The Portland daily press., 1874-07-23
sfarat.
lean Paul Marat, who is by far the most

Jean Paul Marat, who is by far the most
loathsome character in the French revnln-
ticn, and VINO Will live as the type inearr
oil rabid journalism, was, like j. j. Ronsst
Swiss He was bonn in 1744, aud il
much to his guilt that he received super. +
education and possessed natural abilities OF
bigh order. IL is ia!r TO add, however. thatls j
his talents and learning subjected hun, at the
outset OF his carter, to cruel prosecutions.
After studying medicine and obtaining an ap-
polntment as doctor to the count OF Artois's
grooms, he addicted himself to researches in
patural science, and published several essays
on the theory OF light. These papers bad the
honor OF being reviewed and warmly praised
by Voltaire, but they upset all the notions on
light which were held by the academy of SER
eDces, and that learned body instantly iell
foul Of the innovator. He was frendless,
poor and irritable; he wrote of the academy
with contempt, and, above all, his theories
were the true ones. These Here reasons
enough to draw ON him hostility OF very ac-
live kind; and the institute of France, which
was a powerful corporation, refuted him
waspishy, and then set Influences at work to
drive him from the country. Marat was of
sickly health and Of sour temper; kesn pri-
vate sorrow, resulting iIom misplaced at
tachment, ADDED to his innate moroseuess,
so thai he was in every manner unfit 10 bear
up ssrenely under persecution. lie went off
to England, and spent ten years III London,
lod sng IN Fleet street; alter this ne divided.
a couple OF years between Edinburgh aud
Dublin, and then he vi .ited Holland, pickiui
up all the while piecarious sustenance as
doctor, tutor, translator, and author. 10 17Ss
the outbreak OF the revolution brought him
back to Paris, rich with the fresh stores os<
learning ard experience he had acquired dur-,.
ing bis exile, aud bent upon starting news
paper like other clever meu. Marat differed
from other men, though, in this respect, thar
from the first he had clear perception OF his
object, and pursued it TO the last undertaking
ly. His ideas OF reform we've never clogged by<
the wish to ape English colstutiUnaI;su,,
for be delested England. He desired rsa-~-
ical republic; and though his first journal,
LIE Publicste ParisieD, was couched IN
moderate terms its logic was so tIenchant,
and its DRIFT SO evident that even the most
Jealous deputies OF the third estate took Of
fense at i as going far beyond what they as
piled TO, and as circulated to do their cause
an injury. 1t was the distinctive tIait OF Ma
rats genius that he Co I'D not write line but
attracted attention. His scholarship was so
ceep, and his yle consequently so pure aud
st.ong, his knowledge OF the peoples grev-
ances was so thorough, and b 3 perseverauce
in the aims he was pursuing so relentless,
that the writings OF other men paled beside =
his. And now imagine France given over :
10 the garrulous convention, in which there
was not a man who clearly knew what he
wanted save this one, Marat. Forty-eieht
years old at this da'e, Marat was ess than 4
five feet high, and had head enormously
disproportionate to the size of his body. The
upper part of his face was handsome, but the
1ower palt. beginning vito the nose, was that
of wild beast. Tue nose was fiat aud large,
with nostrils that quivered; the mouth nnge.
and filled with black, jagged teeth; the chin
square, and generally illsbayed covered with
a stubble of several days growth. Naturally
unclean. in his person, Marat cultivated slow
enliness Tor the purpose OF inspiring greater
confidence TO the dregs OF the populace LIE
seldom wore hat, but covered his teld with
a twisted handkerchief red, yellow, and
greasy. His linen was worse than dincy, his
shoes stringless, his stockings torn and down
at the heel, aud his brown coat covered with
stains, ink-splashes. and flakes of dried mud.
In constant terror OF his lite, he never yen-
tuned out alone. but was always attended by
tatterei mob of rufiisns who called them
selves his body-guard, and piled cudgels about
them to clear bun a passage through the
street crowds. Women, when they saw hm,
troubled and turned their heads aside; chit
dren ran away from him; at the conventiSn
house his entrance was the signal for geper--
al silence, and often for a dispersion of half
the members present. Marat, who was eaten
up With bilious vanity, glorIed in tbe uniyer-
sal repulsion which be excited, and he bad ~
gim, vicious way of smiling when. fixing his .
eye on any member whom he disliked, he
saw athe man iuIu pale and crouch. Such
was the man who, by means of all the scum
of Paris, kept the convention in terror and
| through it governed Flance.-Cornhiu Magd-