The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-05

Uhen Gne world Among those 600 depu-
ties OF the Third Estate no such other
was there as Gabriel Honore Riauetti
de Mirabeau. He was delegate from
AK, where his previous life had been
notorious and unique-a strange mix
ture of crime and generosity and as
plration. From his childhood he had been
more like one of the persons of an old Greek
tragedy than like a living man of the
Eighteenth century. Even as a bow his
passions were as thunder and lightning
roaring and striking in the forest. He was
perhaps the most uncontrolled and uncon-
trollable being of his age. Neither with
his own family nor with the people of his
provencal town could he get on in any kind
OF peace. He was always in rebellion and
struggle and conflict.
The grandfather of Mirabeau was nick
named Old Silverstock. He, too, had been
a fighter of great fame In one battle. at
the bridge of Casano, he stood and fought
until he was gashed with twenty-seyen
saber wounds. Then falling in his place
with camp kettle placed over his head bv
one of his men, he lay there while the cav
airy of Prince Eugene galloped back and
forth over him-lay there, not to die. but
to get up and be the father of men, among
the rest of this Gabriel Riquetti.
MIrabeau was born at Bignon, close to
Nemours, on the 9th of March, 1749. He
was forty years and two months old when
the states general convened. He was bat
tered and SCARED already by almost every
Kind OF violence and excess. He had been
eXcorlated with the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
thereby till he became an object of Ioathine
even to his father, man not unlike him
self in temper. The father was the Mar
quis Victor de Mirabeau, and he fain
would have brought his son I'LL 70 great
ness But the latter was, as surly CARLYLE
has expressed it, the toughest lions
whelp ever Uttered of that rough breed
1t is in valn." says he, ooh, marouisl This
cub, though thou fay him or slay him.
will not learn to draw in the dogcart of
political economyl'
All the early life of this man was scene
OF disorder and misery. What should he
do at length but marry Mile de Marag-
name, rich heiress of AK? And what
then but rush ahead, in spite of his own
resources and hers, and get into debt to
the extent of 100000 livres-like a mad
man? The old marquis, his father, said
ne acds mad, and swore to it, and procured
against him writ of lunacy, and had him
shut up, as sort of stay against his debts.
Hereupon the enraged Gabriel left AK
and settled at Manosaue, until, on ac-
count OF a quarrel, he was imprisoned in
the castle of If. That, oh, reader, is q sig
nificant name, that If! AS though man
should be jailed in a hypothesis If YOU
can keep him therel If he does not get
away and become deputy to the states
general and turn the world upside down.
But between this and that lie many cpl
sodes. The passions of Mirabeau drove
him as the cyclone drives the leaf. At
length, IN Franche Comte, he made the &C.
qualntance of the beautiful wife of the
president of the Parliament of Besancon.
Her name was Sophie de Ruffey, Marchion-
ess OF Monier With her he fell in love.
and she with him, and when the affair was
out they fled to Holland. Cause was had
against him. He was tried, convicted,
and was beheaded-that is. by
proxy. This is to say that the wise and
vindlctive court had an effigy made of
Gabriel, and that was beheaded, but not he
which would have been a more serious
matter
AS the revolution came on the event
seemed to open to Mirabeau-for he was
now returned to his native city-a field ex-
actly suited for his stormy activities. He
would fain be delegate to the states gener-
al Of course he was now the Comte de Mira
beau, a nobleman by birth and natural rep
resentative of the aristocracy, but the aris-
tocracy of Provence would have none of
him. The mobiles of the south spewed him !
out. But that does not signify, for we will |
be elected anyhow. We will become one
Of the Commons, one of the Third Estate.
But In order to do this we must be engaged |
IN some industrial pursuit. Therefore we !
hire an old warehouse and put up over the |
door this inscription, "Mirabeau, the Wool |
en- Draper" So we are an artisan, and |
when the election is held we are the candi- |
late OF the Third Estate for AK. and are