New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-02-02
rotary Richardson's !great plan of specio re-
sumption grew.
TIE NEW ACADEMTCTdNq.

II ia impossible Tor the FrenCn Academy 10
outlive it's rcnOwn or destroy its prestige. IL
may elect one mediocrity after another, and
turn away in succession from its doors tho
leading men of letters in Francs, but thus does
not hinder its Forty arm-chairs from being the
HI CHEST prizes possible to literary excellence
in each generation. NJ. ArsGne lIoussayc, in
revenge for his own exclusion. once wrote II
singularly clever book called the Forty FIRST
"Fau,euil,r in which he shows that ever since
the Academy was established two or three OF
the acknowledged princes Of the literary world
have. at every period, from DESCRIBES to
Beranger, been refused admission to IT. The
t1e se..t CO gGGr;y; therefore he argues ma
forty first armchair outside OF the con-
clave of the so-called Immortals. Everybody
sees and believes this, yet every French httera-
teur would barter all other hOrors for those
of election TO the Academy. by"rJ ,int~-
said HOussaye-the Academy chooses % MEM
Der inferior TO those who are not chosen, my
book is proved true. Bat all this has no
effect. There must be something very attrac-
tive in the company of mediocrlly, TO Judge
from the anxiety displayed by really clever
men TO enter it. Piron in his bitterness die
tatcd that celebrated epitaph, Here lies Piron,
who was nothing-not even Academician.'
NJ. Sardou called the Academy holy ALI
"ancc of dotards," but that did not prevent
him, when the success of his plays had made
him sufficiently conceted, from asking to be
admitted among them-though the statement
NAV have assisted his rejection. Even after
Henri Martin had been beaten by Cuyller-
Fleury, the first historian of France by the
most common place of bureau Journalists, the
honor seemed none the less.
II il not likely that the recent elections VIII
diminish the desirabity Of the coveted arm
chairs, though there is something almost
ludicrous in the result. H. Tame was can
ddate and NJ. Caro- was elected. Martin is
still outside so are Cherbuliez and Flaubert;
Gautier and Alexandra Dumas have died out
side the pale and Professor Mezeres has been
chosen. These amiable mediocrities, scarcely
known outside Of their classroOms, have de-
fcsted the most brilliant scholars and writers
of their time. The tortoises have once more
thrown the dust in the eyes of the hares.
They doubtless owe their success to Their con-
scryatism in politics and their orthodoxy Ill
religion. After the fracas which the electioh
of NJ. Littr6 Occasioned, it seemed ne
cessary to the decorous Academiclans
TO offset that dangerous brillancy by dose
of safe dullness. NJ. Littr6 was great scholar,
but thew could not afford to drive out any
more Bjshops of Orleans. The pride OF the
Academy always has been, that whatever else
YOU may say Of it, it is a salon of good society.
Just now the political and social question
enters more largely than ever into It's electlons'
The Duke of Aumale has become member.
The two Princes de BrOglie, father and son,
were members before, and the institution mas
of late received stronger OllcaniSt tlnge
than ever. The Royalst members have proba-
blv come to the conclusion that it was not
worth while to have kept the Imperialists out
all these years, for the purpose OF beng
swamped by Republicans, who will inject the
fauteuils with the SAVIOR of petroleum.
1t doubtless seems to many at llrst slgnt
that NJ. Alexandra Dumas, the Younger, who
has also been elected q member, scarcely
answers these requirements OF responsibility
and orthodoxy. But this impression is derived
from an imperfect knowledge of the life and
work Of the author of La Dame dur Cdmeids.
Uo has never written book which could be
read aloud in q family. lie has never made
plav which did not deal with morbid and Illicit
passions Two or three of his later plays were
scandalOusly indecent. His late pamphlet
EHon,me- Femme, among other eccentric NOR
alizings, states that it is the duty of hus-
band to Kill his wife if she misbehaves. This
is scarcely the sort of person to sit down with
lesitimst Dukes and Bishops. But there Is
one redeeming quality for which all the rest
are condoned NJ. Dumas ostentatiously quotes
the Bible and believes in the King. His books
are bad, but his principles are excellent, from
the point of view of Frohsdorff and Versailles.
He is therefore elected to place his father
never attained, and sits down in an Academy
which thought itself too good for Molere.