The sun., 1880-02-22

ono OF the intorocutors. meaning to be witty.
nsks whether the denatiohnlizinE process has
not been checked since the glorious victories Of
1S70-snce the foundation OF the empire Of the
fenr OF God, and OF good mornls" Yes" re-
plies his informant. in tho large centres /
happened to be in New York" no continues.
when tho cablc brought the news Of the victory
of Sedan. A quantity OF people whom knew.
and who pretended not to understand n sylla-
bic OF German tho night before. now began to
speak that language with astonishing fluency."
As the portrait OF Bismarck Is the most effect
i've thing in the first OF these volumes. so the
account Of Ferdinand Lassne aud his relations
with the Comtesse Won Hntzfoldt constitute
the most interesting feature OF the so-called
Myst6res dc Berlin" This part OF the book
is quito carefully executed. and it is evident
that the author regards the brilliant Socialist
with peculiar sympathy 1t is sign incan in
deed. OF q tendency becoming more and more
marked in French Republicans. that while NJ.
Tissot seems to feel no profound esteem for
rcvoutiOnists at home he never msscs an op-
portunlty OF saving kind and respectful word
about the German Socialists. On the other
hand. we observe, that while most Germans are
represented nsLbitten with kind OF Gallo
phobia yet. amid tho chorus OF detcstdtion and
disdain, the one note OF generous or just ap-
probation is always made to issue from a
I pOciillsLo Ipo. luus III Nilc NtIulbSbt ut
Montretout." where we first catch n glimpse OF
Max Roller lin whom Lassalle is depictod).
when other Germans at the table d'hoto
are crying out for a fresh Acknowledgement
and humiliation OF France the young Socialist
champion protests against the outrage in the
name OF enlightened and liberal Germany.
France" he excaims. Inns always held aoft
tho torch OF dealy and progress; 1t is France
that sets her neighbors free. 1t is she that sets
| Europe an example; 1t is she that has raised
once more the grand shout Of liberty by which
| Germany il thrilled and Italy is shaken The
| French republic will become the common
| wealth OF Europe. for in France beats the heart
o. the nations" Elsewhere. in the Same volume.
Roller is made TO say that the German empire is
| swiftly drifting toward a new transformation;
! that there are two armies to-day in Germany.
| the peoples aud the Kings. and the army OF
| tho King must inevitably melt into the army
of tho people. There are. We are assured. in
! Berlin. out of 96j0O0 inhabitants. at
least 10000 who earn less that sl05 year.
| Tho workinEmen, rejecting on these odds.
| have made up their minds. says Roller that the
| yoke of the bourGeosie can be broken quite as
| easily rs was the yoke OF feudality. and they
! will one day organize new and improved edi-
/ ton OF the revolution Of 1Si9
Roller. or Lassalle is. as we have said. n prom
most OF the biographical details concerning him
are entirely authentic. We must except. how
| ever. ths account OF his final love affair which
| had such n tragic termination. this being con-
! siderably distorted in order. it would seem. to
meet certain requirements OF the story. No
! such qualification attaches to the description OF
Lassae's chaste and honorable : lont6hip for
Nine. de Hatzfeldt. since whG,cver element Of
tenderness may possibly have been blended
with gratitude on her part. there is really no
doubt that no regarded her with the
affection OF son. Lassalie had made
the acquaintance OF this great lady at
Berlin. The Countess. who was acknowledged to
possess intellectual qualities OF high order.
/ had been married at fifteen TO her cousin.
| man OF high birth and great wealth. who
| wasted his millions and his vitality in the most
bestial debuuchery. He seems to have con-
/ ceived at the outset an aversion for his wife.
personally maltreated her when she WAS near
him. and carried his persecution To such n
/ point that the unhappy woman had good
grounds for believing that the slandors set
| ahoat concerning her were paid for by her hus
band. He kept her shut Up in his most remote
and secluded country houses. refusing her a
( doctor and drpriving her OF medicines when she
I WAS i'll. H took away her children. and she
Was necessarily obliged to quarrel with him for
their possession.
The Countess. however. had very powerful
relatives. her brothers and brothers in-law oc-
cupyng high positions at the court in the
army, and in the magistracy. Her kinsmen
more than once had held family council. and
compelled the count TO agree to an equitable ar
ranEement; the latter would pretend to yield to
his cousins. but he never kept his word. By
and 10y the King had to interfere in favor OF the
Countess. and tho Count was directed by cab
! ~ prlar IN oh hiS pnDIupt In urI hnr
The Hat2tedt family evinced the greatest re-
pugnauce to n recourse to the courts. the Count
having. 10y the very excess Of his infamy. render
ed public discuss ion intolerHbe. To drag his
name in the dirt where it belonged would, they
urged. lshonor the whole family. The perse-
cutcd vile. however. was driven in the end 10
disregard such considerations. and it was vt
this luncturo that she met Lassale.
The young enthusiast. animated at once by
hatred OF the aristocracy and mcasureoss
thirst OF justice. undertook the defence of this
lRdy's interests. studying law and entering
the bar. the better 10 concert measures with her
advocates. Hc maintained her cause in law
suits. where from the role OF defendant he
speedily passed. thanks to his virile eloquence.
to the role Of accuser. He sought for her aux
ilaries in the press wrote articles justifyng her
attitude. brochures against the unjust laws. and
reused public opinion by every kind Of lever.
This gigantic struggle had given him the repu-
tation of man not afraid to cope with the
whole world. 1t was. us he said himself. the
case OF instruction versus oppression, Of revolt
versus injustice. And the people who had at
last looked on the face OF true man
seem to have promptly understood him.
At Dusseldorf. for instance, at the close Of one
Of his arguments. they had cheerod him in tho
streets and had embarrassed the horses from
his carriage to draw it with their hands. In the
higher classes. also. he had met with generous
hearts. worthy OF being associated in his work.
and some OF them had pushed their devotion
to the point OF compromising themselves.
Thus Judge OF one of the upper courts at
Berlin. and n physician belonging to a family
OF the hghost consideration. had rendered
themselves liable to arrest Tor tho theft OF n
cn9ket this casket had actually been stolen by
them in a hotel from among the effects of II
Dutch Baroness married 10 a Russian dplo-
nut. to whom the Count Won HatHeldt had
made, under the form Of n loan. Il donation cal
IL,