Democratic Northwest and Henry County news. [volume] (Napoleon, O. [Ohio]) 1894-1905, 1895-08-08
A LEGEND KILLER.
The Useful and Interesting TAsk Of .
Learned Frenchman-

NJ Frantz Funck- -Brentano seems in a
fair way to win for himself a name rs
legend killer. He has already grapplcd
with the mystery Of 1.-THE Man In the Iron
Mask" and he has lately attacked the long
prevalent belief in tho sale OF blank lettres
de cachet under the old regime. This leg
end has had the support OF many histori-
ans. 1t passed unquestioncd into tho
works of Michelet, Rambaud, Duruy and
into the Encyclopedia Britannica NJ.
Rambaud perhaps gives the story best and
most conciscly. He says, in his 'Histoire
&c Ia Civilization Francaise. that any per-
con of influence could obtain "lettres de
Cachet in which the name was kept blank
and could write in the name Of his person
Vi enemy, his rival, his creditor. Under
Louis XIV they could be had for money.
La Vrilliere, when no was minister, made
a business Of selling them through the
Countess de Langeac; they came to be sold
by his lackeys. 1t cost only % louis to
have any one arrested" Duruy tells a
piquant story Of husband and wife, each
of whom solicited a letter of which tho
other was to bc tho beneficiary. Both sue
ceeded, and both werc disagrceably sur
prised at the result for both of them were
shut up on the same day. NJ. Funck- -Bren-
tano himself had no doubt of the correct
ness of the story at the time when he was
put In charge Of the archives of the Bas-
tile. These archives contain not only tho
dossiers of the prisoners Of the Bastillo it.
self, but also those of all who were con-
fined under lettres de cachet in other pris-
ons and hospitals or converts of Paris and
its environs. Within the last ten years co.
900 of these dossiers have passed under his
eyes, In all the innumerable quantity of
letters from persons Of every rank and sta
tion which these contain-applications for
orders or arrest, reports of officials from
ministers down to police spies-in all this
mass of documents NJ. Funck- -Brentano
finds not only no trace Of any lettre de ca
chet issued in blank, but not even a hint
that any such letter ever was asked for.
1t cannot be objected to his conclusion
that these secret documents may have been
taken away from the Bastille and de-
stroyed, for it has been demonstrated that
the old regime left such untouched. The
Bastille was precisely the safest and surest
place in the kingdom, and confidential
| letters and secret documents were sent
there for safe, keeping. But M. Funck-
Brentano has something better than mere
ly negative evidence to rely on. He has q
letter which the lieutenant of police, He.
rault, addressed on Feb. 81, 1871, to the
Duchess de Lorges, explaining tho long
series of regular formalities which had to
be gone through before lettre de cachet
could issue. And of more weight yet-of
conclusive weight, in facts a letter
written on the goth of August, 1870, by
the Duke de la Vrilliere himself to M. de
Blossao, in which he says In reference to a
man who had threatened the kings life:
"You will send me q report at once, in
order that upon this / may transmit to
you orders (lettres dc cachet) for his trans
ference to the Bastille. But It is not pos
sible to send these to you in blank. That
would be against all rule and against the
usage have constantly observed since
have been in the ministry" But how did
the legend of blank lettres de cachet arisei
M. Funck- -Brentano has very simple an
swer to this question. Up to the last years
of the reign Of Louis XIV, until the royal
government became administrative, lettres
de cachet were wholly written by hand
The administration then for the first time
had some forms printed, and in these, Of
course, blanks had to be left for name:
and dates as well as for the signature o.
the king. From these blanks no doubt tht
legend sprang.-New York Post.