplicity He was in his bal
y penniDg infammatory appeals and inve
= ling against bis enemies. It was not I
y usual in that day occasionally to recei
7 visitors in the bath. and Charlotte, at
- encountering considerable opposition, "
: conducted to his rUom.
> Marat was wrapped in soiled bath
J, robe. his matty hair bound in dirty bs
,, kerchief. His reeeding forehead, protrt
- ing eyes, prominent cheek bones and snet
ing mouth, presented but little to car
r voman's tenderness to Withhold the me
;ated blow He excited such loathing
- Charlotte that she feared to cast SEQ
- glance, lest he should notice her hor
70 aud sus yeet her errand.
. With downcsst eyes she waited bis 90
- tons. He inquired into the state OF n
= mandy, and asked the names of the de
y ties in Caen. She gave him some.
* in n