New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-06-10
CURRENT FRENCH TOPICS.
LABOULAYE - THE INSECT SHOW ART
SALES-DIPLOMATIC.

PARIS. May %.
For some weeks NJ. Laboulaye was missed from
the Senate. To-day know the reason OF his
absence It was hyportrophy of the heart. which
has had fatal termination. The deceased Senator
was about twenty years ago prodgious favorite OF
the Northern side Of the American colony in Paris.
The days on which he lectured at the College oil
France it was impossible, il one did not go early.
to obtain seat in the lecturc-room. All the places
were taken by Americans. The ladies who at
tended camo with bouquets which they asked the
attendent to place the professors deslx. Travel
lers from the Northeastern cities OF the United
States made point of going to call on Laoouiaye
at his villa at Clagny, near Versailles. ms
aParis-en- Ameri at once became fsvorite
book In America Labouaye had also many Eng
lIsh admirers. An enthusiastic Que was Nh. Ed
ward PigUtt, whilom foreign euitor Of The London
Daily Ne'rs and now censor Of plays in London.
Laboulaye was an admirable elocutionist and knew
thoroughly the technique of his art. His little
treatise w public speaking Is The best on the sub
ject that I have ever read. Latterly he had the
weakness to set up 10 be of noble descent. lie was
induced TO do so in order to facilitate the advance
ment of his sons, who are in diplomacy and who
have added to their patronymic the prefix of
adep
As matter OF fact the Senator was Of humble
ancestry. But az it was essentially honest, there
was no reason why he should seek to hide it. His
father was printer and Edouard worked az his
"dsvil.n good part Of his literary education was
picked up in the exercise of his trade. Laboulaye
Vas of Protestant descent, but as he grew old and
clerical reaction in he rather avoided than Guilt
waited his former co-roligionists. In some things no
had backbone. In others he was mollnscous.
His steady capacity for hard work was remarkable.
Before the children grew mp he appeared to have
moral courage. But after they grew up, went into
diplomacy aud made the acquaintance OF Industrious
folk, amongst whom were kings and queens. no be-
came an anant trimmer and time-ssry
NJ. Lsbonlaye was for Freuchman curiously like
Quaker. His face was shaved his hair was long
and lank. and he had a calm manner and puritan
ica air. The collar Of his coat and his high-but-
toned vaistcoat were peculiarly Quskerish But
n he had n puritanical aspect. be was not prm.
There was frankness IN the eye, which looked
straight forward. The forehead was high and gave
the expression of pacidity to the countenance. N.
Laboulaye had fresh complexioo-the result of
tranquil habits and regular life. 1t was in the soci-
ETY. of the late Madame Scherer at Clagny that he
fell la love with American institutions and cstoms.
She was highly educated, and, believe, b5in Bos-
ton. AT any rate, she was niece OF Uncle Sam
So early rs 1899 Laboulaye was elected 20 chair
m the College Of France. He had great talent for
throwing bats to idlers aud making himself I'M
dcrstood by the ignorant. His tact In Judging OF
the medium capacity OF those who filed his lecture
room was 30 great that Jules Simon once said:
Iaboulaye IL n woman disguised as French
Onaker1 Tho charge OF talking over the heads OF
his auditors could never be fairly brought against
him. Yet he was never trivial. nor commonplace.
lie had the gift of clsarness aud always knew how
20 interest. For eleven yesrs he had as rival
lecturers Mt the College of France, Micheet, Jules
Simon. and Edgar Quinet. They had eloquence.
poetry. passion. Michelot was magician who had
the power 10 raise dry bones from the grave, to
clotbe men with muscles and flesh, and TO breathe
again into their nostrils the breath Of lfc. Labou-
laye had merely facile eloeution good sense. and
pleasant pointed style. 1t was hardly brilliant.
Bot with these qualities. and the negative one Of
complete absences 90 pedsntry. no kept his lecture
reom GlIed There was grain Of satire In his lee
lures which he sometimes brought TO bear upon The
institutions of the Empire. lie drew upon it
pretty freely in his Prince Canche" IL was La
boulayc. the mild satirist Of Imperial France, who
was put forward ut the general elections OF ls60 by
the strasburg students against VI. Renouard de Bus
.eres, the father of the Countess de Pourtalea lie
was beaten. But 10 console him for his defeat his
enthusiastic yonng hackers subscribed TO buy him
testimonial. They chose silver inkstand. IN for
warding which 10 the eminent lectlrcr they signed
an enthusiastic address. But in the following Jan
nary LaDoulaye, who was tired OF bouquets and
cmptv applause ratted.D He found decent pre-
text for going over TO the Empire in the Olivier
Ministry. and In the course OF the spring became
tho advocate OF the plebsctum On what con-
ditions he passed to the enemy has never been
stated. But no doubt parental fondness was at
the bottom of his apostasy. The Emperor expected
that LsbouIaye would draw after him the youth of
strasburg and OF the Quarter Latin. SO far from
going I'm his wake they called him traitor. aud
clamored for him To return the silver inkstand.
For many days the words, !" rendes tenc.er lsiyo
hack the inkstandp were IN large characters at the
head of La MdTselIdiso. Rocbeforts Journal La
boulaye kept the precious artic 10.
He was in the Versailles Assembly. one OF me me
France nos lIves IL was very well In Prinee
Canichen to eulogize universal suffrage aud tho
elective principle applied as It is IN America But
when his convictions came TO be tested they were
found TO lbs nero flowers of rhetoric. Laboulaye
was member OF tho COMMITTEES Of Thirty which
Of the Chambers TO Paris he has hung on to the
skirts of M. Jules Simon, who, whom In power,
made him Grand Master Of the University and ad.
vanccd his sons In diplomacy. Laboulaye protested
in fe name of liberty against the execution of the
DEGREES against tho Religious Orders and against
the withdrawal from the Orleans Princes OF the,r
military grades. In private life he was amiabe
and man of numerous virtues. In pnblic iiie he
was an india-rubber man, but never positively dis
honest. BcacnefnS 1dcn. tuaL HnhH ~
all RISKS provide for his children, incapactated him
from acting the part Of q statesman lie was de-
lghtfnI grandfather and in the holidays might
often be met in the woods round Versailles giving
lessons IN natural history to pet grandson Tor
wrose dedication :" Lee Contes Bleus OF " fairy
Tales" were written.
never remember summer when minor exhibl-
tions we're 80 general IN now. We have tho ALI
u,entary Exhibition; the Old Shoes Exhibition at
Cluny; the ExhIoItion of the Portraits OF Cen
Jury; the Dog Exhibition; the International Paint
lnes Exhibition and In few weeks are To have an
Insect Exhibition in the ruileries Gardens.
The last-named show will DO particularly
interesting one Sir Charles Stewards collec-
ton of bugs will include no less than eighty
three varieties The collection of Baron Roy
des Essarts, who has gone all over the world IN
search of different kinds OF ileas, will he on ex-
hibiton He picked mp nineteen sorts at Constan-
tinoni. olnna and tan n Rome and Naples. lie re-