The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1867-09-20
TIE DOWNFALL or CLICHY
pY HORACE OREFLEY.

rated the 23d from the 24th day OF July last
looked down on memorable sight at the north
end of the great, gay, witty, wicked city ofParis-
the sei-chosen metro polls of civilization and of
Chrlstendom. As the last stroke of the clock
knelled the close Of the expiring day, the great
grim gates of the spacious and substantial stone
edI6ce, No. 20 Rue Chchy, were thrown open,
and there issued in hasty, irregular procession,
the whole body of prisoners for debt hitherto
confined in that metropolis, save the hapless few
only who, having no home, no friends, no
money, had begged of the keeper the poor boon
of retaining till morning their narrow cells and
rugged pallets; so that they might WALL iorth In
broad daylight TO renew their unequal struggle
with a stepmother world For some OF the
luckier majority, friends and carriages were
waiting; but the greater number trudged away
soberly and steadily, in quest OF such poor lodg-
inys as were ready for them, or as their scanty
resources would still suffice TO command. Next
morning that prison was empty OF all inmates
but its officers, and ready TO be devoted to other
uges than that of incarcerating men and women
guilty of owing sums which they could not pay.
The credit of abolishing in France imprison.
ment for debt-not, indeed, for the iTst but
trust for the last time-I Judge is mainly due to
Napoleon himself. His upbolders, the self
styled conservatives of that country, still blindly
obstinately cling TO every venerab le abuse, to
each moss-grown iniqulty, each barnacled OPP
preston, as though Church and State would
tumble into chaos If IL were gwen up. Liberty,
indeed What does France want of more liberty?
Would you have Robespierre and Marat, the
TerTorists, with their Noyades, back again, to
butcher us as ourgIandfathers and grandmOthers
were butcheredl Mol we have at length the
tiger Gagged and muzzled at a fearful Cost-let us
take care to keep him sol" To this large, pow
erful, apprehenslve, determined class = the
owners and masters of France-Louis Napoleon
is but tool, a truncheon, weapon; should
he brea ak in their hands, they must be quick
to grasp another-it possible, stronger and
better They have many chances: he has but
one-to keep what he has clutched, knowing
that once lost, II can never be recovered nor
replaced. To maintain his hold on power he
must be, as we'll as seem, not merely the sword
arm OF the conservatives, but their moderator
not merely necessary to them, but humaner,
wiser, more democratic than they. And,
schooled as he has been by those rigid pre-.
Ceptors, adversity and need, tits quite probable
that he really feels much that his cousin Jerome
Napoleon more frankly expresses, and would
fam be King of the Commons, provided the
ceasing to be king at all. However this may
be, it is morally certain that the abolition of
Imprisonment for debt was fairly wrenched from
the legislative bodies by the Emperor's resolute,
The French inherit from their Roman law
givers of twenty centuries ago not only the
civil law, but the spirit which dictated 1t. A
resident among them may violate without re-
proach several of the commandments Especially
the seventy so long as he can pay; but woe 10
him who, living in PARIS, cannot respond pune
tually and amply TO pecuniary demand. No
where else in Chrlstendom is bankruptcy so
odious or SO terrible.
Twelve years ago, spent two days, by urgent
request in the Maison Clichy. had hated inn
know why. have not since been at all con-
fused on that point.
otthat ''ial birds" are all samples of injured
innocence, nor anything like it, Many of them
are prodigals; some are incorriglble profigates
and sWinders. made the acquaintance of both
of these classes during my brief soiourn at No. 20
Rue Clichy. But mixed with them were as up
right and worthy men as tread the earth
victims of fraud, OF oppression, and OF crime.
/ met there men of diverse nationalities, who
had been put there expressly that schemes of
itv md tU Nuh al
would defeat, might be fully consummated-
men whose imprisonment involved their own
pecuniary ruin, with heavy losses 10 other good
men. Let me give two instances;-
An Englshman of decided ability and inVen-
tive genius was deeply involved IN the manufac-
ture OF patent pail at Rouen. His French
partner, taking fright. hastily gathered up the
ready means of the firm, and vanished. The
Englishman called his creditors together, laid
full statement Of his affairs before them, was
advised by them 10 go on, and assured that he
should be sustained. No real creditor OF the
concern dissented. But French sea.captain
who had been employed by the firm and dis
charged for dishonesty, and who actually owed
1T large sum, now set up a claim as creditor;
and, on this claim, had the remaining partner
arrested and imprisoned. The feather was a
heavy one; the camels back was already bent;
the concern must 60 to wreck, and honest credi-
tors be detrauded out OF many thousands, to glut
the Vengeful malice of a single villain.
Again: A London merchant failed, owing
Aeavily. His exhibit was so satisfactory, no y.
simply misfortune; you have done no wrong
and must not 60 under. We will sign your Ger.
tifcates of bankruptcy and extend to YOU new
credits" So his debts were cleared Off his store
hled up airesh, and he began anew with falr
prospects and sanguine hopes. But among his
creditors was French house, which wrote
him, I'VE, too, will trust you afresh like your
other creditors; come over and arrange the
matter He obeyed the invitation, called on
the French house, by which he was politely re.
celved; and the next hour saw him snug in
Clchy, not to be let out till he paid the last
Iarthlng OF their claim-S4000-tor his British
cerndcate OF bankruptcy was mere waste paner
IN France. He could have paid these by rob
bing his other creditors, VINO had treated him
so generously; but this he WGuld not do-choos-
ing rather to write over to London to have his
goods returned to their rightful owners, his
store given up, and he left TO rot in jail
The world does move! In spite of innumera-
pie frauds, and wrongs, and woes and crimes,
mankind are less selfish, less cruel, less brutal
than they have been, Bad as we still are il is
something to have lived in the age which has
witnessed the virtual overthrow of chattel
slavery and the abolition of imprisonment for
debt. Doubtless, there is much vet to do:
wherefore let us rejoice over the encourage,
meht afforded us by the good so Visihiv so
recently achieved. And in TIE light shed on onT
pain oy the trlumnnhSs UI humanity, let us reye-
tee-..y, gratefully go forward = Neto York Tnde.