Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-07-28
THE RUTLAND HERALD
OllQh- .-----
FRlDA moU JuI 2G,l0I0.
The Suicide of the Fren ch Minister.

"t VI thC EthGh
The country has been startled with hor
ror at the sudden announcement of tht
suicide OF Nj. Provost Paradol, the new
French Minister to the United States
who shot himself fatally at Washington
on Wednesday. The telegraphic dispatch
es in Thursdays HERALD indicated =
death, but the manner of it was not sug
gested. Not receiving the evening dis
patches or evening city papers, of course
we were ignorant of the sad tragedy
He shot himself through the heart with q
pistol, while, as is supposed, under tenn.
porary fit of insanity, ocoasioned by a pres.
sure of business. He landed here few
weeks since, in the midst of the excite.
ment about the war, and found the sym.
pHthirs of the United States almost
wholly ON the side of Prussia 1t is evi-
dent he did not feel comfortable in his
new position. He was intensely sensitive
and although he spalxe Euglish quito flu.
emily, yet had made several blunders
which troubled him, which together with
the persistent efforts of newspaper men tc
interview him and to misrepresent what
he said, gave him great annoyance These
things combined have probably led to this
untlmely and painful close of brilliant
life
Ike following are the peculiar circum-
stances of his suicide NJ Paradol had
bought his pistols the day before, and had
probably anticipated such a death for some
days, having written to some of his friends
foreshadowing it. He received member
of his legation late in the afternoon of
Tuesday, and was with him for some time.
He went to bed as usual, but his valet
noticed something strange in his conduct,
yet suspected nothing, even when he was
.'roused at am by the report of pis-
tscl. and by hearing his name called by NJ.
P.ra, 'ol, whom be found standing il his
ni.ht q. 'othrs in the middle Of the rnonr,
overcome app Teully with fear. The ser
want, suppoS. ny that VI he pistol had been
had frightened N. ParadrJ, took hold of
hia arm and tuld lim, in calm voice, not
to be alarmrd. a moment later he dis
covered blood on NJ. PAradols clothes
and then realized that the minister had
shot himself He was laid upon the floor
and a doctor sent for, but it was impo>si~
bic to save his life, the ball having peue-
traUed the body at the lower edge of the
heart Az half-past he eied, having
tried Intellectually before death occurred
to articulate, aud give some direction to
his servant. He leaves two children, II
daughter of sixteen, and son nf twelve.
who are at Newport, having proceeded
there only five days ago i'll charge of one
OF the secretaries Of the French legation.
NJ. de Jardiu, the French counsellor.
testified before the coroner'- jury that ON
Monday the Minister wrote him note,
which WAS subsequently handed to him.
He was about breaking it open, but Mas
requested by the Minister not to do so un-
less some accident should happen to him.
After hearing of the suicide, he opened
the note. Although written on Monday,
itiis dated July 21. A translation is as
follows
If any accident should happen, pray
Nj, de Jardin to attend with M Biggs and
the consul general at New York, NJ. de la
Place, to see that my family aud servants
are sent home. l hope that the measures
to be taken will be facilitated by the
friends that | may have in the United
States. Provost -PARADOT.
M. de Jurdin said also that a valet to-
day brought him note left on the table,
which read as follows:
! kill myself. Berthemy, come back
and stay. P. PARADoL.
M de Jardin, in answer to question
by the coroner as to the mental condition
Of II. paradol, said the latter's mind ap-
peared much affected by the heat
Our space fOrbids our dwelling at
length on the life of NJ. Paradol, only
glanaing at some of its main features. 1t
Is the stosy Of careek greatly creditable,
not only to himseIa bpt to France; for it
Ia the record of brilliant reputation, of
extensive influence and conspicuous
position. won in the early prime of life by
a man whose weapons for tha-battle of ex-
istence were the strength and de1icacy of
his intellectual faculties, the assiduity
with which be had trained them, and the
loyalty with which he used them, in the
serVioe of what he believed to be the pub
lie cause of right, reason and justice. He
was an influential editor, a man of schol.
arly rather than diplomatic tastr.. and
ming Jed IN the circle of the best political
thinkers and the most influential political
actors in France and England.
NJ. Prevost- Paradol was born in Paris
August 3, 1929, aud therefore lacked but
few days of being forty-one years of age.
1t was short life, and yet it was packed
full of great attainments, labors and dis
tinotions. At twenty-one he was appoint.
ed member of the French Academy, be.
ing one of the youngest recipients of that
honor on record. AT twenty-six he was
appointed Professor of French Literature
In the University of AK; resigning.
however In 1855, and joining the editor
lal stan OF the Journal des De5ats. His
priiiiancy as critic of imperial measures
compelled him to retire from that posi.
tiou, though he still continued to furnish
literary articles. He was a voluminous
writer, as is testified by the recent repub-
hcation of four volumes of his essays. nm.
der the title, Pages of Contemporary
History" comprising. however, but