New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-05


facilitated by, the continued cowardice and part-
san trickery and sel6shness Of all parties The
responsibility for the Terror must be DIVIDED.
Neither the Kins, who fell victim 70 IL nor the
mobiles. who shared his fate, nor the 0,ronais.S
who followed them 70 the Place de SreVe' nor 'n'
Constitutonarsts. nor even men Hike Lainyeete' can
be held blamelcss Each and all contriou'eo !"
the relaxation and subsequent Withdrawn OIL uis
cplne, 70 the timid concessions whicn leu n'oo
fury 10 the animosties which resulted IN
attempts by one faction upon another. 70 'he
peryading confusion between sentimentaiiS anu
duty, which poisoned the very sources OF reason
and opened the door to the frantic and oIoooy
doctrines which so swiftly translated themselves
into EQUALLY frantic and bloody deeds
H. was a sign OF very unusual clearsightedness
that Madame de Stacl came out OF the Terror
republican 1t proves her right to be considered
one of the keenest political thinkers OIL her hge'
When the Convention had reached the END OF It's
,etber on the 18th Brumnire and Napoleon
. picked I'D the crown of France which he had
found lying on the ground new contest was
begun for this remarkable woman. Napoleon has
been sufficiently berated for his persecution OF
Madame de Stael and the irrclcvance OF his ac-
cscrs has been she wn in bitter complaints OF his
want ofscfdvalry and manlinees in thus pursuing
q woman Surely Nspoleons career ought to have
been , sufficient answer to attacks OF this kind.
He was one OF the most thoroughly practical men
who ever lived. He never acted without a motive,
and the character OF his action was always gov
erned and determined by the force and direction
Of the motive To have prosecuted either man or
woman from merely personal caprice or malice
would have seemed absurd to him. He brought
everything to one test-was 1t calculated 10 serve
or to injure him? Now he recognized in Madame
de Stael an influence which was strongly and per-
sistently antagonstic 10 his interests lie would
have bought her. rs he tried to buy Lafayette
but he could not do this AS he was unable to
secure either her silence or her support he
banshed her; and in doing be clearly recog-
nized the formidable character Of the opposition
he sought to paralyze.
sainte- Beuve relates that in sos Napoleon said
70 the poet Fontanes, whom he had just dominated
grand master of the University Fontanes do
YOU know what astonishes me more than anything
else in this world? 1t is the inability OF mere
force to organize anything. There are only two
things in the world-the sword and the mind. In
time the sword is always beaten by the mind
In those words he showed how clearly he perceived
the nature and extent OF the danger by which h"
was menaced through the power exercised by
Madame de Stael He would not allow her to
reside within forty miles Of Paris, lest she should
organize revolt against him by renewing the
spirit and love Of liberty. Later he cviCtcd her
from the country, and when his word WAS law on
the continent of Europe he pursued her through
Germany and Austria and to the frontiers OF Rus
sia with police interference, espionage and perse-
cution Nothing shows SO clearly the intellectual
force she welded, and the power in the State she
could he when opportunity offered. From his
point Of view Napoleon was justified in silencing
her, since he could not persuade her; hut how
many women would have held out as she did,
through ten years OF exile, against the master OF
the world? 1t was terrible trial to her, for her
love for Paris passonate-or perhaps what
chung closest to her heart was that life of the in
tellect which had it's full fruition at Paris alone
Conversation, indeed, she must and would
have whether at Paris AT Ouen, at Coppet, or at
Wemar and her conversation was, according TO
| the nearly universal estimate Of those who had
heard it, most interesting and impressive. She
| had q wonderful power Of statement Her mind
not only clarified but lighted up the subjects Of
which it took cognizance, and her Judgment acted
with equal swiftnesS and soundness. In discuss
ing politics she exhibited sagacity and GOODNESS
such as few men are capable Of, and her concu-
siOnG on that subject never vItatcd by fem
mime sentiment or ideaty. She was AS practical.
| in short as her imperial enemy, and it is quite
possible that he thought her all the more danger
| Gus for her ability &c suggest working plans OF
| opposition. In but one particular did she fail 10
| rise above the prejudces and weaknesses of her
time and nation. She thought the British cpnsu.
tuition the best in existence, and she believed It
| possible to adopt it in France She failed, like
| Lafayette to realize the essential differences Of
| race and training which made it impracticabe 20
| govern France under the English constitution
| She remained under the delusion, which belonged
| to the period, that mere words could change
| human characters dispositions and capacities
| Yet this blindness was not habitual with her In
| Germany, which she saw at the lowest point OF
| political degradation, she was able to recognize
the splendid potentialtics Of the nation, notwlth
standing the darkness Of the existing situation an }
| she was confident enough to utter prophecies OF
! which every word has been fulfilled since her
| death.
| In literature her achievements were remarkable
and less for their variety than for their charac
| ter In her book upon Germany" she showed
| strong powers OF observation, breadth
| Of critical judgment and striking
| ability TO discern promising future
| in O gloomy present. This is the more note
worthy since il is apparent that in personal inter
course with distinguished Germans she often con-
veyed on impression OF French narrownesS and con-
| ccit which veXed the souls of men like Goethe,
| Schiller and Wicland Her observations on
the Revolution" might have been written by a
veteran statesman. Her novels, Dephinc7 and
Corinnc,7 marked by passion, imagination
and strong romantic tendency. In her essay on
Fiction she exhibits a critical faculty OF a high
order, and capacity for taking extended and com
prehenC!ve views So versatile an intellect, such
strong sense and such OF expression are
rarely united, and the combination made Madame
de Stael truly wonderful woman, and advcr-
sary not unworthy the anxious hostility even Of
the Emperor Napoleon Her resoute persistence
was not the least important of her traits, and il
it entailed upon her prolonged suffering it
strengthened her character and increased the no.
bihty of her historic position.
T., bor ;pip cha han asnd IN ha