The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-12-20
CHARLOTTE CORDAY.

CHARLOTTE CORDAY.
In 1898, when the new Republic Of
France, whose horizon had dawned 80
aupiciously beneath the conservative
influence of the Girondists, was rent by
ambitious fsctions, whose rulers were
determined to rule or ruin, and out
RACED liberty, beneath the hideous guise
of the monster Marat, was sinking into
absolutism, there arose in Trance .
lovely, beautiful, innocent young girl,
who, like Joan Of Arc, believed herself
called to the deliverance of her unhappy
country.
This was Charlotte Corday, of Caep,
the capital of Normandy, the grand
daughter of Pierre Corneille, the great
drsmatist and author. She had in.
herited poetry, heroism, patriotism and
poverty, and, though of . noble family,
was only distinguished from the poor of
her Surroundings by an air of polished
refinement and noble beauty which
no adverGe pecunisry circumstances
could extinguish. Lamartine says that
poets and heroes are of the SINE race,
the only difference being that between
idea and fact, what Corneille conceived,
Charlotte Corday executed.
Being of aristocratic lineage, and in
extremely impoverished circumstances,
she lived in solitude with q widowed
aunt and her father, having become
motherless in early youth. Amid ply
sical toll and penury, she dreamed anew
the glorious dreams Of liberty, and
equal human rights of which her grand
father had written. In the fall of the
Bsstile, and the first dawn Of the revo-
luton, she believed she beheld the
eventual emancipation of her beloved
country from tyranny, oppression and
superstition. Bnt when tho power of
the bloodthirsty Jaoobins, beneath the
brutal rule of Marat, had reached its
zenith, she saw those fond hopes dis
PEELED, and fancied that with his death
order and peace would emerge from the
dreadful chaos which threatened to an
nihilste the social and political life of
France.
!. The desire to free her country from
bloody anarchy became her all absorb.
ing thought, and while she thought and
dreamed of the method, all hopes of its
eventual liberty were dying as the head
Of patriot after patriot fell beneath the
saaguinsry sx of the guillotine. She
had attained her twenty fourth year
when the crisis of her life eliminated.
She is described at this time as being
tall, exceedingly we'll propos toned, and
Of native grace and dignity like the
musical rythm of . poem. Her eyes
we're large and variable as the ocean
wsye, her hair black and lustrous, while
aGrecian mouth, and well cut, firmly
set lips depicted the tendernes- and
severity of character, equally formed to
breathe love or patriotism. To the
voice of the former, however, she turned
deaf ear; the sweet charmer love,
which ever comes with maidenhood,
found no resting place in her heart, and
sadly but firmly she banished all natural
ties of wi.ehood and motherhood and
became welded to patriotism and love
OF her native land. --...
Like the Hebrew Judith, she believed
the death of the tyrant Marat would
liberate her country, being too ignorant
10 fully comprehend its situation, or the
ignorance, fanaiicism and brutality Of
the Jacobin faction whose hidra. head
could not be vanquished by the death
Of enc leader. Silently, alone and un-
aided, this n,otherless girl formed her
plans for the accomplishment of her
designs. Prom her scanty pittance shs
hsd coniriyed TO hoard sufficient money
70 make the journey from Normandy to
Paris, and to procure lodgings and food
Tor . few days arriving at the capital
in the midst of great excitement, caused
By the rumors that the lists Of those
prescribed by the Msrat government
and doomed to the guiilotine were
swelled to the enormous number OF
twenty.eight thousand in Paris, two
thousand FIVE hundred in Lyons, three
thoussnd in Marseilles, and three hun.
dred thousand in the Provinces OF
Brittany and Calvados. As she shud.
dered at the horrible rumors, which
irom the ssnguinary events which had
preceded them were most likely to be
! true, she more than ever felt that her
mission had the sanctity Of Heaven and
mat she was the instrument chosen by
tod TO rid her country Of the bloody
monster vino was the cause of so much
nnery, suffering and death.
Though in strong sympathy with the
Sirondist party, she carefully concealed
her plans from them, fearful to COM
promise their lives, we'll knowing that
her own would pay the forfeit for the
- she contemplated, and desiring to
9ske q the murder Of Marat solemn
immolstion, which would strike terror
mo the minds of his imitator.. With
tse greatest ca,e she selected and pur.
enased : poignard, and then formed
sessF.i plans for obtaining an interview
.ah Marat, all Of which che abandoned
nf the one which proved successful,
which was to write him several notes,
easnestly soliciting an interview, repre-