The morning star and Catholic messenger. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1868-1881, 1874-01-04
Contemporary statssmsa.-x. 10 Duo 1. Brosna

Contemporary statssmsn.-N. 10 Dus Do Brogia
A writer in tho last number Of the DUB
I'm RsVier otherwise quite master of his
subject,) makes great sacrifice Of sense
to epigram whom be says that France has
an Irish Duke for her President, and
Gan italian Duke" for her Prime Minister.
Marshal MacMahon is incidentally of
Irish lineage, and is proud of the fact !;
but the actual proportion of Irish blood in
his veins is only one-fourth. In that re-
spect his children are more Irish than him
self. Their mother ia half an Irishwo oman
cher mother, the Duchess de Castries, hav-
ing been a Miss Coghlan), and therefore
the 1rish element in them amounts to tho
proportion of three-eights, that is, an
eighth more than in their father. Again,
Magenta (the scene of tho "great battle,
great victory" from which he takes his
hardy. It is true that Mr.. Disraeli made
q nobleman an Irish Duke with Scotch
title, but such "curiosfcy of literature"
does not afford a decisive precedent. But
if Marshal MacMahon cannot nationally DO
called an Irish Duke, still less can the Duo
family 10 Of Piednontese origin, and was
once called Broglia. Bat when the Brog-
las were Piedmontese, Piedmont was not
Italian and they have for many genera
tions been French in name, in domicile,
and in blood. There is not as much italian
blood in the present Dukes veins as would
fill the little toe of either of his feet. Even
his title is not Italian, for the Broglie of
which he is Dnke,is near Evreux, in the
department of the Eure !; called, no doubt,
after the original cradle of his race, but, OF
itself, quite differenG locality.
Albert, Duo de Broglie, was born on tho
18th of June, 1921. His father was Victor,
nnc da RrOOlia of tho diatin-
guished and honored statesman of his time;
his mother, Albertine de Stael- II olstein,
was daughter of the famous authoress of
"Corinne"-a work much read in its day,
and known in ours at least to Mr.. Glad
stone. Madame de Stael was the daughter
Of M. Necker, the man with strings go his
shoes, who was Minister of Leuis xvi, to
the horror Of the buckled aristocrats of
the period. NJ. de Broglie thus represent to
tho two principles at issue in the great
conflict Of the French Revolution. 4. His
great-grandIather, Marshal dc Broglie
rss.tsSse Was TYPE Of
great grandfather, NJ. Necker, a type Of
democratic progress. Among the Broglie's
themselves, indeed, both principles had
representatives, for while the Marshal
commanded tho troops collected round
Versailles to intimidate the Constituent
Assembly, his son. who had q seat Ia IT,,
was one Of the iunovating spirits Of she
place. The young mans devotion to lib
erty was tested under trying circum-
atances. Sentenced to death by the Con
vention for no crime but his rank, he
sent for his Httlo son, only eight years old,
and exhoreed him to adhere, in spite of
everything, to the cause Of freedom. Thus
inspired, the boy, when he became man,
and, under the restoration a peer Of
France, was conspicuous in his mainte
nance of liberal principles. Under Lonis
Philippe he became n Minister but
France is country not easily governed on
the Minister was too much for the man.
Exiled from public life under this Second
Empire, the late Due &c Broglie returned
to the love of his youth. He had the
honor of being somewhat persecnted 1t
did him 40 great HARM and it did his
principles great deal Of good. Person
ally, there was not in France better or q
worthier man. &" o.
In judging the present Dukes career, we
shall do we'll 60 remember his fathers.
Even in that fathers life tine the son was
very distin guished man. Though tC was
probably his OrleEhism that introd need
him to the Academy, his emineuce as .
writer fully entitled him to place IN ie.
The career OF practical statesm anahip was
closed against him, and in the capacity OF a
critic he was more distinguished in the
field of history than In that of political
philosophy. Tho lives OF the Caesars gave
him the opportunity, rather too indiscrtmi
nately used by his party, Of assailing the
BonapArtes in the persons of their Roman
prototypes. In religious matters, though
Catholic Of undoubted sincerity, he wac
connected with men who seemed to subor-
dinate their faith to their political opinions.
Count Darius letter of admOnition to the
Vatican Council was the last unhappy
effort of their overweening confidence but
most of them are sorry now for what they
did then, aud we need not dwell npOn it.
His election to tho National Assembly, in
1871, opened ct last TO n. de Broglie chat
public life for which no had been asoido-
ouely trained NJ. Thiers, his fathers
friend and his own, seemed to think that .
Diplomatic career was the one best suited
to his abilities, and named him to the high
position Of French Ambassador in London.
Whether n. Theirs had any secret misgiv-