New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-09
Tie COUNT OF PARIS.

THE COUNT or PARIS.
Tho career Of the Count Of Paris. which has
been brought to a close by death In exile l'i's
trates the disadvantages OF royal BIRTH good
schoolmoster was spoiled by the accident OF MS
Camel pedicree Just as an expert locksm'h ana
foir mechanic was lost in Louis XVI with MS
studious tastes capacity for literary work ana
mcjditv Of STYLE as n writer, the Count or farls
was designed BY Nature for the quiet, laDorious
life Of n college professor and magazine con-
,rihutor An intelligent traveller, he wrote III
Ia, youth an excellent account OF the Lebanon
massacre. an alert member of General Mcolei-
,on,s staff he made valuable contribution to
the military history Of the Civil War; ana
n,ins,okinr investigator Of trades unions ana
social science I'm England. he was the author OF
many thoughtful pamphlets and essays. IL he
had not been embarrassed and harasscd by the
nsfortunes Of ROYAL birth and dynastic oblga-
,ion no would have made larger Use OF his
qenuine abilities as a writer and obtained gen
eral recognition for habits Of philosophical re-
aoction As II was, he was despiscd by his
RovaIist followers as prince who dabbled III
literature instead of holding himself in reserve
for n political revolution and was c"hdeih"e"
with faint praise by cynical world, when
cOulu not Hio P'"'"'J
tons of his race.
II the political conditions In France after 1873
had permitted the peaceful restoration of con
stjtu,ional monarchy the Count of Paris would
have discharged the royal functions with con
summatc tao, and hcxibiliiy Of mind. He would
have respcctcd constitutional restraints. and
adapted himself TO the order OF democratic rule
and popular sovereignty very much rs Queen
Il Is.t hAnF o. =
nonulor with his subjects. because he was cold
and unsympaihctc 10y nature: but h" would not
have made himself ridiculous, rs King Louis
Philippe succeeded in doing. by inviting trades
pcoplc 10 court and cOuriing III" affections Oh
ali classes with vulgar imp"tuosiiy. IL" would
not have affected democratic manners IKE hlh-
Pear. but would have remembered 'hai"auhr'-
and's maxim that popularity is woman !" pe
mastered rather than woOcd: ami he would nave
rclgncd with n proper d"Gre" or siAt'I'h'Ss ~
fitting his rank. and would hav" distinguished
himself rs n royal patron 81 letters anu arr.
From this illustrious career h" was 'Aciuu"i
bv the tawdry splcndors and political crimes "'
the Empire and hy the establishment OF The h'-
nubllc os 4 pcrmancnf form OF government. lie
was left AT liberty In exile +" cultivate ms DOOR
sh tastes and 10 take good care ~ his invest
mcnts: and IL would be- difficult IN decid" when
Of these two characteristics was Regarded ny
French Rovalists A. the more unprinccly
While the Orleans princes have traits tending
10 produce useful SOy"rc!enS they lack inc III
stnct II Intrlgucrs and have no talent Tor re-
dictionary plots AID dynnstic conspiraci's. Inc
Count Of Paris would have been wise an"
conservative ruler II he had been called 10 the
throne: but M Prricndcr he was as harmless
~ the impraciicablc Count Of Chalnbord, VINO
nrcvcncd the reconciliation Of The TWO branches
az thc bourbon house 10y his refusal 10 abandon
thc white flag Of Henry ". He lacked an'
docitv: he abhorred underground diplomacy; II"
was a pcdant and philosopher when III" No!h'-
lists required q man Of action; ana he hah Inc
Characteristic Orleans aversion TO spending
money These qualities Of mind made MN as
lnofTcnsive an enemy Of the Republic rs the
recuse Of Frohsdorff, with his fahatlcal rain
in the divine right OF governing. The Count oi
Paris did not believe in II; AMI this lack of falth
rendered his pretcnsions to the throne OF no
Rourbons unreal and almost fantastic when NJ
became after the death of the Count OF Cham
bord. the rightful representative Of historic
French royalty lie had neither talent nor heart
for the discrcdiiablc Boulanglst inrigucs into
which he was drawn against his better Judg
mcnt.
A prcender Of this type, standing for the
divine right Of kings but known TO entertain
ideas Of constitutional monarchy hardly dsiin-
puIshable from the Presidential functions, was
the most serviccablc opponent that the Rcpubhc
could have had. If his death be misfortune
70 France. 1t Is because it substitutes for an
innocuo,is and us. full enemy Of existing instit'
lions a prince Of less conservative temper ana
more ungovernabe passions, who may plunge
into rcactionary intrigucs and revive RoyaliSt
hopes Otherwise 1t Is Of small account beyond
marking the close Of mis6t career, in which
the actor was curously i'll adapted TO his part
Ms the last Of the Bourbons. The most useful
and honorable passage Of 1t was that which re-
corded his military service in Virginia.