New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-01-13
THE FRENCH WHEREFORE.
SOME MEMORIES OF VICTOR School
CHER IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND
London. January 3.

he liked to be called. / don't think he well
known outside of France. that his French
reputation was very widespread, very high.
except among the Liberals and reformers and
among those whom his efforts benefited. and
especially among the colonial blacks, who owed
him their liberty. He belonged to a generation
which he survived. his birth dating from 1904.
and 1t was but yesterday that he died. AS his
name might suggest. he was of Alsace. son of a
rich dealer in pottery. To the last, there was
something about him that seemed not quite
French; nor did Alsace spite Of all the senu-
ment uttered about 1t by those who stole It
away from Germany, and lost it again in fair
fight, ever become quite French. You could
almost always tell an Alsatian, often doubt
whether he was a Frenchman The inhabi-
tants Of that interesting province have, for one
thing, or many of them have, the gift or
tongues, which very few Frenchmen have. 1t
Is a German, not a French trait. Schoelcher
had it in measure; his travels, and his long
residence abroad exile, helping. But he
was, in thought and feeling, thoroughly French
and also in a certain delicate susceptibility OF
nature and Of intellect. Indeed, he was more
Partisan than French. There is difference.
Schoelcher became an Abolitionlst by sort Of
accident. SO early had his mind turned toward
radical ideas that his father sent him on bust
United States to remove HIM from French poll
tics. and from revolutionary influences. II was
in 1927 1928 when rev oiution in the air and
France applying her mind to the problem. How
to Get Rid OF Charles the Tenth Schoelcher was
already Republican His visit 70 the Western
Hemisphere made him Abotionst. How
many American Republicans were Abolitonists
In those days? 1t was before Garlisons time.
The spectacle Of American slavery was one which
the young French Republican could not endure.
He went home an emancipat.onis,. Later, he
travelled in other sIave-owning and slave-trad-
ing countries.-Turkey. Egypt and finally Sene-
gal From 1890 when he thought the revolution
failure because It only put another King on
the Throne. till 1913, he bldcd his time: pegging
away at Republican reforms. writing, publishing.
substituting Republican periodicals. When 1913
and the Republic came. he thought his hour mad
struck and 1t had. Re was the friend Of the
men who then foated to the surface. and 10 the
summit. He was made Under Secretary Of State
for the Marine and the Colonies. An Abolition
Commission was appointed for the Colonies Two
months later the Assembly passed decree
abolshing slavery. |; was Schoelchers work.
done quickly and done we'll Guadeloupe and
Martinique hailed lin their deliverer. and
elected him their representative When the En-
pire set up the ruins Of the betrayed
Republic he went into exile first at Brussels
then in London.
1t in London that met Schoelcher Louis
Blanc introduced to him. The two were
great friends They had ideas and sufferngs in
common, for freedoms sake. SchOelcher came
of a good commercial family. and his sympathies
were with the classes much lower in life than
his own but his appearance and manner were
those Of an arstocrat Of the last century He
seemed to have walked out Of French Memoir
under the old regime. Tall, thin, keen-eyed an
air of superiority hung about him like garment
worn against his will. lie was very sedate.
spoke with fluency enough, but with little Of the
rapidly characteristic Of the Gaul and you
could see in his speech, which often famed
high, and in his look. the deep enthusiasms and
the passion for liberty and equality which
burned in him. He had other passions Music
was one. and among musicians Handel was his
IDOL. lie had. believe. an unequalled collection
IF Handels music in manuscript and print and
IF books and other things concerning him, which
he used to show with pride. | was unworthy
10 behold these treasures. caring az did moth
ng for Handel and not much for music, and to
Schoelcher, the musician. | was no better than
barba rian.
on other points. we agreed better: on politics.
or example and books. Schoelcher never
acked for money. prodigal as he Of it in
what he thought good cause and there were
many causes which he thought good. He coll
ectcd whatever he cared fer; works of art. as
we'll music and books. At this period. from
SCI to 1870 he had his treasures in London In
he house he possessed and inhabited i'm Chelsea.
went there TO see him. and he showed me his
library with pride. II was numerous. five or six
thousand books in all; bound with rigid uni
ormity. each section in leather Of such hue as
eemed to him best to express the nature of the
ontents. Theology. for example. was in black
history in dark brown and all the volumes.
hink. In French half morocco. the edges cut all
ound and mostly sprinked-a barbarous GUS
ON. Not al all the sort Of library dear 10 the
mateur of fine books He returned my visit.
nd looked, In spirit cf indulgence at the few
He'd shelves then had When he had finished
is survey he said: "Ah. you have a pretty coll
ection OF books; have a library" Neither Of
IS envied the other
Those were the days when Louis Blanc, warm.
earted and loving his fellow men and women
ied To collect an interesting assortment OF guests
l his little dining-room in Montagu Place: HIM
a.f. perhaps. the most interesting of the conf
any. They all. or almost ALL belonged by one
tie or another. and in one capacity or another
} the great army of reformers in which the
emile but fiery host himself a leader.
though not. think. caring much for
!scellaneous society. came to these dinners.
he talk was more OF less poyg.ot, and the ideas
,ther subversive Of the then existing order Of
iings. Madame Louis Blanc. an Englishwoman
whom the politics Of her husband were caviar.
rove In her kindly way to keep the peace among
lie contendinS factions. | say contending for
Tough almost all were radicals of extreme opin-
ms. and many revolu;ionists. they seldom agreed
nong themselves as to the kind OF uprooting
lat ought to be done. or the particular sort Of
volution which had the best claim on their at
ntion.
Louis Blanc himself was Socialist first Of all:
II Socialist o. the pattern now SO common
II a man To whom the welfare Of the people was
e one problem OF which he most cared TO find
q SOLUTION PrnhlnmS Of Ia nr nd Il