Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-28

the culprit's standing honor, character.
What shall 1 dor' the secretary asked
the commiSSary.
Leave him at liberty
Oh, where's the slave so lowly,
Condemned to chains unholy,
Who, could he burst
His bonds at first,
Would pine beneath them slowlyT'
These sweet lines of the sweet-voiced
Thomas Moore have pointed application to
the case of every foreigner in France who
finds himself involved in that mysterious
piece OF ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS process ver-
bal. 1t applies in general (and not at all
infreQuently) to % drunken gentlemen who
make disturbance, C2) tourist ladies OF all
nations yielding to temptation in the big
shops. To be at liberty, without bail
bond, without money and without price. to
breathe the fresh spring air. to take a good
stun drink, to take an open cab into the
Bois-oh. bless that commissary for his
goodness, his discretion and his insight into
character!
Leave him at liberty" the commissary
said. But that does not prevent the pro-
ces verbal creeping-creeping on its way
among the offices. The commissary Of po-
lice is not judge. The hearing In the
morning, which with us Is before a commit
ting magistrate. was here before the COM
missary but a simple function of police rou-
tine.
This fine liberty which the commissary
could and did give is a liberty to stand and
tremble under, waiting. free as air. two
weeks, three weeks. month. to hear the
thunder clap of, Come; be tried!' Or. as
1t often happens to the English or Ameri-
cans who do not understand, it is a liberty
to sit in foolish gladness, knowing nothing
till the lightning strikes them. And, last.
1t is a liberty to skip. to fee, to leave the
land of France.
The Real Onense.
A question very pertinent comes up. IF
they intend to pursue the charge why do
they free the drunken man without bail
hnv,1 40 ,Nt ssirta fn trIrr
sue the charge" The charge pursues its
own way by virtue of pharmaceutical ma
chinery. Nobody Intends" nobody cares.
C2) In this case it was not for his drunken
ness. or rather the public scandal, that he
must have fear. That might be a fine or
nothing but a scolding The French have
SO little drunkenness among themselves.
they can afford to look on II with tolerance
The offense which had involved him in a
ought to skip take prompt measures,
was the striking of an officer. This de-
ponds something very fundamental In
French law and usage. In France, under
the republic as under the monarchy, the
essential principle is respect for authority
| that is. for the person who represents
| authority. Thus petty thief, sent up Tor
two months last week, turned and revived
the judge who sentenced him. He got two
extra years upon the spot from that In
suited judge! In the army court-martial
trials such offenses are frequently pun
| ished with death. So, the slightest overt
act against an agent, even the touching OF
| his shoulder with your finger in an alter
cation, is dangerous thing. CD Why, IL
| the thing were serious, did they let our
friend at liberty pending his trial? These
| laws are made for Frenchmen, not for for
| eigners. FrenchmeR cannot will not. leave
| their beloved country. They cannot, will
| not, skip out for the matter OF short i'm
prisonment. French law can count upon
| foe
| liberty pending trial, men whom We in
| America would ask to furnish heavy bail.
| If foreigners run of, tant mieux, We will be
rid of them! Thus says French justice
High Time for Action.
This was something we had quite forgot
ten. and it only struck the writer after
several days Provisional liberty does not
mean our friend was watched. He was as
free as air. He had no doubts. One was
obliged to wake him from this false Sc
curity do you wish to stay in Parish
Certainly" Then let US seek the COM
missary for advice"
The commissary answered coldly: 1.-The
affair is not in my hands," ''Will 1t be a
fine?" IT do not know might it be
IMPRISONMENT" Undoubtedly" How
much?" II cannot tell" Monsieur lie
Commissaire, 1t is the question of a for
eigner, unused to discipline. Please give
us some advice"
The commissaire relaxed and answered al
most kindly, with real interest: "DepecheE-
vous depechez-vous. Get from your consul
or ambassador a letter recommending YOU
Then see one of the secretaries of the pre-
feet of police. The matter will rest there
today yet, or tomorrow. Quick, depechez-
vous IL the dossier gets 10 the office of the
public prosecutor you will have great diff
ficulty.' He wrote a name upon a card:
That is the man to see'
The question now arose: How would
you like to make call on the ambassa-
dor?" And tell him all my little troubles?
Thank you. nor We'll, then. consult a
lawyer" What curious stories the letter
books of a great New York and Paris firm
could tell-smashed international marriages
and extraditions, runaways and kleptoma-
MACS, rich and gracious ladies weeping in
their handkerchiefs because some mean de-
tective caught them lifting lace.
The first advice. the last. the best-the ad-
vice Americans who live here even are
regularly tempted to forget, because we
think so differently from the French and
cannot understand their ways-is. stop the
lawsuit stop the proces-verbal stop it
quick, and do not trust to time or liberty
or your money or position! Once a case
has reached the parquet, French law is
like the grinding of the mills of the gods !
Nothing can then be done except a personal
application to the judge who is to try the
case-this is permitted There you see the
difference! But the application will have
slight effect. Another method is to get a.
letter from your ambassador which will be
sent up to the minister of justice by the
public prosecutor; but even this is likely
not to work when there is question of the
correctional police, a matter mixed I'D with
the city government. In no case can i'm
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