The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1881-08-11
CHARLOTTE C0RDAY.
A Heroine of the Reign of Terror

| Though 50 nobly descended, her family
were extremely poor, and shortly after
! her mothers death, Charlotte, by virtue
of her rank and indulgence, was received
into convent, the Abbaye aux Danes,
in The city of Caen. Though born
aristocrat, her father wrote several
pamphlets full of revolutionary spirit
| that was soon to burst over France /;
and Charlotte's ideas were in perfect
accord with his; her youthful mind
dweIt with subdued yet intense enthu-
siasm on books Of history, and the works
of philosophy (which at that time
| flooded the land, and even found their
way through the iron gratings of the
monasteries.
When in her twentieth year the con
vent which had sheltered her was sup
pressed in consequence of the ReVolu-
| ton, and Charlotte, now tall and won
drously beautiful maiden, found refuge
under the roof of her aged Royalist
aunt, Nine. de Bretteville Deep in
her heart the fair republican secretly
nursed her patriotic yet revolutionary
ideas and while she listened with a
gentle smile to the complaints of her
aunt's friends, remnants of the Gncjen
regime, when they met in the evenings
to console each other, and to mourn
over the dispersion Of their ranks, no
word escaped her that could in any way
hold up to ridicule their thoughts and
feelings"
About this time the Girondins, who
belonged to the modern Republican
party, and who were adored by the citi-
zens of Caen, met with insult and de-
feat at the hands of the infamous Marat
and his supporters. Then fled justice,
liberty, mercy and safety from France
anarchy, with It's attendant horrors.
ruled supreme mob law reigned tri-
umphant, and every one with the least
professions to wealth knew not from
one hour to another whether he should
be permitted to keep his head upon his
shoulders.
Charlotte, who was heart and soul
with the Girondins, beheld the calami-
ties Of her country with agony and de-
spair. As her mind pictured France
wholly given up to the desecrating
hands of the destroyer, law and social
order trampled under foot, thousands OF
victims hurried into death at the word
of the monster Marat, whom his frenzied
followers called 'Lami du Peuple" (the
friend of the people, Charlotte could
bear it no longer. "She swore to her
self to avenge her country, to punish
the tyrapt and to serve all" Day by
day she brooded over the burning
thoughts that haunted her day by day
her courage rose as she gradually form
ed her plans for leaving home, friends
and love behind her, in order, by one
bold stroke, to rescue her country from
the bloodthirsty clutches of Marat, to
whose influence she attributed all the
miseries that desolated the affairs and
homes of her beautiful France. The
lovely Normandy maid did not know
that Danton and Robespierre were the
chiefs, and that Marat was the instru-
ment She firmly believed Marat was
the source from whence followed all the
woes she lamented, aud in resolving to
rid the earth of such I. monster, Char
lotte considered herself as Heavens
chosen deliverer, appointed to avenge
the insults and wrongs wrought in the
name of that republic she so passionate
ly loved.
As last hope of protecting the
violated NATIONAL representation, al en-
thusiastic body of volunteers, under
Gen. Winpfen, mustered before the
Girondin deputies, on the 18th of July,
1893, preparatory to leading Caen Ito
brave both cannon and guillotine in
defence of thair national liberties.
From balcony Charlotte witnessed
the assembling of these jealous and
patriotic young citizens. One battalion
in particular attracted her attention,
and as it marched past she suddenly
turned pale, and her eyes filed with
tears. Potion, one of the leaders, who
knew Charlotte well, was attonished at
this sign az weakness IL her. Would
you be glad if they did not go ?" he
asked. But Charlotte only blushed,
and retired without answering. Potion
did not then know that in this battalion
was a Young man named Franqnelin,
.who admired the fair Republican"
and to whom she had given her portrait,
which he looked upon as the most
precious thing in the world, next to
the letters he had had the joy of receiv-
ing from her in reply to his own.
Franauelin marched from Caen buoyed
up By the belief that in supporting the
Girondins he was doing what his be-
loved Charlotte most approved. But
when-aIas how short time after,
he knew of her daring act and her exc
cution. che became death-stTiken.
Alone, with his mother in a Norman
village, he languished for few months.
Just before he died he begged that the
letters and portrait of his beloved
should be buried with him; and his
wish was reverently complied with"
Two days after the departure of the
volunteers from Caen, Charlotte finally
left her home, thinking to forestall the
arrival of the young patriots in Paris,
and spare their generous lives by de-
liveriHg France from tyranny before
them She took farewell Of herfather
and sister at Agentan the day previous,
alleging, as an excuse for her fight,
the disordered state of the country,
and her desire to settle in England,
where she had some emigrant friends.
She made the same excuse to her kind
old aunt, and none of them opposed
her. Knowing it was, in all pr0ba bility,
her last time the should see them them.
one wonders at the astonishing self
control she displayed. She must in
deed have possessed the heroic soul of
a martyr, blended with exquisite
womanly tenderness, thus to have
planned her departure in manner to
cause the least distress to her friends
while she was all the time preparing TO
sacrifice her life in the fulness of its
prime bvcommitting deed that should
render her name immortal.
Charlotte rose early on the 9Th of
July, leaving ON her bed m old Bible.
open. the folio wing verses being under
lined with pencil: Judith went ont Of
the city adorned with : marvellous