The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-12-07
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Now, sir, let me suggest to the gentle
men here present that clamor for reform
for mere political party purposes is poor
business; and that an attack on a mans
character for similar purposes is poorer
business still. The motion is a demoralz-
ing one, and the result IL simply to degrade
public life and to deter good men from TAX
ing any part in it. / would remind you.
moreover, that an inquisition is not an in
vestigation. There are tortures more Sc
we're and cruel than the tbumbscrew or tho
wheel, which may drive men either into
callous insensibillty or into despair. Let
us, as sensible and honest men, avoid such
cruelty as this. / warn you, too, against
public professions of purity and integrity.
The corners OF the streets exist day Just
as they did in the time when the Great
Teacher denounced the Pharisees and by
pocries who met there to display their pey
and their purple robes. While, then, we
make a stern demand for high minded and
honest and honorable service, let us avoid
a Wholesale denunciation of public service
on the one hand, which is selfrighteous-
ness, and political design on the other, which
is decentralization, For one, like neither
the time nor the manner in which Mr..
Thomas is accused. The chief accuser has
not approached his business like u man. He
has waited for his opportunity. He seems
to have had hand in the very business of
which he complains. Honesty is a good
thing every month in the year and on all
occasions, in the autumn as well as in the
spring just before Thanksgiving as well as
just before town meeting. And | trust, sir
we shall manifest as much anxiety to es-
cape political injustice as we do to unearth
rascal. l hope and pray, moreover, that
we shall never be brought to the point of
denouncing church and state and society,
and all associations, or even party, because
bad men will seek shelter where they think
they can find security and plumber
Allow me, Mr.. Moderator. in closing, to
relate striking personal incident illustra-
tive of my argument-an incident which
found recorded in a French newspaper fled
in the reading room of the college library,
and which happened to read just before
left old Dartmouth for this town at the be-
ginning of the last winter. During the la
ter years of the reign of Louis PHILIPPE in
France, the eminent and powerful thinker
and writer, Sainte Beuve, began to attract
the attention of the literary and political
world, and as a recognition of his genius
and accomplishments he was appointed by
M. Coudin keeper Of the Mazarin Libra.
ry. For his convenience and as part of
his emoluments, he occupied the rooms pro-
vided for the librarian at the institute, and
there diligently pursued his studies and
faithfully discharged the duties of his of
fee. In October, lS47, finding a defect in
the chimney of his room, he sent for
workman to repair it, and on ascertaining
that the Government was responsible for
work done on public buildings, he made ap-
1.na g. h.,
which was granted, and the workman was
paid out of the public treasury 100 francs.
In February, 1913, Louis Philippe fled to
England, and republican government
was founded. The upholders of the new
order of government proceeded at once to
denounce and expose the crimes of the
ministry who had served the displaced mon
arch as well as those of all their friends,
and to publish the names of all persons who
received brides from the ministers of the
Crown. In due time the name of Sainte-
Beuve, man who had enjoyed high rep
utation for courage and honesty and was
eopntsd AZ a friend Of the republic, was
puDnsned TO an astonIsneu community
one who had yielded to temptation and had
played the part of hypOcrite and thief at
the same time. Sainte- Beuve at first looked
upon the accusation as a joke. denied
it and treated it with contempt. But
he at last became conscious that the
charge was looked upon as well found
ed by some of his best friends
and most respected acquaintance, and he
proceeded at once to deny it in a long. elab-
crate and carefully-written letter addressed
to the public of Paris, declaring that he
had had no communication whatever with
king or ministry, or the house of Orleans,
and that he had conscientiously refused all
honors at their hands Notwithstanding
this explicit denial that he bad drawn
money from the civil list of Louis Philippe,
his friends and the public were not wholly
convinced of his purity and feeling it i'm
possible TO hold post under government
which regarded him as corruptible and cor
rupted, he ceased at his own request to be
keeper of the Mazarin library. He was
at once invited by NJ Charles Rogier,
Belgian minister of the interior, to become
professor of French literature in the uni
versity of Liuge and when he accepted the
invitation and left Paris, his enemies de-
clared that he had fed from the capital
overwhelmed with guilt and fear. The ac-
count continues, sir, that while he was
the victim of charges which it WAS hard to
bear and of lnsinuations which 1t was i'm
possible to silence, Sainte-Beuve left no
stone unturned in order to discover the
source of what he felt to be an atrocious
calumny. He wrote to the eX-ministers of
the fallen monarchy requesting them to give
him all the information in their power, and
they replied that the matter was mystery
to which they could supply no clue. Some
time elapsed before the publication of the
paper in which his name was said to have
been entered as the recipient of large
sum from the civil list; when the paper
appeared there was the following entry in
ii "Ssinte Beuve, 100 francs" This rep
resented not only the amount charged but
the actual payment which had been made
for the repair of the chimney on the roof
of the rooms at tine institute. The outlay
had been incurred too late in the year to
be included in the Budget, and had been
entered among the extraordinary expenses.
To him, then, smoky chimney had really
proved one of lte's greatest plaques. 1t
had made him the object of such suspicion
and attack, that he had resigned post to
which he was attached. had accepted anoth-
er not to his taste, had become for Il time a
voluntary exile from France, which he
strongly loved, and from Paris which was
his favorite place of abode.
Can you conceive, sir, the wretchedness
of this mans life Can you imagine bur
den more grieveous Ia be borne than the
long and weary hours of nnjnst punishment
for unfounded accusation! That such in
justice and wrong should arise from an I'M
fortunate chain Of evidence, whose error
and weakness no legal investigation can
discover, is bard and dscouraging enough
but as the result of political excitement, or
rancour or design, it becomes intolerable
and should receive public condemnation
a thousand times more severe than the pun
isbment which society would inflict on ihe
criminal. | trust no such wrong will be
committed in lothian. Heaven knows that
we desire to be honest here, and believe
we shall let the world know that we scorn
to be bitter, prosecuting or unjust.
hope, Mr.. Moderator, the balloting will
nroceed and that we shall rise above mas