The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1904-08-12
A PARTISAN BEAUTY.
NINE. TALLIEN, WHO, 1T is ASSERTED,
SNUBBED NAPOLEON.


the French CapitaI-The Mild and
Inonensive Young Bonaparte.
During the directoire Marie de- Medi-
CTS palace became the center of gov
eminent and Barras reigned there un-
der the inspiration of Nine Tallien. 1t
was she who organized all the fetes
and ceremonies which enlivened Paris
after the Terror. In 1906 the beautiful
Spaniard was twenty-three and had al
ready had an eventful past. The daugh-
ter of financier named Cabarrus, she
had married at the age Of sixteen the
Marquis de Fontenay, been divorced
from him in 1893 and had remarked, a
few months after, Tallien, the conven-
tionnel.
Arrested May %, 1904, she was I'm
prisoned in Les Carmes, and 1t was
from here that she wrote the singing
epistles to her husband which induced
that wavering spirit to dare all in the
attempt to set her free. Armed with
a dagger In case of failure and all the
courage he could muster, Tallien on
the famous 9th Thermidor attacked
Robespierre in debate which brought
about the fall of the 'sea green mon
ster."
The reign of terror came to an end,
the prisons disgorged their victims, and
Nine. Tallien received from the people
the title Of Notre Dame de Thermidor.
The world was at her feet, and she daz-
zled 1t by her beauty and her charm,
her lovers and her luxury. Even wom-
en- forgot to he jealous and acknowledge
ed what all men proclaimed. The fol
lowing description is from the pen Of
one Of her own sex, Nine. de Chaste-
nay:
'Mme. Tallien came every day to
visit Barras. do not think 1t possible
to be lovelier than this woman was
then. I shall always see her like
fairy queen among the rest, her beau
tiful black hair coiled simply on her
head without any ornament, round her
neck single string Of large pearls.
She wore a white underdress and
tunic of ink crepe, and, sitting on the
ground playing with a child Of three,
the son of one of Barras' friends, they
made a group which no classic sculp-
ture could surpass."
Barras tells us with great naivete, in
his memoirs, that the Little Corsican"
only turned his attention to Josephine
Beauharnais after q fruitless attempt
to obtain favor with Nine. Tallien and
that this lady had treated him with
great disdain, telling him ''she could do
better for herself" This account Of
the affair coming from any other quar-
ter would be more credible.
A considerable event was now to
take place at the Luxembourg-namely,
the reception given to General Bona
parte after the campaign of Italy. For
this ceremony dec. 10, 179O the court
yard Of the palace was transformed
into sort Of temple, and an altar to
la Patrie erected in the grand entrance
hall. The five directors, with Barras
at their head, attired themselves as
Romans, while Talleyrand, the min
lister Of foreign affairs, was prepared
with an elaborate harangue.
The scene was made additionally
brilliant by the presence Of many Ia
uleS, WuOSc Spleuulu JcWtlS uuu IT'LL |
dresses did honor to the occasion,
while their eager faces and murmured |
admiration betrayed their interest in
the young hero. Among these groups |
not the least noticeable were Nine. de |
Staer and Nine. Recamier-"Wit and |
Beauty" as Napoleon himself named |
them.
Alone of all the assembly the future |
emperor had assumed no imposing cos |
tune. His uniform, that of general Of |
the Revolution. suggested character |
Of republican simplicity, while his pal
Tor, his gravity and quiet demeanor |
seemed to deprecate the ceremony Of |
which he was the object. The tone Of |
his speech was equally modest, his |
theme the pride he felt in his c0untry's |
scientific conquests and her progress |
in the paths of peace.
Surely no government could suspect |
rival in so well disposed q young |
man. Two years later the coup detat |
of Brumaire drove Barras from the |
Luxembourg, and the first assembly, |
which in France has borne the title of |
senate, began its sittings in the palace. |
Hon. Mrs. r. Stuart Wortley in Ma
tional Review.