The Shasta courier., 1867-06-15
COURIER.
Women at the Scafoid.
NINE. ROLAND

Nine Roland was born in the ranks of the
bourgeoise, was married to man who was
minister of France, and attained as high
| historical renown as Marie Antoinette, whose
doom on the seafold she shared
Her father was an engrayer and not above
his art her mother was common. place,
narrow minded, but good natured woman
Neither could ever understand the superior
ity of their daughter. Within herself there
fore, she consecrated her great thoughts, her
| aspirations, her ambitions, for if solitude and
study led Charlotte Corday to self sacrifice
they reused within Nine. Roland's bosom
the feeling of personal ambition and aggran-
dizement.
1t was her favorite theme of the day to
compare the modern republic of France with
the republics of of Greece and Rome. Nine.
Rolapd had evidently modelled her character
on the heroines Of antiquity. She, too. con-
sldered that she had mission, but it was
to govern, not to die. This desire steeed her
heart against the usual tender ties of her sex,
and dictated her marriage with Roland
man stern and unprep0ssessing, many years
older than herself. She, too in spite of the
antique virtues she possessed, contracted an
inveterate hatred against the queen. In the
Gironiist party-the chivalrous party of the
Revolution-she strongly combatted and
opposed the feeling of admiration and com
passion many Of its members had manifested
towards Marie Antoinette. Spite of Madame
Roiand's stocial assumptions, we cannot but
see in this unfounded hatred the result of the
inveterate prejudice of the bourgeoise against
the aristocracy, and perhaps individually, a
little of woman's envy may be mingled
with it. for Madame Roland was beautiful
and loved not (plebian as she was) to hear
extolled the graees and the noble bearing of
the queen.
Nine Roland was woman of extraordi-
nary intellectual power, and wrote with Wig
or and overwhelming eloquence. She had
not the brllliancy, wit, or womanliness of
Nine. de Stael, ehe could not converse; the
conversation in her salon, where the Giron-
dists met, always took the form Of political
debate, and Nine. Roland's energy and elo-
quence would have fitted her for the ros-
trum.
Nine. Roland is the favorite heroine of
the Revolution. The more than Spartan
purity of her conduct has somewhat blinded
posterity to the evident faults of her char.
acter. Cold and ambitious, it is true. her
energies were enlisted in the cause of liberty
but her own personal aggrandizement was
her only incentive to action. She was
though without particle of affectaton, THAT
is the effect of weakness, not of strength. J
ever playing a part-she never descended to
the gentler emotions of life. but maintained
herself on the pedestal she had erected. -
Even after all was over, in her prison, when
her part in the revolutionary world was
played ard her partisans dead or fed, she
evidently aimed at posterity, and spoke and
wrote to that alone. She was a woman of
undaurted courage, and died as she had
lived, like a heroine. Not giving her last
thoughts to her husband or to her infant
daughter, but excaiming with heroic ac-
cents
30. liberty how many crimes are COM
mitted in thy name!"
Nine. Roland during the long months of
her i'm prisonment wrote her memoirs. They
were written few pages at time, and gave
them to her friend and counselor. Bose. who
WIS allowed to visit her every day. These
memoirs are the most curious memorials of
the human heart. They reveal but little of
the Revolution-none Of the secrets the
chief of the Girondists might be supposed to
have desired to leave to posterity. but they
tell other first years, of the varied emotions
of her soul, which directed her mind and led
her to become at last the wondrous combina-
ton Of masculine courage and feminine fas-
cination which she was.
These memoirs, though written for poster.
ity, seem to be addressed as private revel.
alton to some friend whose soul had harmon
lied with her own. This friend seems to
have been Brizot, whether there was ever
between them a warmer sentiment, remains
one Of the secrets Of history.
In prison Nine. Roland seems to have for
I Al. !. i.
woman, and a mother, not resuming her he
roic dignity until she was arraigned before
the tribunal. Then she answered with the
intelligence, reserve, and dignity of heroine
Sentence of death was pronounced upon
her.
g thank you," said she, "for allowing
me to die the same death as the great men
ycu have assassinated."
The letters she wrote to her husband and
daughter are models of tenderness and elo
quence. Here is the last letter to Lucille, her
only child
"OcToBER, 1893.
This is the last time, my beloved child.
shall ever write to you l shall never see
you again. Remember your mother in all
your after life. Remember that YOU ALWAYS
saw me happy in the pursuit Of duty, in
ministerIng to the happiness of others. in
consoling all who suffered. Woman's hap-
piness is only to be found in sach life as
this.
" In my prison was calm and resigned.
for had no remorse to trouble me, and the
memory ofthe JOY had given came back to
console me.
. trust that your life will be less agita-
ted, your fate less miserable than mine but
no life is exempt from sorrow and trial
Keep your life pure and occupied, and YOU
viii lind strength to endure whatever fate
may be in store for you.
Be worthy of those who gave you birth.
follow their examples, and you Will not have
lived in vain
Farewell, child of my heart-child of
my affections, whom | nourished from NV
bosom, whose heart and mind had hoped to
enjoy. What will be your fate? dare not
l. L r