New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-02-19
A POET IN POLITICS.
VI. PAUL DEROULEDE'S SENSATIONAL
CAREER.

poet 80 is he poor politician IL Is an open
question whether he is poor politician because
he is poor poet. or whether lie is a poor poll
tlcian because he Is a poet at al Yet, poor as
his poetry is, all France is familiar with it.
And, poor politician as he is lie has a large
following and eNerts q potent influence upon
the progress Of public affairs
NJ Deroulcde was born on September ., ls46,
in the Place ST. Gcrmain rAuxcrr)is-one of the
quantcst streets in the quaintest part Of the
French capital just the spot for poet TO he
born in. but scarcely for Red Radical And, in
deed. he had native bent toward literature: for
lie was the crcat-grand,on OF Pieault Lebrun, one
OF the foremost Of oldtimc n0velists. and
nephew Of the illustrious playwright and Academi-
clan, Emile Angler, who died only few years
ago. But he also got early bent toward poll
ties. for he was educated in bovhood AT Versailles
by an old professor named Chappc, who was an
ardent lover Of Democratic liberty and an in
vcterate hater Of the Imperial regime. which was
then im full swing So when ne was only seven
teen years old. and was a law student, Paul
began writing political patriotic Poll
tics and patriotism often diner more in spelling
than in anything else And he signed them all
Jean Rebel" Some of them were printed in
La Revue Nafionalc.' and attracted attention,
not for their poetic merits. for they had little,
uHt LOT lH"lr fcpuDIlcdnlsIl. WIFI WHICH
they were filled. They were observed by the En-
pcror and his police, too, and their author was
set down as a dangerous fellow, who should be
watched They caught the eve. too. of burlv
young fellow from the South of France, who spent
his evenings at the famous Cafe Procopc, and
whose name was Leon Gambctta.
At twcnty-threc TO wit. in 1869. Paul Derou-
lcdc set ont 10 travel lie went to Egypt and
witnessed the opening of the Suez Canal lie
went thence to Italy, 10 Austrll. 10 Prussia, to
the Netherlands. Wherever he went he enjoyed
the good things Of the world. lie wrote much
poetry And he also wrote a play called " Juan
Strcnner," which enjoyed the extraordinary honor
Of being promptly accepted and produced at the
Theatre Francois. IL is true that his uncle, Emile
Angler. was then at the height of his fame, and
probably used lis influence in the young mans
behalf But then, also, Pail was ont OF
favor politically. and the Theatre Francois was
dominated by Imperial politics 1t is, therefors,
safe to reckon that these forces balanced each
other and that his play WAS dealt with according
to its merits
He cot back to France just in time to see the
outbreak of the war with Germany. At first ne
looked on alphabetically. Ii was Louis Napoleons
war. What had Republican to do with il
but when he the French armies beaten and
the soil of France trampled by triumphant in
vadcrs he forgot lis party politics. lie hurried
to the camp at Chaons and enlisted in regiment
Of zoyiayc, The next day woman entered the
camp leading tall schoolboy
In which regiment is Paul Deroulede p she
asked She was told: and was asked why she
wanted 10 know
Il am his mother, and this is his younger
brother
nl l. nar1 fror
to the war? Well, you too late. lie is al
ready enrolled"
On the contrary, monsieur. | have brought
this other lad TO enlist ALSO in the same regiment,
if you please
The younger lad was accordingly enrolled,
though he was under the legal age for military
service and the two brothers fought side by side
as far as Sedan. In that terrible conflict Paul
saw his brother shot, and was himself taken pris-
oncr and sent T. Brc,!au. There he remained for
several months Terrible months he said. Il
was mourning the death of my brother and the
destruction of France: for no news came to
us but that of German victories us iather ana
dead. and we're plunged in thu deepest mourning.
AS matter of fact. however, neither was dead. The
Younger lad had been seriously wounded, but was
recovering. and was safe with friends in Belgium.
At thu end OF the war he went back to his school
ana finished his studies. 4" But it was nuisance.
he said. for all tie other boys kept asking me 70
show them my medals and my wounds and to tell
them my adventures
rs for PAM, he escaped from Brcslau and TO-
turned TO France in time to reioin the army and
IA he part in the campaigns of IN" Loire and the
Est In the latter he was comradc of Gambctta,
and close friendship WIS formed between the
TWO. which remained unbrok"n until Gambettas
death During the Commune Dcroulcie was on
the NeTsiilll,t Sld' and commanded regiment
IF chasseurs And new a curious thing occurred.
This soldier had been one of tle earliest volun
had ph, haF Lost
battles and campaigns of the war. And he never
yet had been wounded. But now he was finally
stricken down; by French bullet. II was in tn;
,tormng of the l'cleviIle barricadc Colonel
Dcroulcdc at the head Of his troops He WAS
the first to spring upon the barricade ard tear
down tn" red flag. ~ he did 50 communist
fired and shot him through the arm. breaking II,
and he fell, still cutching the rebel flag he had
captured.
A long period in hospital followed, during
which he wrote more patriotic poems and pub
lished a little volume of them. Their sentiment
appealed 10 France and the fact that they were
written by French soldier while suffering from
mendous send-otf" Within six months seventy
editions of these Chants du Sodat' were issued,
their author one of the best known men in
France and the French Academy publicly praised
and thanked him for them. To this day. in every
part of France. tine poems of Drrouledc are sung
and rccitcd. and the volume bearing his name
he brought ont another volume. "NonveauX
Chants du Sodat." lie also resumed pay-writ-
ing and u piece Of his called "L'IIetmanT won
great success at the OdoOn.
Iii, chief work. however. was yet TO come.
His friend Ganhctta pushed him forward in
politics. and az last got him appointed, with his
Commission of Mili'arg Education IN this
,apacitv he cndcav0red 10 arouse and intensity
warlikc spirit throughout France. But he I'D
not get on we'll with Jules Ferry. and presently
rocigncd He did not. however. abandon his
work On the contrary. he prosecuted it with
renewed zeal He founded what he called the
ttgl snI
,umbrrs that in a ycar time il had quarter
Of million members. Soldiers actually serving
,r enrolled in the army not allowed 70 Join
Z But in ovorv town and village il opened
pymnasia and rife ranges and drill grounds. where
= members trained ~ military service.
Tho motto 81 the league, which h" himself
ectnd was Qmi vive? La France quand meme!s
Now this famous organization was splendid
hing in theory. II trimming school for
'uinrr soldiers, and il was powerfnl agency
ar tho cultivation Of a patriotic spirit among
non ~ eli nnlitical parties. lis Intimate object