The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1881-06-09
DAILY INTBLLIGENCER.
Thursday, June 8. 1881.
APAMOUS WOMAN.

| 1875, there lived IN the city OF Cse1,
France. . young lady. Charlotte Corday
d'Armond, q granddaughter of the
celebrated Corneille. Though born of
gentle blood, she bad been nurtured in
the school OF adversely, her father being
too sristOcratic 10 work. and too poor to
live comfortably without work. In
early life she was placed in 9 monas-
terry in Csen, where her whole future
destiny was influenced by the peculiar
discipline TO which she was exposed.
and the ideas Of duty which were in
culcated. In the dreams of the cloister
her ardent soul became fred with the
ambition Of exalted deeds which should
render her benefactress Of her race.
After thus living for six years. the
Jscobin government suppressed the
convent. and she took up her residence
with an elderly relative in Caen, where
she remained until she was nearly
twenty FIVE years of age. Living amidst
the terrible scenes of the revolution,
where the guillotine was in constant
exercise, and the mob daily demanded
the blood Of new victims, her thoughts
naturally turned to the possibility of
stopping these horrors. She mingled
as much as possible with the Girondists,
to ascertain who were the principal
agents in those woes which were deso-
lating her native land.
Though Danton and Robespierre
were then in their ascendancv, the SAN
culinary delirium of Marat rendered
him more conspicuous to the mass of
the people. who saw tyranny and free
dom in one mans hands" To Marat.
then, the eyes of Charlotte COrday were
directed, as the one who was deluging
the Republic in blood. She thought
that his death would arrest this food
and save the lives of thousands. 1t
had been announced that he had pre-
scribed twenty five hundred victims in
Lyons, three Thousand in Marseilles.
twenty>eieht Thousand IN Paris, and
three hundred thousand in Brittany.
COnspirscies were organized all over
the Republic for the overthrow of this
bloodthirsty tyrant. The lover of
Charlotte Corday, whom she idolized
with all the purity and fervor of her
imprisoned nature. was engaged in
one Of these conspiracies. which. if sue
cessful, would only consolidate the
power of the tyrant. Charlotte re-
solved to free France of the monster at
the sacrifice OF her own life.
All the energies of her being were
now aroused for the accomplishment of
this object. 1t was no easy matter for
an obscure young lady to get such
access to the tyrant as to be able to as
sassinate him. She. however, formed
her plans so cautiously as to guard
against every conceivable cause of fail
ure. Not an individual was admitted
to her confidence. Religious enthusiasm
contributed its strength to her enter
prise. for she doubted not she was en-
gagged in q holy undertaking. Her
well-read Bible contained pencil mark
around the passage:
judith went forth from the city. adorned with
q marvellous beauty. which the Lord had bestowed
on her to deliver Israel"
Having made all her arrangements,
she informed her friends that the was
going to England to seek that asylum
which France no longer afforded. A
few trifling mementoes were conferred
upon her intimate acquaintance, and.
on the 9th of July, 1893, she took the
diligence for Paris. Her whole worldly
possessions consisted of small parcel
of clothes and volume of Plutarch's
lives.
Charlotte was tail and dignifed, with
profuse black hair, and long eyelashes,
which, seeming even darker than her
black clustering ringlets, gave great
depth to piercing eyes. Her cheeks
were filed, and had the freshness and
the health of youth. and were often
crimsoned with the blush of excitement
or modesty. Her dazzling beauty, win
ming manners and vivacity in conversa-
ton, quite won the hearts of her fellow
travellers, who strove unsuccessfully to
draw her from the object of her jour
ney, and her address. One young gen.
tleman became so enamored that he
begged permission to solicit from her
relatives her hand in marriage. She
pleasantly repellsd the honor, but
promised that he should know of her
ere long.
After two days ride she arrived at
Paris, and went to hotel, where she
allowed herself days rest, that her
faculties might be in the best condition.
She had no desire to figure as a heroine.
Il was not for fame that she wished to
sacrifice her life. In the cloister she
had learned the lesson of self abnega-
ton. and rather desired oblivion than
notoriety, as more pleasing to God.
She also wished the act of assassination
TO be sacred. solemn scene, which
should strike terror into the hearts OF
ell tyrants. She wished il to be pu bile,
that many might witness the just retri-
button OF iend-liks cruelty.
Her frst plan was to kill Msrat in
the Champ de Mars, ct o great celebra
ton. which was to occur on the 14th of
July. The adjournment of the cere,
mouy neosssitated change of theater:
and she decided to strike him in the
midst of the convention. surrounded BY
bis satellites. She bad no doubt that
the result to herself would be that her
body would be torn limb from limb
This plan was frustrated, as Marat, for
some reason. no longer attended the
convention.
Fer only chance now of meeting
him was at his own house; and il was
By no means easy to obtain access 10
him there. Fearing. as ell tyrants do.
the dagger Of assassination. he WAS
carefully guarded. Discrimination was
necessary to accomplish her purpose.
and she recoiled from this moro tbac