The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-07-18
THE DECADIINT FRENCH NO
BlLiTl.

me following article from the ST. Louis
Globc-Democrat is about as neat a piece
Of analysis as We have seen in some
time:
Inc Prince of Monaco, it appears has
refused 10 accept The Count of Castel-
lanes challenge to a duel. and declines
even 10 notice him, the accusation being
that Castellane is only a bogus count.
Castelane was one Of the leaders in the
demonstration against President Loubet
al the races a few weeks ago lie is an
ardent enemy of Dreyfus. The republic
is too vulgar to please him. He wants
revival OF the monarchy. or failing i'm
this ideal he would accept a military
dictatorship Castollane figures in a semi
humorous and wholly contemplate way
IN the Paris gossip He is one Of a type
which is rather numerous in France at
the present moment.
"AristOcr8cy" remarked Chateubriand
"has three ages. These are the age of
force, from which It degenerates into the
age Of privilege. and is eXtinguished fin
ally I'm the age OF vanity" The French
mobility was I'm the first age around the
Time of Henry of Navarro, in 1893 IL
reached the second age in Louis XNI.'S
the time of the overthrow OF the Orleans
monarchy la 1875. The French nobility has
siin another age, however. the age Of
contempt This age has been touched in
1899 The French mobiles assail aged ana
unarmcd men. i'm these days as they did
President LOubCt recently They trample
down women and children in their insane
rush for their lives. as they did i'm the fire
at the charity bazaar i'm Paris two OF
three years ago.
FRANCES mobiles I'm the days of the great
revolution had AN the wickedness of their
guild of any age or nation. but they also
mad courage. Many of the emigres en-
nstcd i'm the armies Of the coalition. They
fought against their country, IL is true.
but they fought men with arms in their
hands They did not assail aged and
defcnselcss men. They scorncd 20 fight
women and children. us there any favor
4 can do FOR you?" asked the presiding
ortcer OF the court I'm the days of the
revolution. who WAS about 20 pass SEN
tence of death upon Philip Egalite, the
Duke OF Orleans. the father of Louis
rnilippe long afterwards King Of the
French Il ask only one favor from YOU"
said Philip. "and that is that you guillo-
tine me to-day instead Of tomorrow"
rms spirit OF gay heroism is absent
among the dcgenerates OF Philips order
to-day. The bogus nobility OF 1899 have
inherited nothing from their predecessors
OF 1889 except their vices.
Every word Of this article Is just. The
French nobility OF 1883. with all OF their
views and their Indifference to the suf-
ferings OF the masses Of the people pro-
auced by their grinding tyranny. had a
very high courage and very devoted
ana beautiful loyalty 10 their king They
laid their heads by the hundred upon
the block, with resignation that was
very touching and without one reproach,
that we have ever heard Of. Of Louis the
XVI for bringing on the terrible scenes
Of the revolution that he could have pre-
vented by timely concessions. Thee spirit
Is uny illustrated by what one Of them
said on his way to the guillotine. lie
said he did not mind dying. but he wanted
to see how the whole thing was going
to turn out.
The French nobleman (so-called) OF to-
day Is a very contemplate travesty OF
the French nobleman OF one hundred
years ago. and if anything were needed
10 hold Frenchmen to their republic and
20 unyieidlng opposition to a restoration
Of the monarchy the spectacle of their
arlstocraey ought to be all that was re.
CURED.