Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-03-06
Talleyrand.

In Temple Bar we find the following
story
Ialleyrand could neither love nor
hate he was a passionless man; he
never committed a cruel or vindictive
action, and never a purely motlveless
generous one. Every thought, feeling,
plan of his nature revolved round one
great centre-self. He could not, as
great statesman, have created broad,
comprehensive scheme of Government !;
his own petty interests dwarfed his
ideas. In him the reasoning faculty
was largely developed, the imaginative
not at all he trusted to no deductions,
to no speculations that were not rigidly
derived from his own personal expert
ences hence his views, although Won
derfully correct, were never all-compre-
hensive. He understood mankind Sec
tionally; he could almost infallibly
foresee how each section would act
singly; but of that "touch of nature
that makes the whole world kin of
those subtle links that can mass man
kind as whole, and by which all great
rulers have swayed their worlds, he
knew nothing. Because no process of
mathematical reasoning, no experience,
however extended, can deduce them (;
their existence can only be the inspira.
ton of those creative faculties OF the
mind that revealed to Shakespeare a
Macbeth and Hamlet. He worked for
the greatness of France, because upon
the greatness of France depended the
greatness Of Talleyrand.
He was purely a cynic-the we'll
being of mankind never for a moment
entered into his calculations. To him
the world was q chess-board-mankind
the pieces he ranged his kings and his
queens, his bishops and his generals,
and played them one against the other ;
when the game was exhausted, and the
sovereign was encompassed by enemies
beyond all hope of escape, he cried
"Checkmate," and began the game
afresh. 1t was said of him, "Like q
cat, he always falls upon his feet; cats
do not follow their masters, they are
faithful to-the house." His vices were
those of the age in which he was educa-
ted (; his RIGHTEOUSNESS, his cynicism,
his skepticism, his selfish contempt for
mankind, were learned in the boudoir
of DuBarry. In reason and in action
he was of the nineteenth century in
thought and feeling he was of the an
cient regime. His liberalism had been
learned in the school of Voltaire ; he
accepted the advance of political ideas
as O necessity, but with no sympathy.
"The thoughts" he said, "of the
greatest number of intelligent persons
in any age or country are sure, with few
more or less fluctuations, to become in
the end the public opinion of thsir age
and community" and he always yielded
to public opinion. While attached to
any Government, he served it faithfully
and zealously ; and in all his tergiver-
sations he scrupulously retained the
outward forms of decency, reserving to
himself respectable excuse for his
detection. 81 have never kept fealty
to anyone longer than he has himself
been obedient to common sense" he
said. The most brilliant of his talents
was a marvellous and most. prophetic
foresight, in proof of which l extract
the two following quotations from his
writing.
The prophesy contained in the first is
rapidly coming to pass that contained
in the second has just been wonderfully
fulfilled "Upon the side of America,
Europe should always keep her eyes
open, and furnish no preteuce for re.
elimination or reprisals. America grows
each day. She will become a colossal
power, and the time may arrive when,
brought into closer communion with
Europe by means of new discoveries,
she will desire to have her say in oul
affairs, and put in her hand as well.
Political prudence then imposes upon
the Government of the Old World to
scrupulously watch that no pretext is
given her for such an interference.
The day that America sets her foot in
Europe peace and surety will be Danish
ed for many years. Do not let us de-
ceive ourselves the European balance
that was established by the Congress
of Vienna will not last forever. 1t will
be overturned some day, but it promises
us some years of peace. The greatest
danger that threatens it in the future
are aspirations that are growing uni
versal in Central Germany. The neces-
sites of self-defense and a common
peril have prepared all minds for Ger
manic unity. That idea will continue
to develoy until some day one of the
great Powers who make part of the
Confederation will desire to realize
that unity for its own profit. Austria
is not to be feared, being composed of
pieces that have no unity among them
selves. 1t is then Prussia who ought
to be watched, she will try, and if she
succeeds, all the conditions of the bal
ance of power will be changed it will
be necessary to seek for Europe new
bases and new organization.