The Indianapolis journal., 1883-05-26
OBITUARY,
Death of Edouard Rene-Lefevre LabOulays,
Jurist and Author.


PARIS, May 25.-Edouard ReneLefevre La
boulaye, the well-known French iurist, is dead.
For several months he has been i'll, and as long
ago as March his death was expected for some
days.
Mr.. Laboulaye was born in Paris, Jan. 19,
1911. He studied law there, and first made him
self known by a work entitled "History of the
Law Relative to Landed Property in Europe,
from the Time of Constantine to our Own Days"
This treatise was crowned by the Academy of
Inscriptions and Bellies Lettres, and its author,
at that time a atypefounder, although not allow
ing business to interfere with professional stud
les, at once won wide fame. Labouaye next
published an Essay on the Life and Doctrines
of Frederic Charles de savigny;" this was in
1912. and in the same year he became
an advocate at the Cour Royale of
Paris. During several ensuing years,
he published in rapid successing the
"Studies on the Civil and Political Condition OF
Women, from lhe Days of the Romans Until Our
Own Times" work crowned by the Academy
of Moral and Political Sciences; an essay on the
Criminal Laws of the Romans, Concerning the
Responsibility OF Magistrates" a volume which
secured his admission to the Academy of In
scrptions and Belles-Lettres. After he took his
place, IN 1849, as professor of Comparative
his attention both toward journalism and the
study of the institutions Of America He wrote
a political History of the United States, from
, the First Attempts at Colonization up to the
Adoption of the Federal Constitution, 1920
1885," "Studles in Literary Property in France
and England edited most of Chan
ning's works, and prefaced them
with interesting essays on his life and
character. When he edited Chann1ng's Slavery"
he preceded it with an acute and polished essay
on the crucial question, which did the cause of
abolition infinite good in Europe HIS minor
almost too numerous to mention. He was con-
stant contributor to the "Review of Legislation
and Jurisprudence" for many years. was one of
the directors of the "Historical Review of
French Law" and wrote in the Debats and in
the Revue Germanique. NJ. Laboulaye was be-
| fore the war, yearly visitor to Germany. His
acquaintance there was very extensive and he
was one of the few Frenehmen who really
published Contemporary Studies in Germany
and the Slavic Countries" i'll 1856 Religious
| Liberty" and in 1857 and 1859 various volun mes
| and romances of travel.
For thirty years Edouard Laboulaye has been
the firm friend of America, and has done more
| than any other living man to eniighten Eu-
| ropean populations concerning the United
| States. The salient points of American history,
| pOpularized by him, are more thoroughly known
| to-day in France than in England. The doctrines
| of Claiming, translated by Laboulaye, have
| done intinite good, not only in France, but i'll
| Italy and Spain. CASTELAR,, profoundly as he may
| stir the Spanish spirit, has struck no deeper
| chord therein than has Laboulaye. In the co.
| operative societies of Naples, in the secret re.
| unions of the toilers in the mountains of Spain,
| and among the great multitude of blue-bloused
| laborers who report to the syndical chamber of
Paris, Laboulaye's name has been heard Oftener
| than that OF dozens of more pretentious men for
many years.
| Labouaye's friendship for the people OF the
| United States once led some poor patriotic
| Frenchmen to call him the "Americo-maniac."
! 1t is difficult to understand that M. Laboulaye
| has never been in America, Everyone remenl.
| bers that queer book, "Paris en- Amerique,"
| which he wrote as tride. Its SUCCESS was more
startling to him Than to the world it has been
| translated into nearly every modern language,
| Twenty-four editions have been demanded
| in France; the modern Greek, the Turk the
| Servian, the Bohemian, all have their transla-
| tions
| Labouaye wrote as earnestly for the cause of
| freedom in the journal des Debats as in his own
| books. One day during the American civil war
| he arrived at the editorial room with an article
! in favor of the Northern States in his pocket,
| only to find that BertOli, the director had al
| lowed one written in the interests of the
Shareholders to be put into type. La,
| boulaye at once obtained an interview
| with the director and urged him to adhere
TO the honest course which had been marked
| out in former numbers of his journal despite
| the fact that prevailing opinion very hostile
| to the North. He succeeded, and tho North re-
| tanned an ally which, If transformed into an
enemy, might have done much harm to the Union
| arms
He was scrupulOusly simple in his dress, and
| his black frockcoat, buttoned to the chin, gave
him an almost clerical appearance. In summon,
| and during the sessions of the Assembly, ho
| lived at Glatigny, pleasant suburb OF Yer.
| sailles, In the midst of his charming family:
| in winter, when he had leisure, he resided in
Paris. He was vigorous worker and an in
| dspensable member of the band of moderate
| Republicans earnestly striving to shape good
| constitution. His rooms were filled with pres.
| ents from Americans, who gratefully remember
| him as the champion Of their beloved country