New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-01-04

dence r t,a of the man can be just which j
not relieve by many light touches the so,S
colors i'm which his countrymen nave go
DENOTED him. lie had the UNIFORM c1ui.eost
dignitv of the old regime lie was the mosC
complished of cOurters, the most correct Vi LIS
ters of ceremonies lie spoke well, ana he VIII VIII
better-hs few appearances at the AcadeniS ie"iy
hein0 events In the brilliant sailors 81 re c0uI'
circles before the Revolution he WIS social non
Women always liked and helped hun. Ills WIZ
81 wings were the talk OF Paris. In prospeII2 no
was not arrogant in times of trouble he bore nini-
self with unruftled dignity and composure; 49,
NapoIeon denounced him in the presence OIL otnets,
Io ant down the staircase What pity that 30
great a man should have been SO DadIy pIV LIZ.
I'M At another time when Napoleon, then rhso
Consul asked him how he had become 50 rlcI tne
was said at that period to be worth thirty millions
Of francs. he replied, Nothing could be more
simnIe, General: ! bought Rentes the day Deiore
the 9Th Brumaire the day on which Napoieo,.
seized power, and ] sold them the day alter,
lie had taken Office under Louis Xviii ana was
representing France at the congress OF 'ie tI'
when Napoleon suddenly came back from ElDt,
lie merely discovered that his liver was httle 0uC
of order and he must go to SarlsDau' ny
first duty of a diplomat he observed, al W
Congress, is TO take care OF his liVer Mn.n
things went wrong, says Sainte-Bcuve. he always
had trouble with his liver. In iact. Il lew lho .
Later after Waterloo there were iresh SYMPTOMS
of the same disease so long as LOUIS A'Ill re-
garIed him askancc but the moment he was re-
appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs al was well
The harm Talleyrand did was chiehy 10 n II
public action in the Constituent Assembly was
most important and in the main most Judlc,ouo
The French writers OF that perl0n ana even u ,
TO the day of his death. habitually ascrlbed shi'-
ter motives to every act and pr0fessed To ma HIS
hidden hand in many cAceSses OF the Revolu,lon
airy party But he can only be larry judgeu INV
bv what he is known TO have done: ana by tnae
standard there is no Frenchman who might noo
be proud of his record in the Constituent AsSeh.
bly, He was the pioneer in the esta2 n % rho S
assrnats and accurately fOretOld their end iic
presented an elaborate and judicous p an Tor me
reform of the finances and the Establishment o. y
sinking fund. lie urged the suppression OF ot'
teres lie presented, in comprehensive ana III
the main a iudicous report and bill, a system ct
national education, including plan FOR the fcu. .
larization of the schools. He favored me pehcy
Of npace and alliance with England. Blshop as
he still was, he presented the measure Ior seii s
the property of the clergy, ana mus se XWf ,
the almost bankrupt treasury OF LOUIS ANl tMn
miIliards of francs lie carried the measure lyr
aboshing the oppressive titheS OF me clergV. 10 y,
effect this representative of me oid not ~ rcco ~
France showed himself among tie earl eS, 20 ieeo9
nize the inevitable changes. ana loNaiiN eneaiiI
ored at first to introduce reforms wnicn VIII ;,b'
enable the monarchy to adapt itse If 10 them WIN
omt foo violent wrench As time went on ne
became convinced of the lncapac,y OF te nirs ;,T
meet the crisis Thenceforward ne weht WIN
the tide but strove rather to moderate ana re-
strain il The address 10 the people OF fran'S
which the Assembly chose him TO prepare breathea
throughout spirit of genuine ana almost Iepnu v
lean devotion 10 the rlghls Oh MAN 40 VIC H'''
understand them
In other and widely differing occasions ms ln-
fuence was eXered to promote peace ana TO ON, H.
courage wars of mere ambition. ne ldlthiu'S.
warned NAPOLEON against his Spanish policy. ana
fell into disgrace for a time through efforts :"
thwart it. With that spanish poicy me o tow
fall of NapoleOn began. At Erfut he proo SCI
AGAINST the scheme OF wanton aggr Sion againso
Austria and even maintained private reia,tonS
and had nightly interviews WIN me - ,I Jar e.
ander IN keep him from being led into II Dy Napo'
Icons opportunities Al another stage IN Naps
Icons Wild aggressions he protested, = DO not wnJ
to be the torment of XR bee e 1857 that bi Kin:
wouId not tolerate his plans for an a liance with
Ep@iand Later on he went TO England as ths
Ambassador Of LOUIS PRppe b aa s spgrr 6s
country many years OF peace ana pfospeIlS'
He rendered useful service at the peace OF Amens;
to an English rather than to a Russian alliance.
and for this Theirs and Others have criticised him
but there is no proof thai MS pollcy Wouu d n"s
have resulted as well. After the hundred DAYS
he did everything in his power TO protect French
property and preserve French territory
= f. close this cursOry recital. two other acts
Of Tallcyrand may be cited, which this genera
ton should not allsw 10 be forgotten ne pro.
posed under the Consulate practical system OF
civil service for the Department OF Foreign AZ
fairs. lie was PERMITTED to introduce it in part
only but his remarkable memorandum on the SUBJ
jet can be read with profit to this day; lie dr.
XVIII against the tendency of the King and the
court Twice in the Chamber OF Peers. In sue
cessive ears he faced the reaction This SUBJ
wished TO enter.
Let us take for granted he once sad that what has
been desired. what has been held good ana Useful by
during succession Of years Of various governments.
is necessity OF the time. such. gentlemen, is I'll,
ernments ought TO hasten 10 recognize these new
necessities. But when they have been recosnled' 10
same thing-to suspend it Indefinitely that i rash.
which. more than any one hope may not bring
venent but pitiful thought You must never COM
promise the good faith of government. In our dsyi
some one who has more sense than VoI'aire. mors
than Bonaparte more than any Director mora
i5evsrybody. @3dstake persist il
You is fault; and to-day all political faults ara
dangerous.
Students of current American politics are 40
customed to the phrase, Everybody is wiser than
from the above that Tallcyrand said So before
the American politicians.
The forthcoming memoirs have been en-
pcctcd to clear up some of the dark charges
against him. and TO do much toward clarity
ing our views Of that remarkable epoch.
They are sure TO leave better impression as -
One of his critics. Saintc Beuve. udicioVly SAYS:
Il am persuaded that everything to be- found
IN the letters and other writings Of CalcNrani
will give a more favorable idea OF him. People
Of genius like his never put the worst of their
thoughts or of their lives on paper" HI relation
10 the murder of the Duke dEnghicn and his
trcachery At one period or another Of lis service
To almost every master he ever served. all
likely Ia appear in a new and more favorable
aspect. He will she'd new light on the career
of Napoleon. and on the secret motives which
controlled the Emperor nj critical moments. II,
may disclose his real opinions OF the religion
he preached in his youth. and Lc will certainly
disclose his real opinions about the monarchy
which he helped to overturn and Ia rce,tl blI>iL
But he will make no attempt 10 explain away
his unfortunate relations To America on both
sides of the water. and there is no ,ign that he
will make the slightest reference to his constant
acceptance of bribes. WlIlIELAW REID.