Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1870-11-02
The Destruction Of St. Cloud.

The telegraph, with that cold Pre-
cision and terrible exactitude which
distinguishes some of its revelations,
has informed us Of the destruction Of
the Chateau of St. Cloud, that lovely
royal and imperial residence which
for two hundred years, crowded with
historic glories, has been the pride Of
all the western environs Of Paris
Moreover, we are informed that the
work Of ruin was accomplished by the
French and not by the German bat
terlcs. We trust, for the sake Of that
illustration of history which has so
much to do with the steady advance
of refinement, that the news may not
be true in its full extent but ii, un-
fortunately, all prticulars be exactly
as narrated, the French capital sus-
tains an almost irreparable loss.
St. Cloud, the ancient Novigentum,
derives its modern name from Clod-
oald, the grandson Of King Clovis
Tho'young man escaped from the as
sassin hands of his uncle Clotairc TO
this spot and after life passed asia
hermit in the neighboring forests was
canonized by the title that the noble
parks and the palace there erected in
1858 by the great capitalist, jerome
dc Gondy, have since borne. The vast
wealth and power of Louis Quatorze,
which, during bis reign seemed to alb
sorb everything splendid in France,
gave him possession of st. Cloud, and
the Grand Monarque bestowed this
gem upon his brother, the Due dor
learns. Become royal palace it cx-
tended its hospitality to Queen Hon
riotta of England, who died there :
and in succeeding years it witnessed
the murder Of Henry III. the plot
tings of the First Napoleon for imper-
ial control; the royal folly Of Charles
X, who dated thence the roscripts
that revolted France and preciptated
the revolution of 1880; and, finally,
the fetes of the hearty citizen-king
Louis Philippe and the summer pleas
ures Of Napoleon Ill. st. Cloud
rivals Versailles in its memories Of the
lovely but unfortunate Marie An
toinette and the gayeties Of Queen Vic
toria's soiourn in France in lS55.-
Some Of the most imposing scenes Of
the reign Of the First Napoleon occur
red at this celebrated residence, and
the shades of the gentle Josephine and
Of hersuccossor the fair Austrian Marie
Louise seemed, even in our day, TO
haunt the apartments the crowned
danes once occupied, and on the walls
of which their portraits smiled in the
bloom of pride and beauty as limned
by master hands.
None who have ever visited this
delightful abode with tourists ele.
CANT curiosity or by imperial invita-.
tion will forget its parks stocked with
rare growth and ranged by herds Of
English deer, its enchanting gardens,
its lakes, its fountains and It's cascades,
the delight of the Paris Sunday throng
who went a Maying in its lawns and
woods Its September festivals for
this year have been replaced by a
more magnificent but disastrous Oc.
tober. Tho beauteOus domains are
dcsolated by the bivouac of needless
foreign soldiory, and its superb saloons
and galleries, with all their wonder.
Gus wealth of canvas and carving,
have sunk into ruin beneath the aveng-
ing shO. and shell Of the great city be.
leaguerod through the folly ofits latest
imperial occupant. Tho fearful war
now raging ''in the heart of Europe"
is full of startling lessons illustrated
by what seems more than the caprice
of more chance in the scourge that il
brings upon the oldcn seats OF refined
but arrogant pomp and power None
Of these is more instructive, even
while we must historically MOURN it,
than the oblitcration of ST. Cloud.