The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-11-28
THE STORY OF A NEWSPAPER.

An odd chance enables me to lift the
curtain on a scene a century and three
years old, and from the glimpses of real
life in dumb show on the stage you can
make tragedies and romances enough.
l unearthed the other day half dozen
volumes from dusty bookshelf, which
proved to be the Journal Politique, pub
lished weekly in Geneva, in 1873, by
Michael Lambert. The leaves-thumbed
by how many readers when Washington
was President here in Philadelphia
thin and torn and coffee-colored, but out
of them that dead generation starts up
alive and real. M. Lambert had sys-
tenn Of dividing his newspaper into COM
partments, one being allotted to each
country in the world. and through these
compartments now we have glimpses, as
through long unopened windows, into
the daily life of Marie Antoinette, or
Queen Charlotte, or Catherine in Peters
bourg las they called 1t them, or even
of q Son Excellence G. Washington a
Philadelphia" Watched from day to
day in this way, these historic person
ages suddenly cease to be the articulated
skeletons that we have studied in books
since our school days; they are flesh and
blood; talk and walk in full sight. We
criticise the clothes they wear and look
after their health each morning.
This week the good Madame Elizabeth
is innoculated, and we go with all Paris
to mass to pray for her every day before
breakfast, and then read the bulletins
posted up concerning her progress; and,
a month later, S. M. Louis XVI. takes a
cold in his head when out driving on a
damp day, and we are all anxious until we
hear that Monsieur has found assuage-
ment to the infinite relief OF the ROYAL
Family and of his devoted France. De-
voted France that had already planned
so certain cure for all colds in that
royal head!
That Incompatible monster, Russian
Catharine. parades every week in NJ.
Lambert's columns as the benignant
mother OF her people. Intellectually she
was century older than they. That is
clear. A good many of our very latest
advances, at which we are all vet still
clapping our hands, were projected a
century ago by this clear-brained, gross
blooded woman, and were sneered at by
all Europe as visionary absurdities. She
urged the importance of opening China
to the world, not for the sake Of trade,
but that 1.-THE arts of the East might be
brought to Europe" She proposed
sending twenty sons of Russian Boyards
TO Peking to study Oriental art, and in
vited the Emperor in return to allow a
deputation of as many noble Chinese
youths to visit Petersburg to study civil
ization--heaven save the mark!
She originated precisely the same plan
which is under consideration this winter
for the exploration of the Arctic Sea.
She began to establish tradino-posts
from the mouth of the Lena to the Persian
Gulf Ito form base of operation on land
for vessels seeking a passage through
Behring Straits.'' Her ukase on this
subject is almost identical in idea and
words with Mr.. Benefits letter to the
Government dated February, 1882.
The barbaric splendor of the great
Light OF the North" reminds us OF the
Hindu fables OF the magnificent, malip-
nant Rakshas. She literally showers
gold and priceless Jewels about her on
the filth and discomfort of her court: a
foreign visitor amuses her by witty re-
tort, and she sends him casket crusted
with diamonds; penniless Tartar from
the Steppes tickles her humor, and he
receives that day leaden box contain
ing titles to castle, estate and four
thousand serfs- One can imagine how
guest and Tartar, being shrewd fellows,
made haste to scurry away with their
casket and deeds out Of sight of the soft
eyed woman while yet their heads were
safe on their shoulders. She kept her
son Paul a prisoner at Gatchina. mutila-
ting and dragging him when it suited
her within, until he was reduced to the
condition of sickly animal. But one
day she ordered him. with his poor little
wife Maria, to court. that they might