New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-04
perhaps no ten volumes about England more in
structve, nor many more readable.

timately lis life in London was the life OF a stu
dent He passed the day among his books in the
quiet little house in Upper Montagu-place, in the
British Museum. 1t was in the Museum that he
wrote his History OF the French Revolution; and
there alone he used to say. could the oution be
fully studied. Beginning with the collection made
by John Wilson Croker. and sold by him when he
found himself forestalled by Alison in his project of
a history of that period, the Museum has since
bought pretty much everything IL could lay hands
on. 1t has mass of rare pamphlets and contem-
pOrary literature not to be found in the National lii
brarv at Paris 1t has not, of course the archives
which repose in the various departments OF state,
and the want of acquaintance with them is some
times evident in Louis Blancs work. suppose he
might have returned to Paris if he had wished, but
nothing would induce him to set foot on French soil so
long as 1t Law under the yoke of Napoleon the Third
1t was the Republic of 'IS which had driven him
from France. but 1t the Bonapartlst Empire for
which he reserved all his resentment. he pardoncd
the injustice done to HIMSELF the outrage upon his
beloved Franco he would pardon never.
That will serve as we'll as anything for the key
note to his public character or to one rare and at
tractive side of his character. He was the most
disiuteresed of men. His great fame has been won
by life filled with sacrifices one after the other,
of almost everything that brings fame TO Il man. 1t
s not that he was careless of honor and reputation,
or ever affected n superiority to applause. He val
ned it, pted 1t. hungcred for 1t, and sacrificed u
all the same. Praise pleased him rs 1T pieascs
child. us it peases most simple natures But with
a passion for popularity he was forever DONG ana
consciously doing. the most unpopular acts. By
birth he belonged to the upper middle class anu ms
life was gwen TO streng hening the HANDS OF class
below his own, intensely hostile TO it whose idea OF
rising is to pull down whatever is above II. The
bent of his mind was naturally toward culture.
Nobody could have made more admirable cOntrlOu-
tons to purely elegant literature nobody was more
academic. more capable Of the last reinemcnts and
the supreme polish which are the results OF
leisure devoted to making the must of ones natural
gifts. But from his first article in a newspaper TO
the last page OF his History he made himself the
servant of an idea. He fond OF society. OF
salons of conversation of art, and he turned away
from them all to preach GOSPEL which IN the hands
of less scupulous practitioners would surely put an
end TO them all. His socalsm-for l may as well
say the inevitable word about 1t at Once-was very
FAIR aching IN theory, set with him ] always
thought it less theoretIc than sympathetic. In his
stringent analysis OF the existing social structure he
found faults enough, and not in the structure only,
but in the whole scheme and idea which were the
foundation of it. He had drunk deep at the half
poisoned fountain of Rousseau. lie thought for HIM
II, w "
with endless critical ingenuity and his socialism,
as l said above. was essentially of destructive
kind lie would not have destroyed fly himself;
he invariably refused TO apply on any great scale
the subveIsivo principles he announced In his
books lie never oresaw and hardly ever admitted
the consequences which others drew FROM them,
and the results to which his sO-called disciples
would have made them contribute. What in truth
undeIlay these utopiau speculations was not So
much a reasoned conviction rs a passionate pity.
He could not witness tho misery OF the poorer
classes without longing to relieve 1t. His hooks Oh
social questions were a cry of distress. When his
heart was touched his head became its servant. No
doubt he had argued himself into the belief that
the organization of society WAS radically faulty
and radically unjust. lie described himself as hun
g,rng for Justice aud it a true description. But
passion for all the gcntler virtues lay lust as deep
IN his being. Charity, mercy. infinite compassion
and affection tor whoever was weaker or poorer or
less gifted and happy than himself were the con
slant motives of his acts and thoughts.
His books whether historical or political or so
oialstic, are all one long panepyrc on the people
An American reader is liable To forget that the
word reople does not mean in his mouth "hat u
means with us-the whole people. IeSe long
DEANS are sung in honor OF class, AMI that tuo
lJwest class OF all LOUIS blanc ialth IN tho PEI pc
ME was not in the true sense democratic lalth
He was not for the rule OF q MAJORITY. Inc people
meant with him theory the whole sum OF the
| populatiOn of France excluding the nObllty. the
arstocracv the clergy albeit II ringing mostly from
the sol the professions. tho whole middle class ID
| " hose hands the wealth and the property ac-
| cumluated by SUGGEST III Industry. ne artisan
and the peasant were the people. Iney were
| majority II IL true. but there never has been
moment since 1913 when the peasantry Was revOiu,
tiOnarv In the social sense III was the artisan ana
above all the artisan of Paris, TO whom LOUIS blahc
looked as the avblter OF the dcstlnIes OF rance
Paris was To give law to the rest OF inc country
| and the Paris workingmen TO give law To faris
lie was for the rule of the section whlch had &c
cepted his doctrines. But when the PrOpo 81 ATs
appeared in the streets III SIS and invited MN TO
govern the country. he shrank back appalled, IRON
| the task; ana he appalled, with reason. Oi
The particular charges brought against hlin ana OH
which lie was expelled from rance he was no'
guilty. But no certainly danger 10 any GOV
| eminent Of which lie was not the head ana me
| choice lay between his dictatorship ana his exile
Such IS the IRONY of fate. LOnis Blanc believed IN
| a Republic without head. and because he would
| not govern, his mere presence made hepuDlIc iH
possible.
Those who have once met Louis Blanc IN society
or M his own house will never forget the charm oil
his manner TO those who have been fortunate
| enough to meet him often. the memory OF 1t Will
remain as among the best life has had To offer. l
NAV be said In one sense that his manner never
varied. lie had the Same kindly ana poilshe Il
greeting for visitors OF every rank III was never
cold 10 his friends il was aiioctionate. whether
Won had seen hun yesterday or not lot many
| months His eye as beautiful as Tohans,
! with that luminous deDth which betOkcns "a pro
| fonndlv sympathctic nature. lie was something
| more than sympathetic; he was man 10 ne IoNei'
| Ills conversation was varied, imaginative, abound
| ing in reminiscence AMI anecdote every now ana
| then lighting up the remotcst depths OF SUBJECT
| with flashes OF penetrating intelligence II" was IN
| earnest but never heavy; serious but Tree from
| gloom; the lilo of dinner table and the most de-
| fjghtful of companions in private. From every
thing like pretence or Alteration he was absolutely
| fee IL was too much his custom to take sonDfo
| views of affairs: especially the affairs oil his own
country. for which lie had love that knew, no
| boupds But OF the men who were msmanapinb
France he had little to that was hard, nothing
mics he hardly ever spoke with severity. He mad to
bear during the last eighteen months OF his lie the
| ,unat acntn and nnremltIing torment. u never