New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-03-22
THE TALLEYRAND MEMOIRS.
NEITHER DEFENCE NOR SCANDAL, BUT
HISTORY.


sSSs si'n Translated slated by Raphael edcs de bean
1 %hiteaW w. Reid, American Minister in Paris, With
AUTOGRAPH Letters and Portraits COW Volume l. oVo
MEMORIES DtI PRINCE DE TALLEfRAND. Pub
lies avoc une Preface ct des Notes par le quo ne
Drosie de rAeaaem ss Er" parse caman AMMAN Levy
NewYork: F. W. Christcrn.
The reader who opens these volumes III the en-
pectaton of learning from them anything new as
10 the personality of Talleyrand or who looks Tor
revelations Of q scandalous nature, explanations
of the grave charges preferred against the aulhor
by his contemporaries, anecdotes such as MS VIII
and satire furnished point to during his me- OF
savage attacks upon his enemies, Will DC dis
appointed The brilliant introduction by the Hon.
Whiteaw Reid will, however, set the Keynote lot
the interest which cannot fail to dc 1elt III all .iie
writings of one of the most influential and able
men Of his time, and the preface by the Duo ue
Broglie will suggest the aspects under which the
peculiarites Of the Memoirs should be consldereu'
What the world for fifty years has been anticl-
Mating in these long-withheld papers is, IN iac'
very different from the reality. Talleyrand had
the reputation of being not only the most Vehai
man of his day. but one of the most venai men In
history. Mr. Reid has shown the specific charges
of colossal bribery which were charged upon him
and which he made no attempt to dlsproVe' Inc
experience of the American Commissioners al the
time of the Directory, when Talleyrand demanded
S95OOOO as the price of his favors, is noteu case
in point and it is but one instance IN score, al
well attested In regard to this accusation there
apuears 70 be no room for doubt; but 1alleSrano
himself ignores the subject in his Memoirs as ne
did when alive for not even the direct denuncla-
lions of Napoleon could ever bring him either 10
admit or deny the truth of the charges
There were still graver counts against MN.
The death of Nlirabcau was ascrlbed 10 hllh' an"
the terrible word poison" was used IN connection
with it, He was held responsible for the muroei
of the Due d'Enghien also, and IL was peIeN'u
by many that he had hand in the affair OF
Membreuil when attempt was hlaue "
nssassinate Napoleon OF the first and last OF
.boso cha rces he takes no notice whatever III the
memoirs" But he has written a special no'e
on the death of the Duo d'EnGhicn, in when nc
fixes the responsibility for that crime upon
Nonoleon He had in the course OF his career
served so many governments, and played 1aise ~
so many rulers, that his name became sNhohSn.e
for bad faith insincerty, and terelversatoh' i.
indeed we intcrrogate his contemporaries we snAii
seek in vain for our favorable estimate oil h'S
character. and there is evidence showing that lhe
men whom he served all distrusted him. lhao
there was reason for this misrust cannot W
doubted and the fact may be established upo"
bis own statements. He was destructive factor
in every Government under which he held oulce'
and this he himself acknowledges. while lustlylng
tho nroccedings which laid him open TO the charge
Of dnplicity and treachery. His position was that
he ALWAYS nut the interests of France before those
Of any Government, whether Revolutionary, I'M
peral or Royal This plea it is. moreover "n'ch
in a measure interprets the Memoirs, Tor they
were written in support OF IT.
The term memoirs" is somewhat misleading as
annlied 70 snch work, and Talleyrand recognl1ed
tbis and pointcd it out. IN note he says
cor scarcely call il my Memoirs for my life ana
relations will be found mentioned in II as scIdoh
as can help To give this large work inc ute
of NV Opinions on the Affairs Of My Time would
be a term, perhaps justified but also 100 oe-
cided 70 be at the head of production OF man
who has doubted rs much as / have in my lie.
And in fact he put no title TO the WORK hiihSeh'
so that he cannot he accused of practising
deception upon posterity. But it may DC ASKED
why did n man who bore and certainly knew he
bore perhaps the most scandalous reputation In
Europe. avoid all reference to the affairs upon
his connection with which that evil rcpute was
based if he really desired to rehabilitate bis char
acter? Possibly the observation of SainteBeuve,
ouoted by Mr. Reid in his Introduction. may fur
nish a clew to the enigma. Said the great crltlc,
writing in 1867: 81 am persuaded that every
thing to be found in the letters and other writings
of Talleyrand will give one very favorable idea
of HIM People Of genius like his never put the
worst Of their thoughts or of their lives upon
paper" In further calculation Of his motives
reference may be had to many observations OF his
own, TO be found scattered through his writings
ana the records Of his conversation He was
rather fond of saying that it quite useless
denial
or disproof According to him the detraction
was sure to be believed. and the refutation. even
if seen would be accorded little weight. He
was profound cynic and well he might be: but
he was one of the ablest of statesmen and diplo-
mats, and no man understood better how TO util-
ize every advantage he possessed Nothing shows
this better than his management at the Congress
Of Vienna, and the principles thus applied by him
NAV very well have been extended TO cover the
case OF the Memoirs.
The Due de Broglie, in his Preface, hints at the
same lire of thought, saying: " NJ. dc Talleyrand
seems rot to have the slightest intention of re-
plying. by way OF explanation or apology, to the
various charges that have been brought against
him. Save the share that some writer's have
ascribed TO him in the outrage that put an end
to the days OF the Due d'EnGhen, and which he
Indignantly dsclaims in special note he pre-
serves a silence which does not merely appear Il
he that of disdan it is rather sort Of resolution
taken to occupy the attention of his readers with
nothing that concerns himself alone, but to re-
serve ali their attention for the great political
aud national interests, whose fate he held, or
several occasions, in his own hands, and for which
France and posterity have the right TO demand
account If such has been his object land every
thing leads TO this conviction if he has really
thought neither Of satire, pleading nor confession
of any kind, but merely of showing that the
fortunes OF France had not lost by being entrusted
10 his care, lie could scarcely have found a better
way of clearing his memory from the accusations
which, having never been spared him in his
lifetime. not likely 10 be spared him in eii,
grave" The only means by which he could avoid