New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-06-02

dor. PIP. XXI, tlV harper q bIOtneTh
1t is always the proper thing to give the devil
his due. In particular must this be done when he
has awakened the animosity of partisanship If
Barras was not the chivarous hero which he
painted himself neither was he the utterly
licious character depicted in the introduct.ons
and prefaces with which NJ. George Duruy has
presented his long-awaited memoirs to the world.
The readers to whom Mr.. Roche's admirable
translation appeals will little for the quarrel
between Barras and Napoleon. except as mat
ter Of history They are neither Bonapartsts nor
haters of Bonaparte The sentences that go to
the heart Of a French worshipper of the great
Emperor will be read by them with little feeling.
What will affect them most painfully Will be the
lack of immediateness in "reminiscences Which
they may have expected TO see just as they
were first written. That their expectation was
unwarranted. and in the nature or Things III
possible to be gratifed, will not serve wholly u
alay their disappointment. In one sense 'hese
memoirs are not those of Barras, because "e
could not have written them as they appear even
if he had wished to do so. He frankly con-
fesses his defects on the score OF educauoH anu
he does not pretend 70 excuse his ignorance ny
mention of that noble birth which, neVertheiess'
he did not allow the world to forget. mat he
actually wrote in the way of memoirs appears
IN
have been called distinction in style. He jotted
down in the simplest form possible his notes on
current history and the personages in whom
he was interested People at the present Day
caring little for literary style, would have pre-
ferred these rough notes in which they would
NOT be troubled with so many afterthoughts
But Barras had no intention Of revealing hmselt
70 posterity in this literary dishabille. What ne
could not do for himself he wished announcer 10 ~
for him. His will named two men 10 eolt HIS
memoirs Rousselin de Sanitation ana fau
Grand. In course Of time tie WORK ueNoNeu
solely on the former, and he did, according 10
the testimony of NJ. Duruy. just what Barras
would have desired He practically rewrote all
the recollections which had been left IN MS care
taking pains to avoid the phraseoogy OF 'he
original fragments In most cases. while maih'ain-
inc intact the substance of the narrative. If one
can imagine the rough diary OF an uil'e''e'eu
soldier rewritten by rretentious historian one
will get a fairly clear idea Of what has happened
to these memoirs.
Rut that was not all NJ. de Saint-Albin lived
~ connlete his task and to destroy most or the
fragments which he used as raw material. bu'
4, ,ras NOT fated that he should publish the WORK
7, was pronounced by the notary who was en-
Moved by both Nine. de Barras and NJ de SAINT
Albn a nestful of libel suits. ana as NJ ue SAINT
Albn could not reconcile himself TO omi''ihs any
thing from a work of which he was almost Dis
much author as editor. he had to forego the pleas
ure of annoying those whom he hated. lie hao re-
markable fitness for editing the book in the way
Rarras wished, since his hatreds were ldeh'lcai
with those of his departed friend. There Is some
thing for a cynic to laugh over in NJ. de Saint-Ai-
bins own confession on this poin. the memoirs.
ne saws were edited hurriedly after the death Oh
Rarras while under the impression or the just
feelings of resentment he must have experienced
in his lifetime. resentful feelings which my livery
hatred Of his prosecutors had enabled me to con-
.inue ard the mistake and danger lurking IN
tboa, had ESCAPED from me in the hurry OF an I'M
nassioned composition" The beauty or TINS re-
mark lies in it's application If there is anything
,r,nassioned anywhere in these two volumes, IL
might he we'll TO offer prize 10 have II pointed
ont The sharp thrusts are innumeraole. Ihey
arc venomous enough to make corpse Vince.
But they are delivered with GOODNESS ana denp-
Grafton that are admirable. There is no PROOF
anywhere that either Of these two men was nasty
and when the second thoughts Of the one come 10
amend the mature remarks Of the other the result
Is rancorous but as devoid Of passion as an lcicle
NJ de Saint-Albin's duty" to the memory OF MS
friend seconded his own feelings. He could not
have made the malicious anecdotes and illusions
less bitter than Barras had left them without No-
latng his trust How much more bitter ne maze
them than they were the world VIII never Know
He could not omit them without destroying the
integrity of the work that had come into MS
hands. Hence he was forced 10 leave the ihai'u-
script for another generation.
There is one popularity OF the second volume
which might yield to minute study, criterion not
for distinguishing NJ. de Saint-Albn's contriDu-
,ions To the book from the original material or
Rarras but for discriminating between the first
thoughts of Barras and the deliberate product OF
a doubled ingenuity. 1t was Barras's habit TO
make a memorandum of what was said and done
at the meetings Of the Directorate lmmeola'eiy
after the adjournment each day. THESE were APP
parently preserved by his editor almost IN thelr
original form. NJ. Duruy has taken the pains 10
have these passages printed in small type 10
gether they form a continuous narrative OF events
In Europe in the early months Of the Directorate
the value Of which cannot be overestimated. Al
ternating with these, there runs through the vol
ume another narrative in large type which often
deals with the very same facts. but IN very uiler-
ont fashion In the small type will be found an
unyarnished tale with only such strokes OF Ill
bumor as might occur to a man Of the world in the
midst OF much wrangling and indecison. In the
large type stand those reflections which reveal
FILTERED by the victories of others. and gloating
pitilessly over their final destruction. In these
messages recur again the hints Of calamites which
the future had in store for Bonaparte. for Talley
rand and the rest. The harmonious authors OF
these Vaccinations cannot await the slow progress
OF events. The men whom they hate are now too
fortunate. The reader must be kept in mind OF
the fact that things will not well with these
wretches in coming years. There is futility In
this scheme OF vengeance which does not seem
characteristic of Barras. He was indecisive and
incapable Of command, and he envied those who
had powers which ne lacked. But he had a COM
paratively ready tongue. and does not seem to
have been given by nature to the slow wrath that
shoulders in these memoirs. The i'll temper OF
both Barras and his editor was directed almost
exclusively against Napoleon and the Bonaparte
family including. Of course. Josephine and her