Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-16

"reminiscences Suggested by the Visit Of
tho Comte dc Paris.


The visit of the Comte dc Paris
recalls 20 the Philadelphia Ledger
the stay in that city OF bis grand
father later King Louis Philippe,
of France, during his exile from his
native country under the stress OF the
French revolution. One OF tho most
interesting relics OF that visit is an old
lease from Don Joseph lgnatlus de War
TO "Louis Philippe. o. tho SAID
CITY. Esquire" dated February rs,
lT97, for a new three-story brick
house at the northwest corner OF
Fourth and Prune streets, for two years
~ a rent OF $50 Spanish mliiod silver
dollars. The lease is signed by the
owner and the tenant, the Latter sub
scrlbng his name, ~. I. dOrleans,
and using the seal OF one OF the wit
nessos, Abraham Shoemaker, VINO was,
no doubt, the scrlyener or conyeyancer
by whom the lease was drawn with I'll
the usual formaiities. This old paper Is
now the property of Dir. Joseph i.
Keefe, and was loaned by him to Mr..
George w. Childs 70 be shown to the
Comte DO Paris aud bis son, the Duo
dOrleans, the namesake Of his great
grandfather.
Apart from their personal interest in
this evidence of their ancestors place Of
residence there, it is of local interest. too,
as atte,ting the large cXtent to which
Philadelphia was then the gathering
place of foreigners of all ranks and coun-
tries. Don Joseph de War wGs no doubt
a Spaniard, and naturally would be glad
to give shelter-for q reasonable consid-
eration-to o French Prince nearly re-
lated TO the Spanish royal family.
Many of those most famous in later
French history were one after the other
residents Of Philadelphia, and Talley-
rand dated a number OF his letters there,
now recently printed for the first time,
but he was too busy TO make much refer
ence TO local affairs. Long after the
French ROYAL family was restored TO the
throne. Joseph Bonaparte and large
suite came TO that city and made their
home there OF near by. Every phase of the
| French revolution was represented by
those who fled from its dangers, Royal
lists, Girondists, Conyentionalists, Bona
partists, coming by turns. and often re-
newing old qusrrels and even cementing
new friendships in their safe retreat III
this country. Hyde de Neuville came
here at first as Royalist exile and later
as q Royalist Minister TO Washington,
and in his memoirs, recently published
in France, he lays great stress on the
kindness shown to him in exile and bis
effort TO return il by kindness to his
countrymen. no matter what their politi-
cal creed
The attention shown to the Comte do
Paris was, of course, largely due to his
services as volunteer, and still more as
the historian OF the civil war, but 1t has
served to revive interest In the stay here
of his grandfather when he, too, was in
exile, and with apparently as little pros
pect Of becoming King of France as the
present heir 10 his throne now has.
LongfeIlov's touching description Of the
refuge found by the exiled Arcadians
in the old Quaker almshouse Is the best
tribute to the hospitality which dis
tinguished old Philadelphia.
The prosaic lease of house at Fourth
and Prune streets to "Louis Philippe,
ESQ.," points 10 the neighborhood where
the French and Spanish exiles of that
day found the best residents, in whose
society, no doubt, time passed pleasant
ly. Did the King of France IN his later
splendor at Versailles and the Tuileries
recall the modest limits OF his old Phila-
| delphia home2