Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-10-18
AN UNJUST CRITIC.
The Fault6nding Letters Of a French
Visitor to This Country.
COMMENTS ON THE PEOPLE.
Chevalicr dc BacOurt and His Cross.
Grained GrOwls - Washington I'm
sparingIy Dealt With - Facts About
Prince dc JOinviIlc's Two Visits.
Written for TIE EyENINa STAn.

| Written for THE EVENING STAR
1 am indebted to an old friend, Mr.. NJ W.
Gait, for calling my attention to book pub
lished in 1885 containing private letters from
America during the administrations of Presi-
dents Van Buren,, Harrison and Tyler by the
Chevalier de Bacourt, with memoir of the
author by the Comtesse de Mirabeau. Judg-
| ing from these letters the writer must have
been cross-grained, ill-tempered man, whom
nothing could please, lie finds fault with
everybody and everything. Washington comes
In for more than it's share Of his animadver-
sions. The weather, the streets the people,
all are to him objects Of disgust Nothing and
nobody is spared His diplomatic confreres
are unsparingy dealt with. The book, how
ever, is very interesting, it recalls incidents
which, at that period, were important and
some OF which left their impress on the future
of the country. He deals with all sorts and
descriptions of life at Washington New York,
Philadelphia. Baltimore and other cities he
visited, and none of them all can obtain from
him a. favorable word They are American
aud that is enough for De Bacourt. His posi-
ton gave knowledge of events TRANSPORTING
in tho administration at Washington which was
| denied the outside world, and he does not hest
| tate to use that knowledge in tn ose letters He
| gives the reason for the second visit of the
| Prince de Joinvlle to this city. 1t may be re-
| membered by some of our older citizens that
| Prince dc Joinville came here during MIR. Van
| Burens term i'll the presidency. He landed at
| the navy yard frcm the French man-of-w
| Noluc and called upon the President to pay his
| respects, and was invited by the President to
| dine at the Executive Mansion, and for some
| reason, not then explained he neither accepted
| nor declined the invitation, but left the city
| sailing directly for France. 1t created a good
deal Of talk and the general opinion was it
would be made the subject of complaint to
| the French government, but that De Bacourt
| denies.
THE PRINCES SECOND VISIT
On his second visit the Prince de Joiaville
arrived in New York in the ship La Belle Poulle
IN September, 1911. NJ. dc Bacourt says: The
prince took me apart (what pity he ever put
him together AGAIN. and told me that the first
time he came to the United States he had be-
haved IN such way that he had been sent
| back from France to make amends for his
error. Mr.. Van Buren,, who was President at
that time asked HIM how long he intended to
a., stay III Washington: he told him that he was
going to leave the next day. Notwithstanding
this reply Mr.. Van Buren, invited him to dine
the next day, which invitation the prince did
not think he was obliged to accept. This pro-
duced great dissatisfaction and disagreeable
side OF the Atlantic. The prince charged NJ
Pontols. the then French minister, to mako
| his excuses, but he received .fameux galop'
(Severe reprmand)-this is his expression
| and the king pcremptorily ordered him to re-
turn to the United States and accept an invita-
ton to dinner. Consequently" SAYS NJ de
Bacourt, "he will so Immediately to Washing
| ton and stay thero long enough to avoid an
other scolding." In the meanwhile Mr.. Van
Buren, had retired to Undertook, Gen. Harri-
nd to lin
given by Mr.. Tyler.
TIE WHITE HOUSE DINNER.
This cross-grained minister speaks as I'M
pleasantly as he can Of the dinner. Mr.. Web
ster, the Secretary of State, left the city on tho
morning OF the dinner and De Bacourt says:
II am not sorry Cor this discourteous act, for
no Is pretentIous, firing ana would nave bored
US. MIR. Legare, one of the new members of
the cabinet, who is amiable and speaks French
very well, VIII replace Mr.. Webster which will
De far more agreeable TO the prince" Tho
dinner, ho says, passed off better than had
hoped. 1t only lasted one hour and a half
The grand reception III the evening was tedious
ridiculous and tiresome. Happily the prince,
with his natural gayety. amused himself with
the strange tOillettes of the women and bore
with great patience the indiscre ton of all those
VINO asked To be presented. also the familiarity
OF their manners and language. AT last at 10
O'Clock he went home, delighted to have per-
ocean by royal and paternal command"
ONE WHO REMEMBERS HIM.
lady who remembers this irascible little
Frenchman says he was to her like one o.
those little, ill-natured, snarling, barking fyste
dogs. the most unpleasant and annoying of the
canine breed. She says no found fault with
everything and everybody, and was intensely
| dl5Ilked- The relative VINO gives these letters
to the reading pubic should have exer csed
| some Judgment and withheld those which are
| so Offensive to all who remember the persons
| discussed with such unjust freedom The moro
| especially as, she says. ''he wrote them with
| out thought of their ever being published :"
| She hopes, too, she says. ''these letters on
America may recall the remembrance OF NJ de
| Bacourt They most assuredly will recall
| him as a very unpleasant person. 1t was to
| NJ. de Bacourt Prince 1aIleyrand bequeathed
| his memoirs giving him as one OF his execu-
| tors the power to publish them thirty years
| to a later period If he judged it necessary.
| Iaileyrand died i'll May, 1888, and De Bacourt
| before his death, acting the Judgment
allowed him. delayed by his will the pnbIica-
| ton until 1885. They are now. it is said, UNI
| dergoing preparation for publication.
FAULT FINDING IN NEW YORK.
When the Prince de Joinvilie returns to
| New York NJ. de Bacorr. accompanies him and
tells of the entertainment given him there by
| W. llObt OtuCIS anu the same 1ault
finding peryades what he writes of them which
| he displayed at Washington. He says of the
| ball at Mrs. Motifs: Although better than
| Washington there was much to find fault with
in the exaggerated dress of the women and the
vulgar manners of the men,"
| OF his own countrymen he says: 1.-The
| French who are living here New York; annoy
me very much. They are abominable
| rOgues, who have run away from france and
hive here by fraud. My predecessor, NJ. Pom,
| tots. lived on very familiar terms with them
and they are astonished that do not follow
letter to the French government complaining
of him and asking his recall. On his return to
| Washington the Patent Office was robbed and
he says of it: The thieves have not been
caught and probably never will be, owing tc
the singular orr aniZation OF the police, or
rather to the total absence of any guarantee
OF public or private property" The articles
were recovered, as all know, and now are IL
the National Museum.
| LIBEL on WEBSTER AND CLAY.
His description OF the dinner at the Presi-
dents on the 18th of January, 1912, contains
such gross libel on Mr.. Webster that ono
feels tempted to brand him as u falsifyer. Mr.
Clay's speech delivered in 1872 January, he
pronounces "a complete failure" Lord Mar
peth was there, he says, land had the opportun
ity OF judging of the elo1uence of the grea
American orators aud OF the anarchy which
rules in this paradise called republicr
There Is nothing that escapes this scold. HI
attacks the Bavards for their lmpudence III
calling themselves descendants of the Cheva-
Her Bayard; they are ignorant. no doubt, of the