St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-06-21

thus St. Johns career as consul at New
York came to an end. He then made an
effort to obtain pension, but conditions
did not favor his appeal, and, besides,
his influential friends were one by one
disappearing from public affairs. The
Marshal de Castries had seen his own
house destroyed in an access OF popular
rage. The Duke de Rochefoucould had
persisted under circumstances peculiarly
reyolting-he had been stoned to death
at Gisors. The Duke de Liancourt had
retired to England to escape the coming
storm. Lafayette, who had for time
maintained public confidence, was soon
to be set aside by the forces he himself
had helped to put in motion.
The son.in-law of st. John, M. Otto,
arrived in Paris toward the end of 1892,
bringing his wife, who saw France for
the first time. AS the fortunes Of the
three people are to be closely allied for
the remainder OF St. Johns life it may be
we'll to glance for moment at the SON
in-law's career. Louis Guillaume Otto'
a native OF Baden, was born in 1854.
He was recommended to the French gov
eminent by the the University of Stras-
burg as OF great promise for diplomatic
career. He began service in 1777 as Sec
rotary of legation to Bavaria, then to
the United States in 1879, where with
small interval, he served as
secretary and as charge d. affaires I'M
til 1892. He married Miss st. John
on the 18th Of April, 1890. On
his arrival in France he learned of the
decree recalling all French agents from
the United States. He asked for a place
in the home government and obtained
the position of chief of the first division
in the department of foreign affairs. This
position placed M. Otto and his fatherin
law in friendly relations with Deforgues,
the new minister of foreign affairs, who
had been clerk to Danton. Deforgues
gave dinners sometimes to his friends
Danton, Legendre and other patriots, to
which NJ. Otto as we'll as Robespierre
were invited. Thus for about year M.
Otto was obliged to listen to strange
Tacobin doctrines. With the fall of Dan.
ton came also the arrest of Deforgues.
On the 2nd of November, 1894, M. Otto
himself was arrested and imprisoned at
the palace OF the Luxembourg. Deforgues,
who had regained his liberty, succeeded
in obtaining the release of Otto, after an
| Imprisonment of six weeks. The latter
was reinstated in Office, which he retained
until the reorganization of the service in
1895. He then remained without political
preferment for about three years.
| Matters had become so precario us
politically that St. John was uneasy
about the future OF his sons. He succeed.
ed in getting both out of France. The
eldest, Alexander, went to Hamburg,
and Louis, after many adventures, succeed
ed in escaping to the United States, where
in 1894 he located upon a farm in Penn
sylvania and began the life of a pioneer.
The correspondence between st. John and
his sons that followed was maintained
in an unusual manner, for M. Otto assur.
ed him that every word that went to
foreign lands, even the most trivial,
toasts, and conversation, was known to
the government, and responses were
even more dangerous perhaps than the
letters.
After the departure of his sons St,
John was relieved from the burden oil
anxiety that had depressed him. He once
more resumed his pen in literary pursuits
He wrote eight hours daily with the
8 energy OF youth. He found in the valley
of Montmorency that tranquility so dear
to writer's and artists.
, On the arrival of Monroe as minister
. to France, St. John and M. Otto, old
l acquaintance, were able to render him
much service. About the eud of Septem-
Der, 1894, st. John returned to Normandy
r where he found that his relatives had
} suffered much from the Revolution. On'
1 uncle had died in prison. From the autumn
, of 1894 until April, 1896, he lived al
Altoona, suburb OF Hamburg. HI
found there many people who haC
s escaped from France, and was abl
! to be OF service to Madame de Lafay
cite on her way to her imprisoned hus
band at Olmutz.
i Affairs in France were so much improv
e ed that he was able to return in 179e
& without special difficulty. The ole
French Academy had been re-organizet
as the Institute and on the Oath of Feb
: ruary M. st. John while still at Altoona
I, had been elected to a seat in that renown
=. ed body as nonresident member. Ate
, a short stay in Paris he went to Norman
Il dy, where he remained until the death O
rt his father in 1899.
n. Toward the end of the year 1896 M
q. Otto, with no present prospect of reir
statement in diplomatic work, decide
III to purchase near Meaux a small estat
r. called Lesches. His father-in-law share
Of with him in its acquisition. 1t was in
70 charming locality and soon became tt
~ favorite residence of the family. St. Johl
ne still with his father in Normandy, coul
tie only advise, but Louis, whom he had IT
re called from America, the fury Of til
~ Revolution being spent, aided wit
- strong arms in the pastoral work pr
lis sented at Lesches. M. Otto himse
an planned and toiled with his workme
of and left in letters some account of tn
idyllic period.
This form of life had indeed becon
en- customary with many Of the old familie
m The turmoils OF the Revolution ha
Ter driven them from the city, many OF the
ruined. Many mourned the loss of pa