New-York tribune., 1881-10-02
GEORGE SAND ~ POLITTCS.


From The London Standard.
Those who cniO, the ques Onablc advantage OF
having been cye-witncsScs of the Revolution OF
lsiS arc no strangers o the fact that the authores1
of " Consuel" and 80 many other romances which
have made her name famous. took an active part,
not indeed in the Revolution itself but IN the at
tempt TO bring romance % bear upon kepubhcalilsn.
Like some other politicians NJ more recent date,
Madame Sand IN conjunction with Icdru kolHu, Ar
mand Marrast and other worthless whose very
names are now forgotten, thought that she could
farc marcher la France and acclmatize the ne
public by writing circulars. which l remember
caused at the time amazcinent ana MniSe'
ment Tho NOurcILc Rerpc, IN ITS nnmbe-
to-day, publishes series OF her private lcttersr
which very conclusvely show how much she ms
took her powers by dcscrtng the fields of pure lit
erature-if ! may use the expresIon-ior That OF
politics Her career in that new walk of life was
brief but not brilliant The letters now published
have but retrospective interest, and show that en-
thusiasm and romance sometimes unfit even gifted
inelecs from graSping the facts that are occurring
around them. One letter alone IN remirkable. IL
was addressed to that windy orator Lamartine, and
gives an accurate definition of that weak-Inndcd
poet | snbjoin il. Lamartne at the tine was the
head of the Provisional Government:
81 think you may be able to do great deal OF
good for you are conscientious, pure mcorruptlDle
sincere honest, in the full acceptatlon OF the word
in politics, as | now know; but You VIII require
force enthusiasm ahnegatiOn and plouS ianatlcisln
to he in prose tho same man you are IN verse. 10,
YOU will not be you will fear ridicule too much ;
Won will he too submissive TO common pohteheSs
and proprleti You will think il necessary to speak
to business men with business men you wiz lor-
get that outside that narrow and deaf circle the
voice of an honest man and genius resounds IN
space and arouses the world No; you you
will not dare 1t. After having uttered
the magnificent things with which your
speeches replctc you will come with your
jnstiics so completely the odious protest of NJ dc
Talleyrand-tO calm the irritation which your bold
ness has aroused and pass the sponge over your
burning periods. You will come and say again as
in your verses Do not fear me, gentlemen, am
not Democrat; should be too much afraid OF ap-
pearng to he n demagogue.
mo you will not dare! and it is not the fear OF
base souls chat will prevent YOU know well that
Won would face misery and torture but 1t will be
the fear of scandal and you will be afraid of those
puny men who pretend to be statesmen, and who
would say, with an air of spite lie is mad he Is
Ignorant, he is vulgar and hatters the people;
he il ONLY poet he he is not statesman and pro
found politician like ourselves Like them! Like
them who, pulled with pride and sef-suticiency,
have one foot In the abyss which Is opening before
them without their knowing it, and which already
draws them oni But supposing the whole universe
ignored great and courageous man. supposing the
people, blind and ungrateful, called you madnan,
a dreamer, q simplet0n--but no, you are mot q
fanatic, and yet you ought to be one-yon to whom
God speaks from Sinai you have the right afterward
to return to ordinary life but you ought not to be