New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
n,NrINcNAsTER DIPLOMACY.
DE BACOURT.

1t is not often given to q cOmmonl lace ihah W
make an interesting book. Time ana the Noi''',0
de Mirabeau have achieved this leaV Ior 'i' "0
Bacourt late Minister PleniIotentiarv from 'no
Court of France to the United STATES III tho pun
LEGATION of his private letters during the years lofo'
1871 and 1912. His admiring and ahecuOnate
niece the Countess considers her publication
family duty because the letters present SO 'ruthii
a picture of what the United States was forty
years ago, and because they reveal such sohdity
of Judgment, swift and accurate penetration, ana
foresight equally applicable to private ana 10
public lfe,"-all of which implies in the living
female branch of the family an ntrepidity OF mag
ipation whose absence is the most distinguishing
charac terstic of tho deceased male oranoh'
Ordinarily this style of comment Is o'
to the reader and the critic, Dnt III 'ni'
case modesty is we'll sacrificed LOT Tue
critic must perfOrce say that the letUeis "i0
singularly free not only from the peculiar
tsrsenass grace and charm of French writing. but
from the pith and purpose which Justily any
writing whatever Their only approach TO huihor
is the repetition of one monotOnous sarcasm III
every reference to this country. Their ohly
pupgency is in their personality. The burden OF
their prophecy has been tramped under the 1Oot oi
history If the Countess had Glanced upon Ihehl III
some forgotten desk she might well nave smileu do
she read at the faulty of human observation ouu
when Heaven had kindly hidden them Tor torty
wears only the most bin ding family Affection coulu
expose them to the world and thus celebrate WIN
unconscious cruelty the limitations OF their authoI
But the Countess of Mirabeau has no misgVlngs'
She takes the word of her uncle at the foot vi the
letter. Nothing too hard for her hal de&iut'tioh
and her editorship is true womanly. II NJ dc
Bacourt goes to the Execution Mansion " his niece
attends him with equal step. Ii Fanny EIlsier
makes a speach" my lady does lot quarrel with
IL She copies evidently the little rs whom her
nncle found not too mUSh troubIesome.
Brooklne is hardly recognizable as bToah'",
Harvard's own sons would repudlate hou"'"
College. Mt. Auburn Cmeiary answers through d
very misty shroud to Mt Peasants penitentiary
and Bunker's Hills" and Bunkers Hise SKIP
like ignorant little lambs across these ehhooIeu
pages Can the descendants of Nicholas BuuIe
make their title clear to the estate OF NJ Bldole
Can Mr.. Bancroft wear on his good gray head Inc
crown of a literary character" in all the cOncen-
trated scorn of italicsf Certainly NJ. de BacourtS
swift and accurate penetration did not penetratet 10
spelling The French tongue may be pardoned lor
a little cowardlee before CaRaHdagna, but Utica
one might SUPPOSE is no more formidable ON the
Mohawk than on the Mediterranean. If 1T is
strange to see a cultured Frenchman demoraized
by Lancaster it is positively painful to behold him
writing in the hendsh clutch of SkaRtdtc'ts But
no help comes to him from the gracious Countess
whose serene step bespeaks a woman sure Oh her
footing on English orthography and conscious OF
nothing to fear.
In the same simple faith, unaffected by anything
which has happened during these forty years, the
Countess gazes through her uncle's glasses upon
melancholy Observation-Disclosures institutions
corrupt nation sombre, discontinued, emolttered
and embttering, legislators at hsucuHs, OaDlnet
officers drunk no manners anywhere nothing TO
win sympathy, nothing 10 inspire confidence,
nothing to attract admiration. She sees whole
people moved only by two passions, love OF money
and love of liberty.
This is what NJ. de BacOurt saw, and forty years
have only taught his niece that he saw clearly.
NJ. de Bacourt came to this country inspired with
two passions. admiration of Talleyrand and horror
of the United States; both childlike in their
absorbing and controlling power. His first
rnriosity on landing was to the Battery because
II was the scene of adventure OF lalleyrand .
From the time he set foot on these shores, he
found but one pleasure-tO see that Tallcyrand was
warmly remembered. In the brothers King
be discerned one good thing; their father
had been a friend of Talleyraud. But the
talisman could protect no further. Their
house was but second or thirdrate English
house; their dinner was very poor English dluner
badly served. lnuecu lDe DcSJ OI eNeIJ lHlDB
in this eountry-houses and furniture. men and
women dress and manners. were but copies of
third-rate English. Mistress King was wrinkled,
her dau ghter gross her sster-in-law faded All the
Vnests were the familiar secOnd-rate Englishmen
with the sole exception of Mr.. Duer who had dis
tinguished manners The reason is obvious; h'
had met NJ. de Talleyrand!
I'm this and in every other letter the names of NJ
,s Baoourts hosts and of their guests are given IL
full, and remarks upon their dress. faces, houses
habits are recorded with entire frankness. This II
not a fault of NJ dc BacOurt, writing private
letters but of his niece, publishing them. She fnd
It entirely in accord with the usages
of polite society, of French civility, &c
print scornful, bitter censure of thu
inequalities which her unce accepted. She doe
not think it Objectionable to say of a woman. living
at the time of the publication, guest of ~ dt
Bacourt's host that she was frightfully ugly.
positive monster, at whom one would laugh if Thu
dreadful country did not extingulsh the power o
laughter OF lady whose name is still familiar
we may read that she was gross and eXpressOnless;
pufed mp plaster-cast OF an eminent family VIII
overwhelmed him with kindness. VI. dc Bacour
chronicles that daughter was ugly, the othe
silent ana constantly staring at him. or party a
the most fashionable house in Washington, tn
hos:ess is named perfectly common, the tire
daughters addressed. il!-kcmpt, ill-reared, til
pictures frghtful, the refreshments meagre.
Ii is not that the lady makes the mistake o
supposinr that forty years have left person to
wounded by her extraordinary lack of reticence
when NJ do BacouTts structures concern Frenc
persons their identity is concealed by stars. 1t
simply that Madame the Countess Mirabeau is nc
n woman of the world but of a province, and ha
not yet dimmed the glory of Columbus by dir
covering America.
IT was an imperative part of NJ. de BacourtS ma
tyrdom that he repair to Washington. lie bad I'll
most gloomy forebodngs-" My capital'
penitentiary rather" The Swedish Charg
wickedly worked upon his misery by assuring hi
that the diplomatic corps had no resources exceE