Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-08-17
EXECUTION OF MARIE ANroINETTE

EXECUTION OF MARIE ANToINETTE.
her peace and life. II was an evil destiny
that drew her from Vienna to Versailles, and
evil followed her TO the scaffold. From the
hour that the mob had compelled the royal
family to quit the palace Of Versailles for the
Tuileres-hcr life was then attempted-she
had cherished small hope of any kind. She
had been a close prisoner since the death OF
Louis and had looked daily for her doom.
1t Is well nigh impossible, even after the
passage of n century, 10 Judge impartially OF
the acts or characters Of the Revolution.
Records OF the time arc colorcd by the pas
sionate prejudice of tho royalist or repub-
lican What ono lauds, the other censures;
the martyr here Is the traitor there. Pa
triotism on one side becomes crime on the
other. The heat of tho French was so in
tense that truth itself had been almost
burned up, or, at least, warped and twisted
thereby. 1t Is hard to decide today whether
many of the leaders were heroes or mon
sters. Probably they were, In such madness
of the state n combination OF both. In
political agony of that sort, humanity ceases
TO be normal While wo are shocked at the
atrocities pcrpetrated, we can SEQ the causes
that made them possible.
Marie Antoinette was early designed by
her mother, the renowned Maria Theresa, to
be the wife OF the French dauphin, with tho
intent to strengthen Austria against Prussia.
She was unconventionally reared; her educa-
ton was neither sound nor systematic, but
snowy and superficial, such as her empress
mother imagined TO DO fitting TO her station
She never found favor in her adopted coun-
try. Her dislike Of etiquette and Journalism,
her girlish levity offended tho court and no.
bility, while the commons hated her from tho
outset as a foreigner and species of advent
uress They invariably spoke of her as tho
Austrian. Her lightness, gayety, love Of
pleasure and excitement were in such con-
trast with the gravity, reserve and awkward
ness OF Louis as TO appear like tho disloyalty
with which she was constantly charged.
Her husband did not attract her naturally,
and she sought animated companions, many
Of whom were wanting In morals, whero sho
could find them. She was SO indiscreet, so
indifferent TO public appearances, that 1t Is
not strange she was guilty of grave offenses
She certainly acted at times as II she did not
value her reputation, and a woman, most OF
all queen, who values not that, Is apt TO bo
insensible 10 everything. Sho never went To
tho extreme that was generally believed;
she was not criminal; but 80 far as public
opinion was concerned sho might as well
have been. Tho notorious theft OF tho dia-
mond necklace indeliby stained her good
name, though sho was entirely innocent OF
aught more serious than desire 10 possess t
1T was valued at about 800, ,O00-when the
royal exchequer was nearly depleted.
Politically, she was as III starred as she was
socially. She acted in place OF her indifferent
husband Calonne and Lomenie de Brienno
were ministers Of her choice, aud she was
hated for their squandering Of the Kingdoms
revenues pno was adverse ID the Assembly
Of the notables and TO tho states general, not
without cause, for tho former body, at its
first convocation, fixed upon her the reSpon-
sihlity of the deranGed finances. She was
incapable of comprehending the poverty and
wretchedness OF the French people, and her
efforts to show sympathy with the working
classes, during the autumn OF 1859, only rom
dered them moro fanatcal in their hatred
They persistently declared that she was al
ways plotting with the emigrauts and tho
European coalition to bring about the in-
yason Of the country, suspicion which in
variably frenzies the French mind. The
dread of foreign enemies gaining a foothold
on their soil explains many of the excesses
and savageries Of the revolutionistS
After the royal party had been captured
and brought back from Varennes, tho queen
underwent complete change. All her fri
volity ceased; her conduct became exalted.
her attitude heroic. She bore her harass.
ments and humiliations in the Temple, sepa.
rated from her children and friends, as be-
fitted the daughter Of Maria Theresa. She
may not have known how TO live; she knew
how to die The last two months and half,
she was incarcerated in tho Concergerie, and
her courage, as it had long been, was unninch'
/ ing. Before the tribunal she scorned TO de-
fend herself; she scarcely replied 10 the nc-
cusatlons against her, denoting that her trial
was q sanguinary sham. But when charged
/ by Hebert, one of the most brutal and shame-
less Of the sans-culottes, with debauching
her own son, she exclaimed with righteous
Indignation; Mature refuses to answer such
question to a mother appeal to all tho
mothers present for my justilcationW
The most envenomed against her sympa.