New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-22

mlttP0, cOHSOllNH DmSIl SollcNHdO WIN WV h'PN
that he might he able to devote himself to public
affairs as other ecclcsiastcs had done. Events
were moving at this time with uneXampled ra-
pidity and in new and strange directions. The
Revolution was beginning. and at the outset of
Lis new career young Talleyrand began TO take
! q part in it. He must have exhibited uncommon
ability even from the first, for he was appointed
| Agent General to the clergy, and later deputy
| to the States-General. The Court was already
| in the rapids. and about to shoot Niagara.
! great and increasing deficit hampered and almost
| paralyzed the wheels Of administration. Caonne
| and Necker We'd with one another in the lnVcn-
| ton Of eXpcdients, which only made the situation
worse. The prevailing democratic atmosphere
swiftly TRANSPORTED every governmental device ana
converted it into revolutionary instrument. HE
| folly and weakness of the court and nobles as
| abled them from any effective reaction; and when
| at the first menace of serious trouble the C0mtc
d'Artois set the example for emigration, Talley-
! rand perceived that the cause of monarchy was
already lost
| At that moment he sought an interview with
| the departing prince declared his fears and be-
| sought him to remain Tie Comtc d'Artois took
the protest good-naturedly, but held to his resolve
and left France at the head OF great following.
Talleyrand entered the Constituent Assembly, and
was active IN tS HYDROCARBONS Ill uHc -hCiHoHS'
however he passes hastily and lightly over this
| period even though his name is associated with
the introduction and advocacy of several wise
and salutary measures. 1t IS 10 his credit that he
| vigorously opposed the mad scheme Of the Assig-
mats and foretold its consequences. Bishop of
Autun by this time, he made a last use OF MS
| episcopal powers by consecrating the first con-
| stitutional bishops after which he resigned his
| bishoprc. Why Talleyrand should have so sighted
this period in lis career is not altogether obvious
| Possibly lie did not count for much his partclpa-
| ton in proceedings which were mainly follow
ing of the irresistible revolutionary current. His
attitude toward the clerical interests, moreover.
was not exactly compatible with ordinary ideas OF
loyalty and his relations with some revolutionary
| leaders have been held to involve somewhat dark
| suspicious. From these Memoirs nothing OF
| this can he dcciphcrcd. however. Reference IS
alone made 10 the general drift of events, and a
running commentary and criticism of the court
policy completes the sketch.
The second part of the Memoirs is devoted to
| a caustic paper upon the Due d'Oreans and while
| it is hardly possible that NJ. de Talleyrand can
have overstated the against that most profit
| gate, malignant and basely selfish prince. the fact
| that he himself helped TO place upon the throne
| of France the son of this same Due dOrlcans
| gives Il peculiar UdNOT 10 HIS ucHuHtlitloHS Law
there is certainly nothing to be said in bar of
Taleyrand's adverse Judgment, or in mitigation Of
his criticism. The fifth Due d'Orlcans was a
shocking example of the effect of eighteenth CEN
fury princey training upon a normally evil nature.
| lie had been encouraged all his life TO put self
| ratification before every other motive, and his
tastes were vicious in the extreme. So he gath
| cred about him the most depraVed yonng men Of
the period, and he lived not only scandalousy but
| UNANIMOUSLY. QuarrellinS with the Court because
| his greed of office rot satisfied, he turned
I enemy TO the King, and when the difficulty oc-
CURED over the deficit and the loan he took what
he held 10 be the popular side, opposed the royal
will, and played the demagosuc generally. Ia-
| eyrand holds Orleans directly responsible for the
! first overt act of violence which ushcrcd in the
! horrors Of the RevOlution-thr outbreak in the
| Faubourg Saint Antoine, of which the paper manu-
| facturer Revieon was the victim The men
taken on that occasion among the rioters all
| found to have the same sum Of moncy-l2 francs
| in their pockets; a sign that they were under
pay and the money of Orleans was the only capital
available for such purpose. But Tallcyrand ridi-
| cules the idea-Oncc very prcvacnt-that the prof
ligate Duke was in any way accountable for the
| Revolution. He merely made Of ii to secure
his personal ends, but he had not the intelligence
either to devise or 10 control such movement,
and. moreover no individual did, or could have
done either The Revolution in the air.
| Everything nourished and developed 1t. The
measures which were directed against it, no less
than those in its behalf, advanced it. The Duke
of Orleans merely drifted with the current, and
in due course, like nearly al the men of the Revo-
luton he was destroyed By the irresistible powers
with which he had rashly meddled.
| 10 L;r1 nf +l,o . dealing Will
but by no means covering, the years l19l-ls0S.
has to do with the Convention, the Directory, the
Consulate and the early period of the Empire.
/ Talleyrand obtained a mission TO London as the
bearer of letter from Louis the Sixteenth to the
King of England, and he escaped the terrible
events that were soon to follow by getting HIM
self dispatched later upon scientific mission n
the same Court. While in England he made the
acquaintance of Fox, Canning Bentham, Romlly
| and many other eminent men. But Pitt would
have none of him, and as the agent OF the Revolt
tonary and rcgicide government he was expelled
the country, much TO his disgust and indignation
He does not appear to have realized that in this
instance at least, his suierings were largely vica
riOus, and that the fact of his owing his mission
TO Danton doubtless had much TO do with the in
hospitable treatment accorded HIM, even though
he was ostcnsby expelled as an "emigre." lie
could not return to France, and he sailed for tho
United States, though he had 50 little feeling fol
America that he tried TO transfer himself to an
other vessel which was bound for the East Indies
and much regretted the failure of this attempt
Stress of weather having driven his ship into Fal
month for repairs, the following curious incident
| occurred: The inn-keepcr at whose place | haC
my meals informed me that Of his lodgcr,
was an American general. Thcreupon / expressed
the desire of seeing this gentleman, and shortly
afterward | was introduced 10 him. After thc
usual exchange of greetings, put to him severa
questions concerning his country, but, from In,
first, it seemed TO Inc that my inquiries annoyed
him. Having several times vainly cndeavoycd Il
renew the conversation which he always allowed
to drop, l venturcd 10 request from him let
1ers of introdnctinn TO his friends in Amcrica