New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-04-12
inr the msfortnnes Of my countIy.o verily "a BID


very palpable HIT" e,,
But 10 como ,gain te the Emperors notion Of liberty
Of opinion in literary matters WHAT can II be koeearu
Py6pos de Lebenus vas undRbtcdly hostile ana par
tal but an eminen,y literary cnque OF the We dc C,G
and its ahor hoa fee the country 10 escape pne ana ne
years APPROXIMATION s,h was ihe Soholsoh % no
review of that by Judicial cesors of wGse
work the Emperor is practical publisher and responsible
edirr.inchi There hes not been and there cannot IN
the nature d the case well be- any tnoCugn, a
French PERIODICAL don't mean TO say that Napoe4n,
or even mis- subor6natcs whose zeal often cItIuns his
ntenten and tree service would necessarily OBJECT 10
ncb Ar arcle in the R6puc dcsJ)r N0Hd for instance
But the writer she editor, ard me very F1nter OF tha
periodical all taow that such objection car be made, may
be n.le often unaccountaby made Ana so the elue
declines to w5Je at all or takes the organic law agan
the press nto careful consideration III the reaeh'
Of his heYe as the proper theme l'se.ii ana Se e
proprietor reads the MS IN the uncertain rencctcu Eu
Of This psnocess sword that hangs over the very ne OF
his perioca and the printer anxiousy scans the pes
as they into words and sentences lest ne pc se.ig
up q pTe condcmnatOy OF the iuTther exercise VI LIS
privilege as patented printer. >,
Twos three years ago the Emperor decreed the Hhfy
Of he heafers This did not mean Liberty Whleh IS
rarely begotten Of DEGREES Formerly the privilege oi rep
recing certain kinds Of plays was restricted 10 certain
| houses The masterpieces of MolleIe and Racine LOT
example could be acted only at the Francois ana the
Od~on This house was licensed for mco-drana and spec
ace; that for Vaudeville and farce and 30 on Inc decree
rcncraZcd the privileges, permitting any heater 70 give
any kind of dramatic entertainment lis eject mas not
been TO raise or degrade the French sage-wheh IS de-
graded enough however and in the way Of deep degra.
dation from the want of real liberty. committee OF
censorship whose decisions are anomalous ana neN-
cable bv any general rule the decisions Of an arbitrary
egalized lwleSs tribunal naturally are superVses every
new piece in MS. and rejects or allows the anih1t
request for leave have brought before the footghs
Now We are not NICE not very NICE but we DO not par
ticulay approve those subjects that shine chiefly rom
their rottenness." The Imperial Committee OF DIahae
Censorship apparently docs Four pieces ont of five that
thew approve areccvcr indeed often and too ocn also
stupid and utterly devoid Of literary and proper dramatic
merit butrottcn in subject aud unclean morally corrupt
| in
which they refuse their cXequatu are superior 10 e aver
age of those they let out both IN literature ana
These are baushed the stage nearly always for helr
potica faults and defects Faults and defects OF when
The author quite unconseous-for you easly uhusf
stand that playwright would not introduce mo ms Po'
or dialogue open or covert attacks upon the actual regime
for the mere fun Of the thing and the sake OF missing me
object of his months Of labor But the censor are quicS
10 discover illusions that the writer did not dream Of and
spccaties of present application IN ms philosophical OF
historical generaties And in this the timorous censor
ships partly right. The quiekness OF French audience
10 discover or of their w.t. and applaud aus-
i've hits at the present political state OF things IL re-
! markabe. 1T,
But il would be very difficult for American or English
reader 10 guess what passages in Legouycs DeuI Rds,
or Baercs Malsur Vaincns, inerdicted those Two
dramas from the stage; it would be quite impossible Tor
English American spectator at most OF the theales
ship, or-unless previously aware Of the c-snspect ITS
! existence.
And here is another curiosity. The Deur Rones Nal
heur dur Famous and the like being forbidden the stage
may yet be published, and the prohibition serving AS
| capital advertisement, nave great run lIlHl
the lasnamed comedy is in its fourth edition Us
author one Of the four ccyeest most vigorous French
| comic dramasts living. Not being backed mp as
| Angler and Young Dumas by Prince Napoleon, he
sinks from his due estate and consents to put his nane
and very small portion Of his intellect TO coarse,
broad, funny farce that is running successfully at
the Palas Royal. Gais-Bizoin, the witty, provocative
tormening member Of the Lett in the Corps Legisla
into the censors, weeks ago, decent little
comedy entitled / Vrd Courage, wherein he satirzes
some od-time weaknesses Of and attacks ducling
with wouly less wit and spnt than mark hs speeches IN
the House. Permission TO act II ~ France, or proyn-
cial theater was refused He printed II with dedca
ton TO Minister Rouher-the mere address biting
ep gram-and sent II 10 the manager Of a theater IN
Geneva where IL was performed the other night The
honest Swiss could not conceive what prevented ITS per-
Torrance in France, unless IL its rather duish
quality bus gave the prosecuted playwright an ovation
could 60 with these contradictions for columns yet,
but spare your WEAKNESS for the present reseyng fur
Their treatment Of the topic for future occasions For
mind this subject this theme this thing, this word Lib
erty must be ruling theme aud word IN all faithful Pans
correspondence The word has got a mot noticeable
vogue Of late and awaiting not 10 say hcrsrg, or even
creating the thng-the word Liberty IL word Of power
In priqcipO orai reTbHs II rer6um eraf GyHd DcHm, RI
Deus eraf rcrbu IL tie vital significance Of that text
ell exhausted by heologians, or oil monopohzed by the
church
The Holy Book Of which the French a. well English
language lacks correct translation, reminds me to note
praseworihy attempt 10 obtain one recently naugu-
rated here. considerable number Of scholarly men have
formed society for the Translation Of the IibS; Is
President is the historian and Senator Amedee lhiery'
not unworthy brother Of the great historian hueusuh
Thery Among its members arr several OF the most emu
nent Catholic Clergy Of Paris Protestant MINISTERS ana
Law scholars the Jewish Rabbi Astruc, and other noabes
and noteworthy in good causes. Tho Society propose
pathological work Of doctrnal gymnastics for its
end II its members really prove that they can colabo-
rate harnouously they will give the world illustration
Of the spirit Of tie New Testament desirable
rect Translation Of the letter Of the Scriptures.