New-York tribune., 1886-05-02

What ruthless determination he Is capable whsther
it be exercised for the augmentation of his power
or the qualification of an impulse Of revenge.
How far. If at oil, MOreau did finally enter into
the plans Of the conspirators, an open question
Fauriel himself is not clear about it. But this at
any rate is established by the present narrative
that after all the oveI lures made to Moreau, either
sincerely or treicherously had been repelled tho
police were reduced TO their last vlany. namely
to forcing upon him interview with Pichegru
which he had not solicited and did not desire and
at which there is no evidence that any dark secrets
wore revealed He was arrested when there was
no evidence of his guilt and the Government put
forth its whole strength to falsify and manufacture
testimony against HIM after he had been committed
to prison. The story of the arrest and trial IL told
in the third and fourth chapters Of FaureTs book
the murder of the Duke d'EnghieD. which should
have been made prominent part OF the narrative
was not written. and the account of the trial OF
Moreau and the Chouans stops unfinished IN the
middle of sentence. The editOr, however, sup
plies satisfactory continuation. The startling
features Of FaurePs narrative are the exposure Of
the unparalleled baseness of the police conspiracy
to convict the torture of witnesses lof which
numerous instances 10 be estabIisbedl and the
systematic Justification of the reports of the trial
imposed upon the entire press by Napoleon's order
Al
retired to deliberate upon their verdict. Bonaparte
committed outrage upon the law which formed
fitting sequel to his outrases upon personal liberty
and life In spite of the assurances of the Govern
ment agents that Morcan should be convicted. tho
verdict was acquittal by vote Of seven to five.
Thereupon the president Of the tribunal insisted
upon reconsideration. The extraordinary sccno
which followed is described in ". Lalanne's sup
Elementary pages, the testimony OF rare
pamphlet by one of the judges published after tho
restoration. The session prolonged itseli IN angry
discussions: messengers AMI conlidants OF Napoleon
ian in and ont. urging. demonstrating ana lntrgu-
ing: and at length Napoleon wrote letter, de-
mandlng that the case OF Morean should be re-
opened and fresh testimony admitted. from the Fps
of some of the prisoners who having alIe"iY con
fessed several things were ready IN their dcs-
peration to confess a few more. lhe end OF thIs
scandalous affair was a second vote on Morean and
n comproms Sc sentence Of two years imprisonment.
- These animals" exclaimed Napoleon, declared
that it was impossible 10 a OF a capital cohYIcton'
an now they put me of with pickp)cket's SEN
tence for stealing handkcrchicfs."
Fauriel has doubt that Pchegrus death IN
prison was muruer not suicide In several instances
he gives credit to charges against Napoleon
which later historians generally REJECT; INT rs
conscientious and careful editor corIecis MS ha>ty
indgments which. after all, are not numerous nor
serious enough to detract much from the chila't'r
of his book As contemporary study. by S'Dgu-
la-ly acute and competent observer. gilt"I WIN i
strong historical instinct. and wel-triine ~ crll-
cal research. II has an interest with winch lev
records of the same period VIII comHi". lhe
translation is slogenlv; the proo'-r'1dlh3 ls ho
better the book is ill-prn ted from battered type;
there is no index and the list oi chapter heads -
a pocr substitute for table OF contents.