The Bossier banner., 1894-02-01
A FRENCH FRESHMAN.
A High Spirit and q Sweet Nature Wer
Traits of Marshal MacMahon.


could be generous, though he had an
Irish capacity for harboring rancor
against dishonest persons who injured
him. One might depend both upon his
love and his hatred. However, as he was
constantly sounding his conscience,
he took pains not to let the latter
feeling hurry him into injustice, or
blind his eyes to the truth. He had
also, associated with the pride of race
and situation, humble spirit which
led him to mistrust himself, and made
him prone to obey commands and cir
cumstances rather than the prompt
ings of his own wishes. Another Irish
quality was his capacity to go a long
time without food, and not feel the
weaker for it. He was always plain
liver, and, when he had urgent mill
tary or other work to get through, pre-
ferred to a set meal, a biscuit with
little whisky and water. His table, by
his wish, was plainly served, he pre-
ferring few good simple dishes to
variety of palate tickling and liver ex-
citing ones. Toward his children he
was all sweetness. He was severe on
himself, not so much to give them
good example as, when they were
young, to be in harmony with their in
nocence.
He was, in 1853, in minority of one
in the imperial senate, of which he was
member, against law which gave
the emperor power to transport sus-
poets to Cayenne untried. The division
over, he was universally stunned by
his fellow-senators. The late Due de
Broglie, who was a man of good deal
of backbone, called on MacMahon to
congratulate him on the great moral
courage evinced in his vote MacMahon
said: 81 felt called on by my con-
science to speak and vote as l did.
Whenever 1 disregard call of con-
science do not dare to EN- brace my
children" This saying gives the key
note of the mars halls character and
career. Honor in France is a conven-
tional virtue born of social require
ments, and distinct from honesty and
| duty. MacMahon never admitted the
distinction. He main tanned that if one
was careful to do ones duty under all
circumstances, ones honor would be
without stain.
The moral complexion of Mac Mahon,
like his physiognomy and physique,
was not French but Irish. He had the
high spirit and the 'spunk'' of an Irish
gentleman, the Indifference, after a
certain point, for money which one so
often sees in Ireland. His detestation
of indecency and of mean stinginess
was very Irish and not French.
MacMahon kept up splendid state as
governor general of Algeria. There
was no simpler man in his home life,
and his Indifference to show and lux
ury was remarkable. But when he
filed any great public situation he in
stinctively went in for magnificence in
his dinners, balls, general surround
ings and equipages spending every
cent of his salary and his and his
wife's private incomes. He even
went in debt at the Elysee, and
must have ended his life in poverty had
his wife not unexpec tedly inherited
$50, 900 from an Irish relative, for her
two grandmothers were Irish women.
The marshal w as deemed the first fig
ure at the coronation of the late EN-
peror as King of Prussia, at Koenigs-
berg. His equipage eclipsed every
other. Nobody had a better eye for the
points of a carriage or a saddle horse
and he looked sharply to see that hi:
grooms and stable men did their duty
His humanity did not prevent him TAX
ing high view Of himself as the chic
of the government when he was at the
Elysee Persons of royal birth seemed
wanting in the presence beside hin
there.
His private life was unaffected, ant
that of a high hearted Christian sol
dier and gentleman AS marshal c
France he was considered to be u
active service, but practically was not
Having been head of the state, il
would accept no paid Office howeve
high, and accordingly, when Ge0
Faidherbe died, declined the gran
chancellorship of the lie gion of Honor
MacMahon looked after old soldiers
paid visits to illustrious friends, an
Archdulke Albert-among others, i
Austria and Italy, and pa ssed his sun
mers and autumns at a small countr
house of his wife, La Foret, near Mon
targis, where he died. His servant
venerated and loved him. The Englis
thoroughbreds in his stable also kne1
him-and craved to be stroked an
patted by him. He was keen sports
man and unerring shot to the enc
:. The death illness was brought on by
drenching he got when out shooting
He generally shot in the British styl
and hated the continual ''battue"
8 which he thought wholesale butcher.
Y demanding no fine quality on IL
: sportsman's side, and not affordir
f healthy exercise-N. Y. Tribune.
/ Ordered 1t Rare.
L Waiter-Here you are, sir! porte
; house steak rare-that was your orde
/ I believe.
Il Guest-Hum! 1t isn't long since tn
q beef was killed, is it?
q I'll s'pose not sir"
Ii "No, can't be very long. l see it
n still warm. IN. Y. Weekly.