The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-07-05

"Tontcl' cried the Marquises 'sit is you?'
| 1t was hard to get her face back to it's usual
expression: and she put mp her painted fan to
! hide it, The new conner looked first at the
| He g;,spcd and blushed and stared again.
! Mon Den. cried the Marquse inpatient
! ly, what ails YOU?
| A post clase ratified into the yard. The
| handsome officer took his seat he dotted his
green hat to madame with melancholy state
illness and was driven away.
| Speak, Tontel!'' said the Marquise, stamp
| ing her pointed shoes.
May | ask you. MarQusc. if You knew the
occupation of the man who has Just left yor.''
| ''lie said he was an officer of parliament "
said the lady cIlsping her heart with appre-
| henSOn.
| The gentleman burst into loud laugh
| well, so he is" said he. He il Samson,
| the eXecutiOner of Paris He has Just been
down in the country t., help three good fol-
| lows to II nights lOdgin."
| lyon meaIt-' screamed the lady holding
up her hands as if blood were dripping off her
fingers.
-! mean that yesterday was busy day
with him.
For the love of heaven bring me water! A
basin of water, Nicole! Quick. Mon Dieu!
The maid rushed in breathlcssly and mad
anne as she bathed and rebathed her dmpletl
hands and sobbed
"lll have him hanged!'
sECONDCOURsE
Nine Ia Marquise Lamerlicre sat in Paria-
mrnt. She had pctitioned that one Charles
| Henri Samson. commonly known as Monsieur
de Paris, executioner Of Paris be sentenced
to beg her pardon with rope around his
neck for the insult he had been guilty of in
dining with her and meeting her on terms OF
equality, and that for the safety of the public
| the eSpsutiOner should thenceforth wear a
distinctive sign SO that all would know him.
! About the MarQuise sat symapathizng
company OF friends from the court, among
| them (OlOnel TOntel. who had encountered
| her mt the inn.
| Charles Henri Samson bad not been able to
procure an ndvOrate. No hArristrr cared to
appear as counsel Of the exccntion"r.
| The advocote Of the plaintiff forgot moth
| ing. He laid stress on the fragrant insult
Madame la MurluiSc complained of. We
described with much elOQuclcc he sad Situa-
ton OF the poor lady after che had been in
| formed OF the profession of the man Will,
| whom she had dined
| Charles Henri Samson appeared wrapped in
thought. When he lifted His eyes it was to
fix them on the f"ce of Madame III Marlui<c
| ID face which was paler than when ne had
seen it first. When the time came for his de-
| fence he arose with IL severe mir and address
ell tho Court with much hauteur
ut il fortunate for me. gentlemen" said he
| that. being charged before you as crimi-
nal, nothing is alleged against my honest v.
! Why, then. am Il c:lprit Because ! have
performed functions which are said to he in
famous ask you, gentleman it there arc
! infamous functions in the State:
"lntnmy is the appanage of crime, and
! where there is no crime there can be no in
fanny. The discharge Of my functions is not
| criminal, sirs; it is an net OF Justice, and the
! I'M cirlo If
pass sentence actuates me when l intiict
the penalty upon the culprit. The fact il
that our functions are associated to such a
degree that mine cannot he .stigmatized with
Cur moral imputation OH yours
Il am aware that all public Offices are not
| equally honorable: they are crcditab!e in
proportion to their usefulness to society.
According to this principle: sirs, mine stands
first. What would the State 10 if my office
were suppressed for single day?
THE kingdom would he given up to brig
andnGe. lmpunity would kill the laws:
virtue would he despised; vice would prevail.
There would be one law-that of the strong.
est. They would laugh Mt your sentences.
gentlemen. 1t is in the shadow of my
sword that innocence brcathes freely. that the
police are powerful and that public order
prevails.
My Office is considered dshonornble l,e.
cause STAY men. Ask soldier what his
profession is; he will tell you that like me-
he is n slayer of men. Yet his company is
never Stunned and no one thinks he is dis.
graced by eating in his company. II there is
any difference between us. surely it is in my
favor. For whom docs soldier slay: In
nocents, very honorable men, whose only
crime is that they do their duty. respect
innocence. l kill only culprits. purge soci,
ETY. Of the monsters who disturb it's repoSe.
SOLDIERS repress only external raids: they
have to fight but rarely; lapses Of twenty
years have passed without the army being
called into action. preserve peace ut home
! continually restrain the insolencc of bad
citizens, not a week passes III which do not
punish crime and avenge tho WRONGS of the
injured.
Then, too. each solitary soldier, each off.
Ger, contributes in but Il small degree to tho
tranquility Of the state; the glory of preserv.
ing public tranquility ia divided among so
many thousand men that each individual
has only a small share OF the privilege, On
the other hand, in my profession. lies the ud
vantage of alone ensuring public peace, and
! can say without cxaggerntion that alone
in my vast department. secure quiet more
c1rrtually on behalf of the State than Il hun
dr"l thousand men can do.
do not believe gentlemen. that in defend
ing the unjustly attacked prcrog,tives of my
Office claim any personal merit; know that
an office however brilliant, il always distinct
from the individual who holds it. AZ lay
no claim to the glory Of my functions. i!
would he unj Just to east upon me the Nppro
brium which the thoughtess have seen fit tc
;ttach to them, and to call me infamous he
ranse it is alleged that my office deserves the
cl,ithet, Permit me to add that have the
; honor to be- the fourth OF my family to whom
the office Of Public Executioncr Of Paris has
descended from father to sou. and If heredita
ry nobility were attached it, as il
should he, might stand on "yet
ground with Madame H. Marquisc
II,
tary.' 1cannot find anything extraordinary OF
prcposterous in it, Military offices. which, as
have observed, are inferior to it. enjoy til,
same advantages. Yours. gentlemen--;lllov
, me to say so-yours. which only cOntr butt
to the public we9l in IN H., indirect . way, hav'
, denied to my Office? Mono among you. gen
! tlem"n, can. individually. insure public hapi
ness cfcctuniIy: none can pronounce Il sen
teEre except in conjunction with all the othe
members Of the body. Thus you never az
otherwise than as members, whereas alon'
? procure peace. and net as chief
? Now every chief is respectable. and t.
whatever category he may belong he shout,
enjoy the privilege OF nobility. The gcncr;,
prosecutor. who is the chief Of his depart
ment, has it; so does the chief clerk Of court
Why should DE deprived Of it by an upright
eOus exception.
Il will press no further he sove rign reasons
suggested by the justice Of my ease: 1ne,c'!
point them out as You may sec Men of M.
p profession can think better than they cal
. speak; can handle the sword better tina!
make m address. l believe, nevertheless
that have said enough to urge confident,
p that Mudame la Marquise should he non
: suited. therefore ask. not that the alleges
r infamy of my Ofiire I've removed. forno ini:,m m,
!, il attached To it, but that it bede,larel no
only that l am Il member Of the sovereign
: court, hut that am the head Of my depart
, ! blunce to the profession of arms; that in con
=, sequence have right to the prerogative Il
: gown and sword and further ask that il
virtue of this twofod title nobility bc con
e fprred npon me we'll as upon my posterity
and l am confident that you cannot bu
grant my request. l ask no favor, but e.
! pect everything Of your equity
The court retired to confer, and decided
a that the ease should I've Indefinitely post
e poncd:' When the Mnrquise lie Lamclier
, left, she returned once' to look at Chur'e
Henri Samson: He bowed low Madame tirs
e cnxt On him ~ lnnk of witherinx scnrn m.