The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1882-02-02

trepanne0 MIN. NOW was Lne long
sought opportunity gained, and in that
very quarter of Germany best fitted for
improving it. My father was thrown
into prison in your city, subjected to
the atrOciOus oppression of your ja1lOr,
and the more detestable oppression of
your local laws. The charges against
him were thought even to affect his life,
and he was humbled into suing for per-
mission to send for his wife and child
rem. Already. to his proud spirit, it was
D Inishment enough that he should be
reduced to sue for favor to one of his
bitterest foes, But it was no part of
their plan to refuse that. By way of eX-
pediting my mothers arrival, a military
courier, with every facility for the
journey, was forwarded to her without
delay. My mother, her two daughters,
and myself, were then residing i'll Venice.
[ had, through the aid of my fathers
connections in Austria, been appointed
in the imperial service, and held high
commission for my age. But on my
fathers marching uorlhwards with the
French army, had been recalled as an
Indispensable support to my mother.
Not that my years could have made me
such, for l had barely accomplished my
twelfth year; but my premature growth,
and my military station, had given me
considerable knowledge of the world
and presence of mind.
"Our journey pass over; but as | ap-
prOach your city, that sepulchre of honor
and happiness to my poor family, my
heart beats with frantic emotions.
Never do | see that venerable dome of
your minister from the forest, but |
curse it's form, which reminds me of
what we then surveyed for many a
mile as we trayersed the forest. For
leagues before we approached the city,
this object lay before us in relief upon
the frosty blue sky; and still it seemed
never to increase. Such was the COM
plaint of my little sister Marianne.
Most innocent child. would that it never
had increased for thy eyes, butremained
for ever at a distance! That same hour
began the series of mOnstTOus indigni-
ties which terminated the career of my
ill-fated family. As we drew up to the
city gates, the officer who inspected the
passports, finding my mother and sisters
described as JeWesseS, which, in my
mothers ears (TeaTed in a region where
Jews are not dishOnOred), always sound
ed title of distinction, summoned a
subordinate agent, who in coarse terms
demanded his toll. We presumed this
to be rOad-tax for the carriage and
horses, but we were quickly undeceiyed; ;
small sum was demanded for each of
my sisters and my mother, as for so
many head of cattle. |, fancying some
mistake, spoke to the man tempeTately,
and, to do him justice, he did not seem
deSirOus of insulting us; but he produced
a printed board, on which, along with
the vilest animals, Jews and Jewesses
were rated at SO much head. Whilst
we were debating the point, the officers
of the gate wore sneering smile upon
their faces; the Positions were laugh
ing together; and this, too, in the pres
ence of three creatures whose exquisite
beauty, i'll different styles agreeable to
their different ages, would have caused
nOblemen to have fallen down and wOr-
shipped. My mother, who had never yet
met with any fragrant insult on account
of her national distinctions, was too
much shocked to be capable of speaking.
| whispered to her few words, recall
ing her to her native dignity of mind,
paid the money, and we drove to the
prison, But the hour was past at which
we could be admitted, and, as Jew esses,
my mother and sisters could not be
allowed to stay in the city; they were to
go into the Jewish quarter, part of the
suburb set apart for Jews, in which ii
was scarcely possible to obtain a lOdg-
ing tOrably clean. My father, on the
next day, we found to our horror, at the
pOluG Ol htdIu. 10 my unOJueI lie ulu
not tell the worst of what he had en-
dured. To me he told, that, driven to
madness by the insults offered to him,
he had upbraided the cOurt-martial with
their corrupt prOpensities, and had even
mentioned that OYertuTeS had been
made to him for quashing the proceed
ingS in return for sum Of two millions
of francs; and that his sole reason for
not entertaining the proposal was his
distrust Of those who made it. They
would have taken my money said he,
and then found preteXt for putting
me to death--that might tell D secrets
This was too near the truth To be tOler-
ated. Hl concert with the local authOri-
ties, the military enemies of my father
against him, witnesses were
and finally, under some anti
quated law of the place, he was sub
jected in secret to mode of torture
which still fingers in the east of Eu
rope.
Gle sank under the torture and the
degradation. | too thOughtleSsly-bu
by natural movement of filial indigna-
tiOn-suffered the truth to escape me in
conyersing with my mother: And she
-; but | will preserve the regular
succession of things. My father died;
but he had taken such measures, in CON
cert with me, that his enemies should
never benefit by his property. Mean
time my mother and sisters had closed
my fathers eyes; had attended his re-
mains to the grave; and in every act
connected with this last sad rite, had
met with insults and degradatiOns too
mighty for human patience. My mother
now become incapable of self-cOmmand.
in the fury of her righteous grief pub
licly and in court DENOUNCED the con-
duct of the magistracy; taxed some of
them with the vilest proposals to her
self; taxed them as body with having
used instruments OF torture upon my
father; and finally, accused them of col
lnsiOn with the French military OppTes-
sOrs of the district, This last was
charge under which they quailed, for
by that time the French had made
themselves OdiOus to all who retained a
spark of patriotic feeling. My heart
sank within me when looked up at the
bench, this tribunal of tyrants, all pur-
pie or liyid with rage; when L looked at
them alternately, and at my mother
with her weeping daughters-these so
pOwerless, those so basely vindictive,
and locally so OmnipOtent. Willingly l
would have sacrificed all my wealth for
a simple permission to quit this internal
city with my poor female relations, safe
and undishOnOred But far other were