The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-01-05
nov NINE. pompADoUR SOLD FRiNc.

A hundred and fifteen years have run since
the death. in sorrow and chai;rin. Of Joseph
! Duplex. and now. az last. n statue 81 tho great
soldier and state man il to be set up at pondi-
cherry. the cat!tnl 4 the french possessions in
India. situated on tho C0roinnnde coast. eighiy.
three miles southwest ~ Madras.
To most Americans Duplex Is only an emptv
name: and no wonder. since even in France
pos.humous repnration and recognition have
como to him 80 slowly. But had not Duplex
| been thwarted byhis own Government. France
instead Of England might to-day, rs ruler Of
India, be confronting with Russia for Asiatic su.
prcmacy.
Born toward the close o: the seventeenth cen
! fury. Duplex. at tho age OF 20. went into tho
service Of the French Enst India Company. II
/ which his father was director. During up.
ward OF twenty years he displayed 30 much
energy and executive skill ~ h. reach. in l742
| the post 81 Governor ~ PondichGrrv having
/ also under his charge the three remaining
/ French Settlements those at Caric Mahe on
| the Mnlaiar coast. and Chandcrnngorc in Ben.
I gnl. Two years later. in t74i. war broke out
/ between France and England. In that short in
Z term Duplex had by zenl and ability extended
! French power and prestige In 1Iindostan bo-
/ vond all precedent In conjunction with
/ Iabourdonnnic. tho Governor OF the Isl.
ands OF Mauritius and Bourbon. he deter
| mined TO take part in the war. In i746. Labour.
| DOMINATE. with % French feet. attacked and. after
| q five days hOmbardment captured Madras,
! thon q city Of n quarter Of million people and
/ the richest and most important Of English pos
sessions in India. he agreed. however. 10 ran.
som and quit the city for moderate sum but
when Duplex heard OF this. Intervening no
| prcvc.tcd Labourdonnaie from fulfilling his
agreement. and caused him to be- recalled 10
France. With far-roaching eaeacity and I'M
scrupulous ambition. Duplex had seen that this
was the moment for establishing French EN-.
pire in India. and he regarded tho rcstora.
ton OF Madras as blundcr TINT might
| 10 fatal to his plan. Holding Madras in vic.
lation Of Labourdonnaie's treaty. Duplex
next forced the British to raise the Siege ~
| Pondicherry. which they had begun in strong
force M II counter stroke 10 the loss Of Madras.
| The treaty ~ Aix-la-Chapcllc soon followed.
under which Madras and the rest OF India were
restored to thoir old footing. But the ambition
| OF Duplex. thus thwarted. quickly turned itself
| toward other appliances 10 gain It's end. In
| 1740 Chunda Sahib set up claim against An
! wnr-u- Deem. as nabob Of the Carnatc. aud ut
the same time Mirzaphu Jung set uD his title
against Nazir Jung as ruler OF the Dcccan.
! Duplex supported both asprnnts against tho
| incumbonts in return for promises Of territory
and spoils. A Joint army OF 1890 French troops
and 10000 natives marched against the nnbob.
who WINS defeated and slain. and soon Arco, the.
| capital OF tho Carnatic. fell into the hands u
| Duplex. The next year hc attacked the cnmu
OF NRzir jung while ut the snme time plotting
both with that ruler and with his dsaifected
officers; and in tho attack Nazir Jung was
| killed by II traitorous UNDERLYING. whereupon
Mizapha Jung WIS proclaimed ruler. The
result 81 these operations was to carry to tho
ID ali
tan. while the English were underrated alike by
the Mohnmmcdans and the Hndoos. Mirzapha
Jung. out Of gratitude mnde Duplex Governor
Of all the Mogul- territory on tho east coast from
the River kistnah to Cape Comorin. Chunda Sa-
hib acting ms his lieutenant In the Carna.ic; and
aterward. when Mrzaphn Jung was assassn-
nted. his son Salabnt who had tho aid OF Du-
pelX TO succeed him. in gratitude extended
French sway north Of the Kistnah rs far as
Juggernnut.
But the great plan 81 Duplex was destined to
Ice thwarted again and this time fatally. The
Versailles Government. unable to comprehend
tho value of India. grew alarmed whom Duplex
unfolded plan for further conquests in order
to eNpel tho English from India. 1t hastily
ordered him 10 suspend operations. and refused
the achievements of troops aud shils which
he had asked becnusc England WIS espousine
tho cause OF thnse whom Duplex had over
thrown. SO wrapped up was Duplex IN hrs
great plans. that. undaunicd By this refusal. he
at once poured out. In continuance of his project
the enormous private fortune that he had A..
aured--yast oven while he was simply in charge
OF Chandernagorc. Seeing this. the Cumm,.
sioners Of the two Egst India Companies who
presumed that their policy was simply To- make
what money they could. in peace with each
other. sent commirsio toner's 10 II mutual confer
ence In London. whose result was that IL 1854.
Mr.. Godhen was sent out 10 supcrsede Duplex.
II II alleged with n show II probability. that
the local directors Of tho English Company
wrote to their brother directors IN London:
Throw millions into the lap OF La rompadour
10 get Duplex recalled or our business is
ended everywhere in n ndostNn;' and that this
was done-ac c1mpl!Shn@ 10y gifts TO Nine.
Pompndour what British arms could not efrct.
and Duplex WIS recalled at the moment when
his uncontested authority was extending itself
over a hundred million Hindoos.
What j. historically known IL that in tho year
1854. when ". Godhen arrived in India. he
signed a treaty by which without obvious con-
siderntion. France renowned every one o, the
vast territorial acquisitions Of duplex and
withdrew 10 the few commercial foOtholds
on the coast which she held before; while. 70
confirm the ARRANGEMENT, Mohammed All. ito
rival Of Chunda Sahih favored 10y the English.
WAS recognized a. ruler Of the CArnntic Two
yenrs later. in 1886. war again broke ont ho-
tween France and England, and by 1861 thu
French had loet even rondichcrry, and did MOI
have an acre of ground lett them in all India.
AZ for Duplex the sickness at heart with
which he saw his towering schemes brought 70
the ground may be imagined His utter humil-
alton, after almost royal pomp. has an element
of pathos. lie could not even secure the paw
ment Of the money he claimed to he due him
from the French company that had 50 long
prospered through his genius and 2eR lis
died. wretchcd man. in l763 seeing England
Just beginning that great carorr Of territorisi
acquisition in India which he had in vain
planned for France. The statue on the coast 4
CoromRndcl will be monument not only u
Joseph Duplex but Of II lost opportunity for
French Acknowledgement.
4 BLTNDER RECIIFIED.