Litchfield enquirer., 1872-04-25

would go in person to Versailles, and state my reasons for refusing. It is more po- lite than writing. The other advice is the candid" '. and with slight smile Mime. de Claire bent over her chasuble again.
 ssPlease give me candid advice" an- swered the count, after a moments he's itation, and looking both resigned and miserable. stI could bear anything from you, even blame.
 ''My candid advice, then, is, that you should accept the offer," said Mime. de Claire gently. ''You say that you are dis mayed at the unsettled condition of af- fairs? This is reason the more for lend ing your aid to calm us. You urge that you have not the qualities necessary fol the post: that, I think, is excess of mod esty."
 The count looked crushed.
 ''You cannot, surely, think it is my duty to set myself up as butt for all the journalists and coffee-house orators of -.his' erihlliaag, eaatterins natinn2" said he.
 ''Duty is a big word, and man can only judge for himself where his duty lies. But, if every man of education and influence refused to serve his country, what would become of us?' @ ya
 ''I risked my life without hesitation, '' broke in the count, expostulating. s'And 1 would give every franc of my fortune to- morrow, if 1t could do France any good.
 life and money are two things to which men of your rank hold least" an swered Mme. de Claire; .tbut supposing you were to sacrifice that for which you really do care,-a little of your time, your habits, some of your comforts?"
 She glanced up at him gaily, almost coaxingly; and her manner of speaking was so sensible and feeling that he knew not what to say. In his inmost heart the conviction arose, that, having asked her advice so far, he was now bound to follow 1t; and this added to his embarrassment but as she proceeded to review, in hel musical voice, all the objections he had raised, and found a pithy, well-put an swer to each, another sentiment overshad- owed the first; and he began dimly to dis cern career of useful labor and fame opening to him, where at first he had seen only gloom and annoyance. After all he was 8 man of birth, whose ancestors had at different times and in divers ways done service to the State; and he was the only one of his line who had set his hearts ambition on doing nothing. What was this but selfshness? He might veil his conduct under what paradoxes he pleased, his aversion to office was due to motives that were not very noble or very credita- ble Of sudden it occurred to him, that in argaing him out of his apathy, as she was doing, Mme. de Claire must feel 8 certain amount of contempt for man who needed thus to be spurred on to duties n,l, toI 1ors taken a5 once with eagerness and pride. This thought tillpped his Frenchman's vanity as with whip, and he felt himself reckoning to the roots of his hair. He was ou the point of exclaiming that he saw 1t all now, and thanking bis hostess for unssaling his eyes; but he was arrested by the reflection that he really and truly had no political opinions to use as ban ner on commencing his official career, and this was certainly an impediment, for political convictions are not extemporized ill minute like puns or riddles. How ever, it was in quite an altered and ap- peased tone that he urged this new diff culty, and said, eff only had belief il some system or other! By rights, I ought to be Bourbonist, but in that, party faith is required, and certain dash oi fanatacism. To be an Orleapist one must needs believe in the panaceal virtues of parliaments, whereas parliaments have never cured anything in France.
 ''If I took to Bonapartism should be obliged. to agitate for plebiscitums -Heav- en help me-as if our last plebiscitum were not enoughI'
 ''Then be Republican" said Mme. de Claire simply.
 He started little, for such sugges- tion in Mime. de Claire's mouth was un- looked for. Was this the brilliant, court ed baroness, whose husband s shield num- bered so many quarrerings that 1t looked like harlequin's coat? He would have thought she was mocking him, but for her perfect gravity.
 Republication" she said, ''is word which we have converted into @ bugbear because we have always associated it with noisy people. But why not try to make of it the government or France by all the most distinguished Frenchmen? I can scarcely myself, in these times, understand 8 man having any other aim. If it were possible to restore the loyalty of the. peo- pie such as it was in the days when they worshipped the king, and touched his garments to be cured of diseases, then I should pray for the return of Henri V. But as this cannot be, and as the only kingship we seem able to tolerate is an expedient that has the bare name ofroyal- ty. without any of it's privileges or pres tige, and which besides leads us into dis tracting revolutions every twenty years, why not adopt at once the form of gov ernment which agrees best with such theories as we still do respect? They are not many, but they are good: individual merit, equality, and popular will.
 He was quite surprised, though not dis agreeably.
 'I have often thought myself" he re- joined, ''what blessing it would be il we could sink our differences into a com. mon system that would bring all parties into cooperation. But republicanism has never succeeded anywhere, not even in the United States, where it is corruption organized, and where it will collapse as soon as the country is peopled enough and respectable enough to wish for honest institutions The constitution of England seems the utmost to which we can aspire. though do not even see how we are to found that. :"
 ''Nor shall we,"~ answered Mime. de Claire England is England, and the liberal papers there call the Queen 'her Most Gracious Majesty until our own opposition journals do the same, cannot see what hope there is of copying state of things which is based on religious rev erence for the sovereign; it would be like trying to make 8 watch without the main spring As to republicanism, added she, with a touch of patriotic pride that was not without spirit, q think we are great nation enough, my dear count, to set pre- cedents instead of following them. Re pubicanism has failed up to this moment because you noblemen, instead of regard. ing it as the government of all have treated 1t as mere party. You have given 1t over to be championed by all the most Vexing people in the country, and then you complain of it having such unmannerly advocates Why not be Republicans yourselves, and study tc make republicanism properly understood There is no form of government under which your influence would be greater ol more respected. For, as you may sup. pose, am not advocating republic with 1T TDI Al.