New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-07-02
Of a po.itirist. NJ. saiute.Beuvo has told

| narfactlv secure; Aeademicans of all parties had
shaken hands on it. But they had NOS reckoned on
| an Intervention from on high. The Holy Ghost
suddenly began to stir; and to act rs 1t acts IN
| conclaye Some days before the election. NJ Dupan-
| Ioun Bsbop of Orleans and Academician, publicly
denounced NJ Littr6, in the avis aux Peres de
Famille.p More than that, he came up from Orleans
the evening before the election, and on the very
| morning of Thursday paid visits to some of the
| members over whom he had influence. He in
duced them TO recOil before the name of NJ Littre;
so weak are we, so cOmplaisant, 30 deferentla 10
| colleague even were he the least assiduous among
us) when we are obliged to address him as Monseign-
| eur! NJ Littr6 few hours later was defeated.
IL may be said literally that by this proceeding IN
ertreais of the prelate, who declared that he and
Littre could not live together, Lttr6 has been ex-
| cluded almost banished, from the Academy"
This WAS written in 1867. Sainte-Beuve limited
at wish that the disgrace inflicted by the Academy
| on itself might be wiped out later, but it was
wish in which there was little hope. Nevertheless
! the day came NJ. Littre chosen, spite OF re-
newed episcopal thunders and the Bishop sulks in
his palace ever since Not to prevent the cleo
ton of other pagons will he pass the portals of the
| Academy; it has entered the broad way which
| leadeth to destruction and the Bishop will never
again quit his private path tOsalvation One would
like to know whether the aGstere priest permits
himself to own a copy of Littre's Dictionary.
| Nor was the elder Dumas ever elected. The
younger, who took an oath that never during his
fathers lifetime would he accept the honor denied
to his father has allowed himself to be chosen since
the great story-tellers death. When it was first
proposed 10 him to become candidate, he wrote
| letter beginning "mOn char pore and saying
this is for publication once published, it will
| prove that J. cannot SPELL and cannot
be a member of the Academy" Bcranger
the Villon of the nineteenth century, ana
more than the VillOn, went to a grave over which
the Academy hung no laurel. Balz1c whose five
and-twenty volumes of Com6dIe Humane contain
perhaps more types of humanity than have been
created since Shakespeare found the entrance into
the Academy too n@rrow for him. Neither Lamen-
nais nor Michele are 10 be found in the catalogue
of the lnmOrtals Louis Blanc not there. He
has never allowed his name to be presented. Oflate
years it would have been impossible, perhaps, TO
reject so lustrious a historian because he was
a Republican, but there comes time when
such man cannot but deem it beneath
him to enter upon the work OF supphca-
ton and humiliation which candidates are
expected to perform. II is related of Alfred de
Yigny that when he called upon Royer-Collard TO
ask for his vote, he left standing III the cid
mans library hat in hand. =" ] am Alfred de
Wgnyp IL never heard OF you.' Then you have
read none OF my works 7 ~ no longer lehu Ic-
read There has always been a Forty-frst fau-
teul always some great writer neglected or eN-
cludcd, to whom the Academy might offer the trib-
ute IT offered to Moere. " Nothing was want
ing to his fame he is wanting TO ours
The Academy could add gloss TO the re-
nown of MIchelet or Louis Blanc. Michelct sleeps
lust rs peacefully a. if he had been escorted
To his tomb by the famous green uniforms Louis
Blanc has not a reader the less because he does not
put Member OF the Academy on the title page Of his
mastery History OF the Revolution. Victor Hugo
was once urging upon friend that Louis Blanc
ought to offer himself for the Academy. "Nould
you do il yourself at your age IL you were not
already member ?" was the reply and there was
no answer to the question; answer there could be
THE DUO DE BEoGLIE BAFFLED.
1t was the Due de Broglie in person, | hear, who
engineered the campaign in NJ Tainc's behalf. Like
all enterprises undertaken BY him, it was master
piece of ingenious continuance nothing left out Of
il but q knowledge of human nature. The Duke Is
tc priest without the flock lie believes that he Is
himself sincere, and that the people who differ from
bun are not and cannot be. He reckoned that on
the first ballot NJ. Tame and NJ. Henri Martin would
get en- equal number Of votes and that on the
ond the friends Of NJ Martin, having
done enough to satisfy their plcdges-hay-
ing made a demonstration IN his behalf would
90 over TO Thine and elect him This calculation
assumed among other things that the Due dAumale
wonld vote Tor VI. Tame. II was believed that the
election turned on the Dukes suffrage so nice were
the computations and 50 even the parties. But the
Duke Aumale voted, ifreports may be trusted, for
NJ Martin IL is a novel pleasure 10 be able to say
that an Orleans Prince Las done an act a. once
manly, honest and polite. So certain were the
actionist people that he would not DO it, that the
chief journal Of that sect bad it's article Tame in
typr i'm anticipation OF his election and il pub
li-hed in spite Of BIS defeat It's author Of all people
in the world or rather. IN the other world, was the
Communist NcrmOrel. one Of tho innumerablc
victims Of tho SOcalistic conyusion OF 1871, whose
talents deserved better fate. Politics aside, NJ.
Henri Martin has a clear title 10 a seat in the
Academy. HIS History Of France is the best of
existing histories for mere facts one Of the most
panstalng and least partial among French histories.
III il be little dull there critics who esteem dull
ness a merit IN historical compositions; and, French
men excepted, there are few who, II they bad to
choose would not prefer slight infusion OF heavi-
ness TO brilliant naccuracy. 1t takes its place
among those books which Charles Lamb profaneiy
declared to be the only books he could not road
books which no library can be without After all,
NJ. Martins history cen be read without too great
fatigue provided you don't try TO read the whole
Of It which Dr. johnson asserted he never did.
nor could do, with any book Whatever.
THE RESPECTIVE CLAIMS OF REMAIN AND WALTON.
Between NJ. Renan and NJ. WALTON. who contested
the succession TO Claude Bernards fauteul nobody
but priest, or the pUppet Of priest, could waycr
for a moment. NJ. WALTON is a respectable figure in
herd Of responsibilities. The genius of common
place presided at his birth, and has attended him
steadily through life. There is no reason why he
should be an Academican, and no reason why he
.ho..IA ,,nA La ni1na hum for her OWL