New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-12-29
BURN THE LETTERS.
EMBARRASSING RESULTS FROM THE
PRESERVATION OF INDISCREET
CORRESPONDENCE

or preserve them? There are some people who
make a point OF filing away every scrap Of paper
that s addressed to them. while others are equal
IN careful to consign the. correspondence to the
flames; and there is doubt that the latter peo-
ple are by far the safest with whom to entertain
any sort Of intercourse This fact is being brought
home with particular force Just at the present
moment to Princesse Pauline Metternich the Com
Jesse de Pourtales the Marquise de Gallifet the
Baroness de Rothschd and other great ladies'
most Of them grandmothers and all OF them sad
dened through bereavements infrmity and age.
1t Is through the publication in volume entitled
"LAmour Paris sous lie Second Empire" and
bearing the name of a m. de Lano' as author
OF number Of confidential letters and notes In
their handwriting and addressed to the Marquis
de Massa. The latter was the playwright. dra-
matist andetage manager Of that brilliant troupe
OF amateur actors and actresses that was wont
TO occupy the stage in the private theatres Of the
imperial palaces of Compegne. St. Cloud and
even the Tuieries
The letters are innocent enough as far as they
60 and relate almost exclusively to the roles
which the fair correspondents Of the Marquis were
10 fill In this in that piece. But they
characterized one and all. by a mode of express
sion as we'll by evidences OF a train of thought
that is indicate enough 10 verge both coarse
ness and even vulgarity. Now. neither the Prin-
cesse de Metternich nor yet Nine de Pourtales let
alone the Others has ever been presented to the
existing generation in light Of this kind and
the tone Of the correspondence. obviously never
written for publication. can only be excused
the ground that the refinement OF the great ladies
IN question was temporarily blunted by the no
means pure atmosphere of the imperial court.
otherwise. how would 1t be possible to find Nine.
de Pourtales writing to the Marquis de Massa
zf..X.~ 49,
too serious. and suggesting that 1t should be
lightened by the addition Of certain features
which are at present exciting widespread dis
appreciation in the plays being presented
at such Partisan theatres the Paais Royal.
or to comprehend the Princesse de Metternich
upbraiding the noble playwright for having
permitted himself to be hampered in his IL
bretto by considerations of propriety. and sug-
costing the addition Of "beaucoup de grains de
poivre" (Anglice. many grains Of pepper'o to
the dialogue. There likewise in these let
ters several uncomplimentary and unfriendly
references to the Emperor. as we'll as to the
Empress the latter coming in for good deal
Of ill-will on the part Of the ladies by reason
OF her self-assumed office Of censor Of the
plays. not one Of which appears to have been
pu, on the imperial stage without having been
subjected to the scissors and blue pencil Of
Her Majesty.
HOW THE LETTERS WERE OBTAINED.
The publication of these letters in NJ de
Lano's book has naturally had the effect Of
bringing down a regular hornets nest about
the shoulders Of the Marquis de Massa in the
shape Of bitter reproaches from those great
ladies who had formerly interpreted" the vari-
Gus roles Of his plays and who demand from
him how II possible for him to be guilty
of such a shameful breach Of confidence as TO
place their correspondence at the disposal OF the
most scurrilous of all the many scurrilous
writer's concerning the court of Napoleon ILL.,
The Marquis de Massa at once replied that ne
was entirely innocent, In so far that ne had
never given away to any the letters In
question, but added that they had disappeared
from his chateau in Touraine soon after the
war In the course Of the latter the chateau
had been occupied by the Prussians. and sub
3ected to q considerable amount of pillage ana
devastation; so much so that or the restoration
of peace the Marquis decided to get rid or the
place, and sold II.
Whether the correspondence in question was
appropriated by the Germans or whether II
was forgotten at the time Of the sale ana was
permitted 10 fall into the hands OF the pur-
chaser the Marquis declared II Impossible 10
say; but with view Of clearing himself IN me
evas of his once fair friends of any suspicion of
has brought a suit against Pierre de Lano"
end against the publishers Of the book with the
ohiec, Of stopping it's sale, and Of obtaining an
exnlanati0n Of how the author managed TO op-
tain possession Of the documents This. now
ever will scarcely be sufficient TO appease the
wrath Of the ladies in question. who nave just
cause for complaint in connection with the
care,essness that the Marquis has displayed
with reference TO their correspondence
OF course these letters OF the Princess de Met
ternich OF the Countess de Pourtales. or the Mar
ouise de Gallifet and OF the other ladles OF the
immortal Court were never intended for puhlica-
ton. They were merely dashed off In the impe'-
nous impulsve way common to women espe-
cially 10 those Of France and of Austria But III
discretions of the pen are by no means coiliiie"
., .bern There are few people in this world VINO
ran boast of never having written anything that
,hev regretted afterward. Hasty utterances are
quickly forgotten and pass into oplNloh' ou'
hastv writing-and nowadays we write aiihost Dis
freely and as recklessy as we speak-le'iai"S
unless we adopt special measures WITH VIC" ~
the destruction Of those hurried notes. those iee
scraps of paper that liable to develop ih'o
such a source Of trouble, worry ana even 'i'Sei''
later in life
THE PRINCE OF WAI.ES's CACTloN'
sbrewd ard sensible in most things. the Prince
OF Wales manifests commendaole caution VIII"
regard 10 his correspondence. He seldom writes
save 10 favored and trusted friends whiie he
adopts the most elaborate safeguards 10 prevent
any kind OF compromising papers cohcer"iiie
himself from falling into the hands OF strangers
He is prompted In the matter by VlVio Ieo0ie"
.iop ~ the vast sums which II cost the queen 10
racover nossession OF letters calculated ipjurousY
n affect the memory Of her father. the DUKE ol
Kent Among the precautions instituted by the
Prince is sort OF rule that members of his house
hold should invariably appoint colleagues 10 .ahe
charge as executors in case Of their death Oh ',,e
disposal OF their papers and property with the oo