New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-06-25
THE ARCnBIsHOp.s BURIAL.
Impressive Scene in Norre Dame-Pnris
in Mourning.


TParis Correspondence London Telegraph.
Within the venerable Cathedral of Notr
Dame-which has just acquired new inter
est from the fact that its magnificent pill
made "a narrow escape from destruction q
the hands of the insensate communists
few days ago-I have to-day witnessed
display of funeral pomp exceeding anything
that has ever been seen, even in this city o
.spectacles, for nearly a whole generation
Before describing the aspect of the grea
.edifice into which this forenoon streame,
the minister's, the deputies, the generals
the civil dignitaries and intellectual celeb
rites of France, | may state that the frine
raj celebration was tivefold in its character
The mortal remains of the archbishop o
Paris, Monseigneur Darboy, formed indeed
the central object of all the solemn pomp
but his gorgeous .catafalque was set abou
by minor structures, bearing the corpses O.
four of his principal companions in cap
tivity and death. Directly beneath the
central spire, at the crossing of nave anG
transepts, rose the stately catafalque Oh
which the coffin of the archbishop was tC
be deposited. 1t was a dais raised about
twelve feet above the level of the pave
ment, and at the angles of which foul
handsome, columns-the shafts of which
were covered with black velvet. while the
capitals were OF massive siiver-supported
a baldaquin or canopy, with rich hangings
of the same material, adorned and relieved
by cords. by embroidery, and deep silver
fringes. When the coffin was placed on
the dais, it was to be covered by d pail OF
mortclOth of black velvet, handsomely EN-
broidered, and enriched with massive
silver cross. Beside the steps that led up
to the dais burned fifty wax tapers: while
at the head and foot, and on each side
of the catafalque, stood a large pedes-
tai lamp, from which hickered the
unstable and CHASTITY .fammes sertes-pro-
"duced by consuming spirits of wine in shall
low vessels OF copper, and strangely calcu-
lated, it appeared to me, to bring to ones
mind the desolation and corruption of the
tomb-as if they had been exhalations wav-
ering over the resting places of the dead.
The weird flames lost nothing of their sug-
gestive horror by their reverberations in
cold, livid light from the four marble figures
one at each corner of the dais, which made
Faith, Hope, Charity, and Religion seem to
partake in the mourning of the deeply af-
fected throng that watched the last sad rite.
On the left of the archbishops catafalque,
just in the opening of the southern transept.
was that of Monsieur Duguerry, the Cure
of the Madeleine-who had been shot within
a few minutes of his superior ON Wednesday
the twenty-fourth of May; to the right, in
the opening of the north transept, was the
-catafalque bearing the coffin of Monseigneur
.Surat, the grand vicaire of the diocese, who
had also shared the fate of the archbishop
at La ROquette prison; while, just at the
angles formed by the transepts and the
nave, reposed, on the right of the archbishop,
but nearer TO the grand western entrance,
the remains of Monsieur Becourt, the Cure
of Notre Dame de Bonnie Nouvelle-on the
left, those of Monsieur Sabatier. Vicar of
Notre Dame de Lorette, also victims TO the
assassins of the commune.
The four minor catafalques, though very
handsome, were not surmounted by can0-
pies borne aloft on pillars like that of the
archbishop. The rich black velvet pals
that covered the dais of the two at each
side were not only ornamented with large
silver cross, embroidered so as to rest on
the coffin, but also studded with silver stars.
while the pals of Becourt and Sabatier
bore the crosses without the stars. All,
however, were emblazuned with the mono
grams of the deceased, and adorned with
heavy silver fringes. Quitting the mourn
ful and impressive centre of the days inter-
est, let me now try to convey something
like an idea-inadequate as it must be with
in the present limits-of the general aspect
of the cathedral.
As You entered the grand doors on the
west, the first impression was one of infin-
tely prolonged gloom. The ''dim religious
light" made DINNER by the cold grayness
Of an abnormal fine day that fell in through |
the painted easements and the grand old |
nose windows, seemed to be wholly alb |
,orbed and abolished by the black draper |
es that swathed the mighty columns of the |
awe and the gallery that.runs above them. |
The cleaning of silver cords and tassels |
and embroideries that stared with a more
GOODNESS, with a death-like pale
less-frOm the gloomy hangings; the chilly |
glitter of the ponderous silver candclabra |
md pedestals ranged on each side the nave,
which shot forth their faint yellow and |
yhostly-green flames alternately; the ''eerie -
simpses into the side nayes, whose ALWAYS
amt daylight was killed outright by the gar
sh flames that riveted the eye in the great
7ista; in the middle distance the five huge
,iers, looming portentuously forward in the
hine OF their silver trappings, and the I'M
ertain, unearthly simmer of the .fdmmes
ertes around the towering catafalque of the
beyond all, the octagon of the
hoir closing in the view as.if with an i'm
enetrable barrier of deathly drapery-all
hese elements in the scene, combining with
he grand proportions and the awning magni-
ude of the old pile itself, made up pic
IRE such as Dante has rather suggested
ather than even Dore has interpreted, in
ne gloomy circles of Dis.
The corpse of the archbishop, as your
eaders doubtless know, had lain in state
Or several days in the Chapelle Ardente at
ne Archiepiscopal Palace, in the Rue de
renelle. While the bodies of the Cures
,uguerry and Becourt and the vicar of
'otre Dame de Lorette, Sabatier, had been
onveyed to the cathedral on the previous
vening, those of the archbishop and of
lonseigneu. Surat were only removed from I
leIr resting places at the Archeveche this [
corning. Shortly after ten o'clock, under {
gray, leaden sky, the mournful cortege |
lltted the front of the palace.
The funeral car which bore the arch q
lshop's remains was drawn by six horses, I
nd almost literally covered with silver, c
lille another, less gorgeous, but still |
llendid carriage bore the corpse of Mon i
,igneur Surat. In the procession there t
ere no signs OF pubic mourning beyond
ne presence of the military and the clergy L
considerable strength. The soldiers who Il
,eceded the funeral Car consisted of "a /
umerOus body of cuirassiers, fine men and @
ipitally mounted, q detachment of the v
Venty third regiment, the general Of divi- v
on and his staff, the twenty-third; thirty l
NTH and forty-eighth regiments of in a
ntry, with fixed bayonets and arms re- Q
ersed. Then following muffled drums G
lme mourning coaches which contained 1
lie principal clergy of the Diocese of Paris, l
lille the cross and crozier and other in 8
gnia of the archbishop were carried inn, t
ediately before the car itself. Immedi-
ely after the car which bore the remains 8
as large body of the minor clergy of the I
ocese on foot, and a strong representation 1
the public, also walking. Then came
me empty mourning coaches, followed by Il
le thirty eighth and seventy-sixth regi- a
ents of the line with fixed bayonets, a c
artery OF six guns, and another imposing {
'rce of cuirassiers. ]
The route followed from the archiepiscopal v
alaee to the cathedral was from the Kue