Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-15
PAUL DEROULEDE.
Career OF the Frenchman Just Now Be-
fore the Public.

surrectionist, is prominent figure on
the stage of French politics today.
Much to his satisfaction, he has been
tried in PARTS on a charge of melting
the soldiery to characterization on the
| day of the election of President Lou
bet, and is thus enabled to pose as a
martyr to the principle which he has
for many years loudly proclaimed. His
acquittal was foregone conclusion.
He was not worth while
| 1t cannot be denied that Deroulede.
| judged at least from a foreign stand
point, is wrongheaded, that nothing
can justify the virulence of his anti
Semitism; that MS patriotism smacks
| of the theatrical. and that his later
| acts border on lunacy. But, on the
! other hand, when his life is fairly
| weighed, it is plain that the patriotic
fervor and unselfish devotion which he
has so conspicuously displayed are
| things that deserve respect His en-
| thusiasm is akin to madness, but at
least he is an honest enthusiast. The
one thing he loves is France, the one
thing he venerates is the flag. Even
his advocacy of Boulanger's cause may
be explained by the sincerity of the de-
luded patriot.
Paul Deroulede is a Partisan. He
was born Sept. 2, 1916, in S. German
fAuxerrois. His father, Joseph De-
roulede, was an advocate, and his
mother, Amelie Angler, the daughter
of the famous Emil Auger The fam
lily circle was happy one, and his
earliest recollections are of pleasant
holidays spent in Fontainebleau and
on the shores of the Breton seacoast.
An early impulse to his patriotism and
romantic disposition was given by
reading French history and the novels
of Sir Walter Scott
At the age of his parents sent him
to school at Vauves. There, unlike
most children sent from home to
school at tender age, Paul passed the
time very happily. He was proud of
his uniform and loved the old halls of
the castle of the Prince de Condo, oc-
cupied by the college, while the sur
rounding forest, with it's noble old
trees, seemed to inspire him with a re-
spect for the glorious history of his
country.
From Vauves he was transferred to
Louis lie Grande, where the disciple ap-
peared over strict, and frome there
to the Lycee Bonaparte, where there
was too much freedom. Next at Ver-
sailles he found a worthy old school
master whose tastes were of a poetic
order, and who, discovering in his
pupil some aptitude for verse, did his
best to encourage his enthusiasm,
which at this time found an outlet on
the subject of the independence of
Greece.
Two incidents of his school days
made deep impression on Paul. On
one occasion his father came to take
him for a welcome holiday 1t was the
occasion of the triumphal entry into
Paris of the army of Italy. The other
event which took him home was the
death of an uncle, a colonel in the
French army, who had died in Cochin
China. To the young patriot it seemed
that nothing could be more glorious
more honorable than to die in the SER
vice of his country.
His education in patriotism was
carefully looked after by his parents,
and among the minor circumstances
which kindled the love of country
within him were the frequent visits
which he made with his brother Andre
to the museum at Versailles and the
historical paintings of battle scenes
which he saw there. While still boy
the worship of France was the deepest
feeling in his heart
In 1863 Paul, according to the plans
which were laid for him, prepared I'M
willingly to qualify for the career of
an advocate. The study of law was
distasteful to him, and he looked for
ward with something akin to horror
to the legal profession. He devoted
himself in secret to literature, and it
is curious and characteristic cir
cumstance that his earliest poetic eff
forts in the Revue Rationale were
published under the pseudonym of
Jean Rebel. His long life of "protes-
tation' had begun.
In 1869 he travelled and saw much of
the great world. He was present at
ceremonies attending the opening of
the Suez canal; he visited Egypt, Italy,
where he made a long stay with the
Belgian painter, Jean Portaels; Spain.
Austria, Holland, Bavaria, Saxony and
Prussia During this time he studied
and wrote much and was fast reaching
the maturity of his intellectual powers.
June g. 1869, he made his literary
bow to the public. His play, GUAM
Strenner," was put on the stage Of the
Coincide Franchise, and found favor
with the public, although the boldness
of some of the expressions shocked the
more conservative. For instance, 1T
seemed that he was lacking in respect
| for the masters" in uttering such a
sentiment as the following: 'In art
one does not become anybody in int
tating anyone"
But events were preparing for De-
| roulede a career in which literature
was to play only a subsidiary part.
In 1870 the cloud of war burst upon
| France, and he at once enlisted as a
zouave. In his graceful little poem.
''The Awakening" he sings:
Fhaye lived, have sung, l loved.
Mad with joy, drunk with hope,
| Without seeking to know what France
was
Without knowing if l was a French
/ man,
/ liuod 1nrroC