The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1875-12-02

Chateaubriand and his Times.
They are at this moment raising a statute
in bronze of Chateaubriand over his grave.
This great man, Who WAS neither great
writer nor q great character. was, neyerthe-
less, touched on the forehead by genius and
in the heart BY grandeur OF soul. Beaten
throughout his life by the fux and refiux of
literature and politics, he desired that his
grave might be beaten esernally by the
waves.
Under Napoleon III, everybody tried to
do something grand. This expression was
much ridiculed at the time by unbelievers,
but it was nevertheless the true expression
of great epoch. Grand things were done
up to the last day, for Sedan was disaster.
Well, Chateaobriands dreams were gran
diose. This little man, poor and solitary,
assumed conquering irs from his infancy.
He proudly bore his fine name, Chateau
BRAND. He bore it in America at the time
Lafayette bore his. He felt croxded in the
old world. He did not dream of universal
peace like the Able de St. Pierre, but he
dreamed of universal brotherhood He
went to live among savages, saying that
there he found his kindred. He was a wild
man himself from beginning TO end; wild
man among savages; wild man in the
army of the king, Louis XVI, when there
was no more king; wild man before Ma
poleon, at the court Cf Louis XVIII, in
exile with Charles Y, and wild man at
Mime Eecamier's where knew him, and in
death, he said, al was born in an eagles
nest!" and he wanted rock for his grave.
All his life was but an unquiet fight over
events. He preserved bis dominating look
even in the presence of the tanner OF kings,
in the presence of that Napoleon, more
majestic eagle who scared from the Island
of Corsica to alight on ST. Helena.
Before his work, now nearly destroyed,
one asks why Chateaubriand so long gov
never really belonged, because he was look
i''s, y. toward the past while bis cotemr orarIes
were building the future. 1t was because
MS name was Chateaubrian1, because the
women were for him, because he made his
splendid style fashionable, because he was
the first of the Romantics. lie gave once
more to the English language the gift of
metaphor and the love of symbols; this
Noltaire reversed. Foltaire was the genius
OF sentiment. Foltaire, marvellous gen
of Paris, had burst into laughter before the
miracles of faith. Cbateaubriand, pilgrim
of solitude, sang the miracles of Christiani
ty. What Is the mind of man? Ebb and
now To the How Yoitaire. succeed Il th,
ebb Cha teaubrland. 1t wac passion, for
in France there is always passion for novel
". If there were no night, it would be in,
vented
Chateaubriand was not SO far from VOL
taire as he wanted to appear. He mas
something of VoItaire the humanitarian,
something of Voltaire the historian. Do
they not seem. in fact, like two brothers ia
their histories? 1t is the same sarcastic
philosophy; only Voltaire in his rsiIlery
laughs, while Chateaubriand shows tear
through his. Like many men of our times
Chateaubriaud has two faces Nobles.e
has it's obligations. He took this phrase in
its strictest sense, noblesse has its obliga-
tions. lie took this phrase in its strctest
sense, noblesse of race and not Of the heart.
He thought himself obliged 70 defend his
king and his castle, even at some cost to
mis- heart. The great cry of humanity had
its echo Ia him, but lie imagined himself
forced to take up arms against the revolu-
ton. He hated privilege and yet fought
for it. He trayersed the new, world with
rapture, and returned sword in hand against
the world renewed.
Singular contradiction! He became great
character by striving a ainst his character
He admired Napoleon and he wrote against
him. When he served the absolute king
as minister and ambassador, it was with
the ideas of the revolution. Whot saved
him in public opinion from the consequen-
ces of all these yacillations, was that in
1880, when monarchy. by right divine fell
to the ground, he wanted tofall with it.
They gave him, therefore, the credit of a
gentleman who would rot betray his cause
even when he knew it was not the right
cause.