Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1874-08-14
MARAT.
From the CornhiIl Magazine. ]

Jean Paul Marat, who is by far the
most loathsome character in the French
revolution, and who will live as the type
incarnate of rabid journalism, was like
j. j. Rousseau, Swiss. He was born
in l744, and it adds much to his guilt
that he received superior education
and possessed natural abilities of high
order. 1t is fair to add, however. that
his talents and learning subjected him,
at the outset of his career, to cruel per-
secutions. After studying medicine and
obtaining an appointment as doctor to
the Count of Artois' grooms, he addicted
himself to researches in natural science,
and published several essays on the the
ory OF light. These papers had the honor
of being reviewed and warmly praised
by Voltaire, but they upset all the no
tions on light which were held by the
academy of sciences, and that learned
body instantly fell foul Of the innova-
tor. He was friendless, poor, and irrit
able; he wrote of the academy with
contempt and, above all, his theories
we're the true ones. These were reasons
enough to draw on him hostility of a
very active kind; and the institute of
France, which was powerful corpora
ton, refuted him waspishly, and then set
influences at work to drive him from the
country. Marat was of sickly health
and of sour temper; keen private sor-
row, resulting from misplaced attach
ment, added to his innate moroseness, 80
that he was in every manner unfit to
bear up serenely under persecution. be
went off to England and spent ten years
in London, lodging in Fleet street, after
this be divided couple ofyears between
Edinbnrg and Scotland, and then he Wis
tied Holland, picking up all the while a
precarious sustenance as doctor, tutor
translator and author. In 1889,
the outbreak of the revolution brought
him back to Paris, rich with the fresh
stores of learning and experience he
had acquired during his exile, and bent
upon starting a newspaper like other
clever men. Marat differed from other
men, though, in this respect that from
the first he had clear perception Of
his object, and pursued it to the last
undeviatingly. His ideas of reform
we're never clogged by the wish to ape
English constitution Dalism, for he de-
tested England. He desired radical
republic, and though his first journal,
LIE Pubhcste Parisien, was couched in
moderate terms, its logic was so trench
ant, and its drift so evident, that even
the most jealous deputies of the third
estate took offense at it as going far be-
yond what they aspired to, aud as cal
cuated to do their cause an injury. II
was the distinctive trait Of Murats
genius that he could not write a
line but attracted attention. His schOl-
arship was so deep, and his style con-
sequently so pure and strong, his knowl
edge of the peoples grievances was
so thorough, and his perseverance in
the aims he was pursuing so relent
less, that the writings Of other men paled
beside his. And now imagine
France given over to the garrulous con
vention, in which there was not q man
who clearly knew what he wanted save
this one, Marat. Forty eight years old
at this date, Marat was less than FIVE feet
high, and had head enormously dispro-
portionate to the size of his body. The
upper part of his face was handsome,
but the lower part beginning with the
nose, was that of a wild beast. The
nose was fiat and large, with nostrils
that quivered; the mouth huge, aud filled
with black, jagged teeth; the chin
square, and generally i'll shaved, covered
with stubble of several days growth.
Naturally unclean in his person, Marat
cultivated s,ovenliness for the purpose
of inspiring greater confidence to the
dregs Of the populace. He seldom wore
a hat, but covered his head with twisted
handkerchief, red, yellow and greasy.
His linen was worse than dingy, bis shoes
sringless, his stockings torn aud down
at heel, and his brown coat covered with
stains, ink splsshes and fakes of dried
mud. In constant terror of his life, he
never ventured out alone, but was al
ways attended by a tattered mob Of
ruffians who called themselves his body
guard. aud piled cudgels about them to
clear him passage through the street
crowds. Women, when they saw him,
trembled and turned their heads asidei
children ran away from him; at the con-