New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-09-12
A WEDDING IN BELLEVILLE.
TYPES OF FRENCH DEMOCRACY.

TYPES OF FRENCH DEMOCRACY.
HOW BRATERET. THE Brides FAInER, WENT TO
PARIS, AND MADE FORTUNE IN THE DEMO
CRATIC DlsTRICT-Ins PERSECUTION BY NAPO-
LEON ILL.,, AND HIS RISE To POLITICAL POWER
THE BRIDE AND BRIDEGRoOM-GAMBETTA AT
THE MARRIAGE FAST.
IRON TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
PARIS, Aug. 20.-I was at wedding yesterday
which contrasted with those "in high life" that
last month described to you. 1t was a civil mar
rage, and took place in he Mayoraiy Of Bellevie.
The invitation sent to me by NJ Brateret. father
of the BRIDE and one of the most remarkable types
OF the new social strata which Gambetta prides
himself on representing in Parliament. In my
quality of a close observer here of history in
action, was more deeply interested IN the
plebeian host than in any of his guests
though there were not wanting eminent and cele
DRAFTED men amongst them. Accordingly, shall
before doing YOU miniature OF the bride give You
a portrait Of her father. Brateret Is, or was,
Franche CoTtois peasant. lie is In a great degree
endowed with "bacl bone" Which is a quality Of
the race to which ne belongs. never met French
man more in earnest in his politics and more sober
Ia lis general views of life. The impress of strong
character is stamped on the physocnOmy and the
figure of the man. 1t is imp s,ill, not To that
he does "a power of thinking OF French bril-
lancy he is entirely devoid, and ne has been
able TO catch the tone of PARIS. Braterct, To whom
credit is duc for having opened to Gambctta a
wider arena than the bar. IL the of a
Franche Comtos peasant, who at his death, IN 1s42,
left him and five brothers a small fee simple in the
vine-bearinG hills of the Jura. When II was divided
the LOT Of each was less than two The future
Grand Elector Of Bclleye aud patron # Gambetta
sold his share to of the co-inhcTtOTs and started
on foot for the great Capital 10 seek his fortune.
Beeville was then n rural suburb. and place TO
which the shopkeepers Il the Rue 81. Denis used
SUNDAYS u 90 s-plcasuring. Ii aboun1ed in straw
berry beds and chorry orchards. and was famous
its splendid panoramic views Of Paris and its lilac
clumps. The FrancAe Comtois peasant, who was
drawn there by some distant relatives, hired
a bit of waste ground, aud, being something 81 a
carpenter built shed. ia which he set up wine
merchant and publican. lie imported cheap whole
some wines produced In the watts OF his former
neighbors, who confident I'm his intelligence and
probity gave him long credits. His shop became a
political club. Rrpublcanisn the platform for
which the vinner elected. and he drew toward
HIM all the Republican and Socialistc spirits in the
quarter, who were satisfied that ii they expressed
freely all the thoughts which fcrmenting in
their minds 10 report would be made them to the
Prefecture Of Police by the silent and the hon
est host. Louis Philippe whose spies scarcely
found out Brateret. swept away about
the time the business carried on in the shed began
70 flourish. Then came the days OF May and June.
Braterct rather sought to moderate Socastlc efier-
ve,cence in his quarter, but WAS impOtent to calm
excited spirits. HIS customers then believed the
salvation OF the world coull be effected by law If
the National Assembly instead of being worked out
by all classes putting their shoulders to the wheel
IN steadfastness and good faith. aud calling on a
higher power to help them. Louis Napoleon's ele-
walton, while It inspired the terrified bourgeosle
with confidence. raised the hopes of the Democratic
masses in the Faubourgs. There, the discontented
looked to him for decree which, To use an express
sion of Brateret. would draw down upon their
empty patters roasted larks from the sky.
Police supervision took a notable development
between the election of the Prince President and
the coup d6tat. His spies found ont the Bcllcvile
shed, and the name ol It's owner was inscribed
III red ink in the Black Book of the Prefecture.
Soon after the massacre of the Boulevard Mont
maltrc Brateret arrested in his bed. he did not
exactly know why, sent before a mixed commission,
convicted OF being dangerous man, ana sent to
northern port to be shipped in "a war ship under
orders forCaycnnc. lie gave q me and the Hon.
Auberon Herbert whom took during the crisis of
tbe 18th of May to visit him. sIrtch of hs life
As we shall presently SOC, it mad direct aud power
that the sentence of the Mixed Commission was
only TO be partially executed. SYSTEMATICALLY
years ago there were few railways in France, ana
travelling in diligence WAS expensive. Political
convIcts were, therefore obliged to accomplish In
bands held together with chains the journey to tle
ports where they were to embark for some penal
colony. Brateret. IN his forced march upon Cher
bourg was guarded by one Of his own brothers.
who enabled him to receive from his notary IN Paris
money supplies The soldiers forming the troops
WEI bribed TO wound their feet before starting Oh
a long ST. ge of the journey far from barrack
They broke down half way. and the officer in COM
mand tired himself, glad of prolonged halt,
Which enabled him 10 accept the hospitality of
fr ends whose chateau lay the road. So he did
not look close into the foot sores. IL huS happened
that when the batch Of conycs reached their desti-
nation, the vessel In which they were To have
been transported was already twenty fOnr hours out
az sea 4 respite of many weeks was IN this way
gained. Some of the prisoners escaped. Bratcret
spen. all the money ne had made in the shed IN
ting petition lald before the Emperor. who ex
tended 10 him his clemrncy without freeing him
from the surveillance 81 the police.
The Haunslnann imprOS emeits Hooded Bellcvllle
with artisans and laborers evictcd from their urban
domciles Mesn-lookine streets soon cfFaced the
rural beauties OF the quarter. Cherry and apple
orchards were stubbcd up to make way for the
builder. who ran up cheap odglng-houSes, shops
and lath-ani- plaster rookcrics. Bratere's wine
needed no bush. Customers poured into the shed.
which was under the watchfu eye If the Bonapart-
list police Their spying was met with the greatest
prudence, and sort Of free masonry sprang M
which enabled the winter and those who bought
his piqHeffe to understand each other without
giving an angle of vantage 20 the detectives
sent to spy on men. The slauty became too small.
house and shop were built in the Rue des
Maronites in which Brateret mas carried on busl-
ness for nearly quarter Of a century, This re-
markable man neither knew how TO read or write,
and had not time to learn. Perhaps he was too
dense TO teach himself for rs have said, he was