New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-11-20
THE ORLEANS PRINCES.
THEIRS AND REPUBLICAYIsM.


lFRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUNE
LONDON, Nov. IA solid and excellent sketch of
Theirs by Mrs. Crawford may be found in Macmillan
| for November. Those who know how intimate was
the acquaintance between Theirs and Mrs. Crawford.
and what an admirable talent for storytelling that
lady possesses, might have looked for a gossip
ing paper than the present But you cannot put
everything into a magazine article, and Mrs. Craw
ford has chosen to deal with her subject seriously.
The authority for some Of the rather start
/ ling statements in it is none other than
! Theirs himself Mrs. Crawford told him three years
ago that she meant to write his life, and asked him
| TO help He said-and the answer is characteristic
of the man-"Cal me in the mornings, when |
am not so much absorbed by visitOrs-at six o'clock,
if you like. Bring a list Of questions. Question
without fear Of giving offence. | shall answer
truthfuly, asking nothing Of your friendship, but
something Of your indulgence And the biography
is done in the spirit of that answer. Mrs. Craw-
ford may say, is the wife of the well and h0nOTa
bly, known correspondent Of The Daily Aers in
Paris, man whose ability anddevOtiOn-still more,
perhaps, his consistent liberalism, under all dynas
ties, and against all OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES wider
recognition than they have yet received. Mrs.
Crawford is her husbands colleague. Her work in
the paper may be known by Its lighter touch and
the kind Of grace and perfume which makes women
the strong-minded species always excepted-pre-
/ eminent as letter writers, in public or private.
Not to forestall the renders pleasure in this arti-
/ Gle. let notice but a single point-the date and
circumstances Of Therss conversion 80 Republican
ism. His sincerity has been attacked by the Orlean-
lists, with bitterness on which commented at tho
time OF ms death. 1t was suspected also, as Mrs.
! Crawford points out, by the people of Paris, and
this suspicion did much to infame civil war in 1871.
twas unjust suspicion but thad this Tor excuse.
! that bis Republcanism had not been made known
| publicly, and in way to put It beyond doubt. Nrs.
Crawford says that Thiers's preference for Bepub
/ lican form Of Government had been proclaimed at
Bcrryers funeral But Berryer died in 1sGs, aud
any declaration favor of a Republic at that time
must have been purely speculative theoretical
/ preference of n Republic 10 the Third Empire might
not have been inconsistent witha preference oil Con-
/ sututional Monarchy to a Republic-,hould the day
/ come, as come it DID. when choice between the
/ two was possible.
But fell lately upon curious piece Of evidence
/ ia the Personal Life Of George Grote,' published
/ in 1873. The Grotes were IN Paris in September,
1863 and Mrs. Grote tells the story Of a visit paid
them at that time By the Count de Crcourt and the
Count de- Brlyeze Toward the end Of the
/ visit, u. De Belyeze, amused by Grotes seeming TO
/ doubt the chances Of France returning to Reguoli-
can.sn. In spite of all that the two friends bad been
/ telling him of It's probability, said Well, now,
viii recount 10 You what bcfel me this
/ very day and you shall judge whether the incident
/ does not confirm our own opinions. [ was On MY
way 20 call on nv physician, when met VI. Theirs.
/ Come with me- cries he, and We viii have talk
/ as we walk cannot do So for must 80 and see
/ Dr. - All, meyer mind your doctor a walk
with me VIII do you much more good than any doc
/ torn Thus saying. Theirs tucked bis arm under
| that Of II. de Belyeze, and Of they went together
| naturally, since never knew any one to resist the
/ fascination Of II. Theirs5 company il offered to
| him. ". de Belgeze certainly could not, any how
They plunged at once into the situation Gctaeiie Of
/ course. "You know said NJ Theirs, " as well as
/ every one else that never was Republican; my
whole life las been passed in anita Sonsn with Re-
| publican doctrines Certainly" reoinel VI. de
Belvele. "we know it enough" "Well,p replied 81.
| Theirs. for all that | will frankly own 10 you
/ that have OK late come 10 think differently. In
| plain terms, am now profoundly persuaded Qfl
nv riea ne possible que Ia ReDabiqae.'
Mrs. Grote adds that the communication took
them al by surprise. Grote student rs he was OF
current affairs. seems never 10 have heard of the
Berrver incident. when Theirs made this declara-
tion to the Count de Belveze, the Empire on the
eve Of destruction; the signs Of its end visible
enough TO SO practiced observer as Theirs After
| ,Ie crash, at Bordeaux and again at Tours
saws Mr.. Crawford, he repeatedly told the
dip!omatsts in communication with HMM
the very language used TO N. do Bel
v6ze-that nothing but the Republic was possible.
Then follows most interesting glimpse behind the
scenes The Orleans Princes, who, in violation Of
tine law, were in France and staying with the Due
| Decazes. near Libourne came to see THEIRS. He
/ eutraated them To 90 back to England and wait
/ tiu the law prescribing them should be repealed.
They. Oh the other hand urged him 20 take up their
cause to become their PARTISAN to restore the
Orleanist dynasty; appealing to his devotion as an
/ ola Minister of Louis Philippe Theirs declined.
lie =. expressed his respect for the late King, but
tod them that he was the servant Of his country
| aloue'
TIatelv saw French letter in an American paper,
in which the writer, a Frcnchman and an Oreanist,
vrused the Orean5t hatred IF Ihlers on the ground
| that though the Princes could not, perhaps, claim
his -er,ices they had a right 10 know earlier than
they did that he had resolved to establish Repub-
| lie The interview above described dspOses forever
M that pretext Il took place at Bordeaux III 1871
t the very time when the writer have referred TO
insists that Theirs might have set mp throne and
nut the Comte de Paris on It, They asked him to do
il be explicitly refused and they have ever since
been moaning about Europe, and complaining Of
1yer for keeping secret the purpose he then plainly
! announced to them.
The interview over, Madame Theirs asked him
whom he had been talking with. Theirs replied {;
The Orleans Princes. Those young people;
lnoyy them. don'tIl Well they are still for them
selves; themselves frst-the country afterward
When served the father II was not Inn or MS
f,rtunes -erved-I served France. | deeply re-
snact the memory of the KING but the affairs Of his