The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-07-05
Chambord TO France-ssBarkis Is
Willin'.o

French public men, in the opinion of the
outside world, constantly lay themselves open
to the charge of inconsistency. Even SO ex-
allied parsonage AS the Count de Chambord,
1t seems, is not altogether free from this
grave faint. 1t is only few months since
the loyal supporters of the Bourbon pretender
offered to procure him crown if only he
would consent to wear it under the tricolor
The Count has all his lifetime been in pur-
SUIT OF the bauble that was proffered him, yet
when his faithful henchmen came to lay it at
bis feet he spurned it haughtily, because it
was sought to deprive him of the cherished
white fiag which was supposed to be
emblematic Of his knightly purity
aud honor. This proof of attach
ment to principle quite astonished
both the Counts friends and his enemies. 1t
was startling to find French politician SO
consistent, and while the world laughed at
the modern Quixote, who put away a crown
for the sake of stripe or two of color, more
or less, in the national flag, quite an unnec-
essary amount of praise was showered on the
Count for his supposed consistency. Of
course there were found unbelievers who
asserted that the Count only made the fuss
about the flag when he discovered that his
henchmen did not have the required majority
to make him King of France despite the
wishes of the French However that may be
we leave to the historian to decide but it is
evident from the last manifesto of this aspr-
ant to throne that he has changed his royal
mind. and is ready to pocket his white flag
and his opinions--for the fee Of a crown.
Some person will be shocked by this in con-
sequence, and we may expect that charges
of inconsistency will be levelled at the Count.
None but shallow observers, however, are
likely to fall into this error. When the Count
might have had the crown he has spent his
lifetime trying to obtain he refused it on
some ridiculous pretence. Now that he can
not have the bauble he weeps like a naughty
boy and is ready to promise anything
to secure what few months ago he spurned
with the lofty pride which suits so well
King. Poor Count, fated to be misunder-
stood !! Like Quixote he, by some mischance
or oversight of fate, was born some centuries
after his preordained time. He tries to be a
knight, without fear and without reproach,
and only succeeds in making himself the
laughing stock of the world. Had his genius
leaned towards war he would certainly have
furnished up some of the old armor which his
ancestors wore to make them look like SOL
diers, and made the tour of Europe, succor
ing distressed damsels and figuring in the
police reports. Fortunately his mind received
another bent and the only weapon he uses
is-appropriately enough-a quill plucked
from some royal goose. This weapon he uses
consistently enough to hurt himself. His aim
in life is to show what wretched stuff goes to
make up king, and, true to this destiny,
whatever he does is tinged with the gro
tesque. So far as we understand his procla-
nation there are two points that he does not
concede-the trico}or flag and universal
suffrage In one of these is involved the glory
of France, in the other its manhood. There
can be no permanent government that ignores
them, not even with the Count de Chambord
at its head