The New York herald., 1875-08-23
FRENCH LITERATURE.
The Young Journalist Of the
Revolution.
A GROUP OF NEW BOOKS

The story OF Camille Desmouins and his pretty wife,
Lucille is Of the most and sad of the great
Revolution. Not that Camille Desmoulins a blame
less character, that his politician and
journalist calls for much admiration but judge HIM
fairly must make allowance for the excited times in
which he lived and for the inrepidty Of his death by
which he eiiaced many faults He was born in 17GO
and consequently twenty nine when the Revolu-
tion broke out His father a Judge at Guise, held
Loyalty for the King, and there is something touching
In the letters of this upright old gentleman who warned
his that the world could not be altered in day for
the gorihcation of sophsts and tho benefit Of mobs
But Camille Desmoulins was hot headed to hear
reason. Like most middle class youngsters of the
time he joined with ardor in the revolutionary
men; and happening to be in the garden of the Paais
Royal on the afternoon of the 14h of July, 17s9 when
the arrived that Necker the popular Minister,
had been dismissed he sprang upon form in fine
frenzy and made such speech drove Off his enthus
astc hearers to capture and the Baste From
this time Camille Desmoulns became the peoples hero
and darling, receiving much credit If he had cap
turcd the Bastle by himself Whereas in fact he had
prudeny kept out Of gunshot while the populace
fighting. He was soon elected to the Convention AT
the same time he continued TO publish incendiary
newspaper, which had brought him into notice some
little while before the Bastie business, and for the
next two years he distinguished himself by cono-
elastic rage less furious than 'RSbesperre's and
Marats. When the King had been beheaded, however,
and the old monarchy overturned, Camille Desmouns,
who the intimate friend Of Danton, found himself
installed in high post at the Ministry of Justice, and
his views then underwent change To do him justice
his marriage with Lucille Duplessis in $780, had done
much to bring his softer feeling into play but the
real truth of his moderation lay in the fact that
having got out Of the Revolution all that was to
be got, he anxious to retain his post and lead
quiet life He started new Journal lie Vier Cordeiier
for tho purpose of advocating the cessation of blood
she'd but Robesperre who considered that the guillo
tine had yet done its work. took offence at this and
resolved to suppress Desmouns before the latter made
many proselytes At the end of March, 1874, Danton,
Hebert Camille Desmouns and others were arrested
on the charge of conspirng overthrow the Republic
and the 5th April beheaded; two days later Lucille
Desmoulns carried her pretty head to the scalod for
the crime of having tried to her husband In the
present admirably written book NJ Jules Clarete has
compiled all the documents throwing a light upon the
public and private life OF Camille Desmoulins and his
wife, and the work is a valuable contribution to the his
tory of the Revolution NJ Caretie does not succeed in
making like Camille Desmoulins and brings us to
pity him; he also eXctes the most genuine sympathy
and admiration on behalf of Lucille Desmoulins, of
those whose DEVOTION goodness and beauty may
be accepted proof that heroines do all belong
the world of fiction.
L'AFRIouE QuAToRIAL-GABoxAIs PAHouIN- GALLoIs.
Par le Marquis de Compegne Paris f. Plon ct
Gle
The exploring expedition the western of AT
rica recently undertaken by the Marquis de Com
piegne and NJ Marche has occasoned great deal of
conversation in French society and the account which
the Marquis has just published of his travels has met
with proportonate success and it is very good
book. 1t is by no means the work of a hack literary
lltahar
produce certain amount of copy at stipulated price
for every page. The Marquis and his companion are
! gentlemen of competent fortune much vi
vacity, lcrable enterprise and very cred
! liable thirst for information. They had no
other object in their journey than that of
acquiring distinction by fair MEANS and they seem to
have taken up science lighter devote themselves
to horse racing polo They pursued their journey
with unequaed tenacy, in spite of hunger fever, at
acks of cannibals, and all those moving incidents by
flood and fell which make travelling in Africa excit
ing and attractive adventurers who bold of heart
and strong of limb They took a road directly opposite
to that which had been followed by Livingstone, and
they have thus penetrated further into the interior than
any of the English German explorers who preceded
them. The record of their journey is extremely
pleasant book very different from the notes of ordinary
travellers, nasmuch there is nothing pompous or
dreary in it, 1t is very well illustrated and has
cellent map
LIE PRocEs D'ARNM REoUEn CONFLICT DOCUMENTS
PoLrTouEs. Par f. Figurey ct d. Corbier; ntroduc-
tion dc NJ. j. Nalerey.
Just at the moment when Count Arnim's appeal
against the sentence pronounced upon him is
again attracting the attention of Europe collection
has been published of the political documents relating
to this famous state trial 1t is preceded by inter-
estng introduction from the pen Of NJ Nalfrey and it
explains much that WIS hitherto uninteigble to out
sders in this complicated affair 1t will do good,
however to Count Arnm, who may now be considered
hopelessly beaten in his struggle with Prince Bis
marck He might indeed, have off victorious
had he taken franker and boder and had he
told the simple facts Of the dispute wherein he not
in the wrong; but from the moment when he suffered
the fight become battle of wits and legal subtlecs
1t plain that he was no match for his advcrsares.
Prince Bismarck himself slipped of the dispute and
left the ex-Ambassador to squabble with tho
clerks of the Berlin Foreign Office. Count
Arnm overcame them again and again in argument.
His answers would have been satisfactory the minds
of any impartial men who had been called upon to pro
nounce judgment without fear favor; but there is
this popularity in official persons that they know
when they are cohfuted neither do they They
pursued Count Arnm with their usual solid and dogged
obstnacy like long -windcd hounds and they have
ceedcd in hunting him down. The last Of him
who few years ago one OF the most brilliant and
influential statesmen in Europe is that he was sick and
in exile after having been mulcted in heavy law costs
tantamount it is said, fine of at least SlOO O0O His
should be warning TO all politicians who get into
awrauglc with public department They should make
a clear statement of their position and affairs to the
public by OF the press and there let the business
rest far they concerned, steadily refusing go
to law appear before tribunals, which neither
will act justly by them.
Historic DPIoMATIoUE DE LA GUERRE FRANCO ALLIE
MANDE. BY NJ Albert SoreL
The author OF this valuable book Is professor of the
free school Of political science, and his work is
explanation Of the diplomatic proceedings between
France and Germany from 1870 to 1874 During the
Franco German NJ Sorel attached TO the
delegation from the French Foreign Office to the govern
of Tours and Bordeaux and he eyewitness
of many of the events which he relates He is man
of ilnrnhln lalnnl and L.