New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-05-06
CURRENT FRENCH TOPICS.
THE BISHOP OF AUTUN AT THE ACADEMY
SOCIETY SLANG.

and clerical politicians. Poor old Marshal Mac Mahon
oven was drawn to the Palais Mazarin. Not that
he hoped for an intellectual treat for ali MOnseig-
neur Perraud's scholarship is Greek to him. But he
has property in the town of Autun, which may
be termed the cradle of the French part OF his race
IL was there that his grandfather. Doctor JOhh
Patrick MacMahou, made the conquest OF q wealthy
old Dedrdden lady aud got her, to the exclusion Oh
all hor rel tives to make will in his favor. Inc
ex-Presdent Of the Republic appears even dulier
than he was at the Elysee. Most OF the 'iIho tno
speeches were being delivered his chlh was Oh HIS
breast and his head was nodding. Wheh they were
done his wife aroused him. lie started ruoDeu HIS
ewes and said: SIS it possible that the sermon is
already overt" The Due dAumale was not pres
cnt Hens in Naples oD his way to Sicily. jules
Sondoau the half of whose name George Sand I'M
,nortal,zed was also one of the absent. lie IS
sevrnty-two years old and dying of jaundice and
copgested lungs The pretty Marqulse Herve de
At Denis, whom Baron Stern greatly admites'
came with the Duchess de Luynos. Inc frlnceSs
Ladslas Czartoriska and the Due dc Nehotns
represented the Orleans family. VI hothSchiiuS
there was a good round number. Inc Ch"oh' 'no
nobility and finance put III an imposing "pP0'""
journalism vas relegated to the cocklol's "oo'o
.,o niohsO Not mucb can be said about the ladies'
toilets il being held snoDbiSh 10 20 1ashlonaoiy
dressed to the Academy. There was nefch heu
with Hibernian looking priests. They were the
directors and professors of the Irish College In
the Rue ST. jacques
Monseignenr d'Autun processes deep sympathy
for ireland and the Irish cause. lie would not ex-
euse aynamite at Monceau- Mines. But am not
sure that he would not give absOlution to the men
who are now imprisoned at kilnanham. lie has
written series of essays the Green Isle and her
Al nd haa made tOQrg there,
I cannot help thinking that dash of Hibernian
blood runs in his veins. He is like the venerable
and enlightened Archbishop Murray. who with tho
Protestant Archbishop Whateley took Queen
Victoria over the Marlborough Street Training
School on tie occasion of her first visit to Dublin.
It IS held proper at the Academy q" to keep chap
lain in the house. g., to reserve one of the forty
arnl chairs for an ecclesiasc. Within thirty years
four churchmen have been received there, Two
Lacordaire and Gratry-were preachers of splendid
sloouence The third-Monsegneur DupaulOup
Bishop nf Orleaus-was a zealot and TIE fourth IS
Nooseicneur Perraud. The Bishop Of Autun en-
tered precisely at o'clock. He was escorted by
compapy of soldiers and accompanied by his spon-
sors This prelate originally professor in
high school He then entered the church and joined
the Oratorians. Because he was scholarly ana
loved Ireland, Madame dHaussOnvile pushed HIM,
and obtained for him a chair of theology at the
Svrbonne Through the influence of NJ. Weiss, his
old class e low at the EcOle Normae, he obtained
the see of Autun Since ne has gone there he has
become ascetic and devoted himself to the poor.
His diocese contains several black " manuiactur-
ing towns Monceau- les Mines is one of its hives
of industry What Monseigneu has there and at
Creuzot has made him appiehend great soeiallstic
rising IN France as well in other European coun-
tries Lazarus, rs he strongly put it yesterday, IS
meuacing and exaspcrated, and will no longer he
satisfied with the crumbs that fall from the ricn
mans table.
Monseignerr d'Autun is ascetc looking. His
cheeks are hollow ana cheekbones prominent. HIS
eyes are small and burniugthe eyes of an observer
and an enthusiast who communes with his own
thoughts They are shaded by well marked brows.
The hair is gray short aud the nose Is long and
pointed. Men of delicate taste often have long,
pointed noses. MOnseigueur wore a mantle with
red collar and wide scarf sash of violet pas
toIal cross IN gold lay upon his breast.
His task was a difficult one. 1t was to eulogize
poet whose best poems we're magnificent oles hlori-
tying the revolution Of 1890 They were feversh,
often rhapsodcal, but sublime. Swinburne is much
nearer to Barber than 10 Victor Hugo. When the
bishop quoted the ardent verses of his predecessor,
he did not convey their spirit. His delivery was
calm methodical and his manner expressed more
Difference for the audience than for Auguste Bar
bier Great address shown In saluting the
revolutionary muse and yet in not appearing 20 do
obeisance to her. What was real thunder in Bar
biers mouth was stage thunder in MOnSeigneurs.
The bishop was not professor of metaphysics for
nothing. HIS diction is scholarly, chasteneG. ele-
waited without pomposity. The voice has some good
qualities but it wants resonance. There is no con-
tiuuity in its tones. 1t has effects analogous TO
4
At The close of each sentence one imagues that he
has got TO the end of his Grafton and that he is
about to utter the final blessing. Tho general de-
the only one who fell asleep. Ii lie was deferental
TO his audience they were (fgurativcly speaking
on their knees before him.
Apropos of Barbier's fiery odes. the bishop al
luded 20 dynamite and touched upon the social
question. which he said was very old one. But il
has lately entered anew phase. Lazarus is no longer
@ passive patient beggar but demands TO have a
share OF the rich mans feast As Gods Justice is
not to be ACCOMPLISHED by violence, the bishop did
not seq how peace was to he established except in
general acceptance OF the principles of the Gospel
BY this he in some degree meant the paramount in
fuence of the Church The noble ladies capped
their glOveG hands. They like to patronze char
lty balls and bazaars and to give money Tor their
souls health TO Sisters OF Charity to heir parish
priests and spiritual directors. But they regard
with horror every scheme for admitting Lazarus TO
share, a right, the good things spread out the
banqueting table of Dives. Socialism and the
Revolution both accursed. If CbristendOm
could be only ChrIstendom again, and. like an
obedient child Of the Church, Lazarus would bear
his cross with meekness, when lac was dead aud
proclaimed SAINT they would pray for him to in
tercede for them in heaven.
NJ Camille Rousset, who answered the bishop, is
short and corpulent. Moreover he is bald. His
complexion is rnbicund and he speaks in that
peculiar cultural manner which the French call a
QrdssogneHt For this reason his enunciatiOn
fatigues the ear Of the listener soon In the first
part of his haTangue he did not answer anything
the bishop said, but laid himself out to give par
alel biography of Barber In the last part of his
speech he evoked the req spectre ana paid Mon
seigneur the compliment Of saying be at the
vanguard of the conservative forces. Wbyf Be-
-,