The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-16
A French Roy.n.t,s Memoirs.

Readers who have hung over the RACES
Of Victor .Hugo's "93' and Balzac's Les
Chouans" will be glad to see the reoollections
of an eyewitness and actor in one OF
the RoyaIist uprisings that Dol place in the
west OF France against the republican
regime. These will be found in an English
translation OF the Memoirs Of the CouRi de Ia
Coytris (the John Lane Company, which is a
record OF extraordinary events in the life OF
a French Royalist during the war in La
Vendee. In an introduction contributed by
Mr.. Frederic Mason, after the authenticity
OF the memoirs had been established by
NJ. Pierre-Amsdes Pichot, the we'll known
editor of the Revue BritoniqUe, il is pointed
out that the rising in La Vendee was not,
as sometimes il has been said to be, al out
come OF loyalty to the Bourbon monarchy.
Had il been that it would have burst forth
Immediately after August 10. 1892, when
the monarchy was abolished. It would
have been a revindication by faithful sub
jects OF the disavowed royal authority.
As a matter OF fact, such was not the frame
of mind prevailing in the west of France.
Royalist conspirators, pure and simple,
could not have raised a man, or caused
a shot TO be fired. Why, then, did a re-
bellion break out in La Vendee on February
"a, 1882 Because the convention had de-
creed the raising Of 10000 soldiers and
because, at the same time, the persecution
OF the dissident priests (the priests who
had refused to take IN oath OF allegiance
to the Constitution was growing active and
violent. Thus the insurrection represented,
on the one hand, a protest against COM
pulsory military service and, on the other,
| a refusal TO repudiate venerated and familiar
traditions.
NJ. Mason goes on to show that the revolt
due to the provocations mentioned became
presently Royalist forthe same reason as he
revolts OF Lyons and Toulop, namely, be-
cause the rebels were forced to seek leaders
among men who, having been officers in the
Royal Army and belonging to the sole
\ military class-the nobiity-had remained
I Royalists. II the insurrectio ion in La Vendee
lasted longer than tho uprising in Toulon
and Lyons il was because the movement
was more general at first, although after
ward Il became more scattered, and because
| the suppression OF it demanded more thar
the capture OF a city; il demanded the occu-
patton of twelve Departments. II, finally
the rebellion in La Vendee dragged on il
was because the regular warfare Of pit chec
battles, which was short, was succeeded
by a guerrilla war. which continued to b,
waRed as late as 1900, that Is to say, unit
the moment when, religious freedom beinE
on the point OF reestablishment by the Con,
oordat, the legitimate grievances Of tn,
western population were about to he re
dressed.
Elsewhere in the Introduction the opinion
IL expressed that, alt though at moment = tn,
uprising in La Vendee appeared victorious
alt bough it certainly prolonged resistanc,
in a remarkable way, alt though It was quasi
universal in the provinces directly concerne,
and in the end brought about the triumph
OF a just cause through the establishment O
the Conoordat, yet the rebellion Of 1893 il
the west Of France by no means reverses tn
axiom deducible from history that no civI
upheaval can get the better Of BRulartroo
thoroughly disciplined and determined 4
do their duty. IL it be said that on Jul,
20, 1880, on February "a. 1913, on Sept ember
1870, and In March, 1871, the Paris insur
gents we're successful the rejoinder is tina
their triumph was due exclusively to tn
detection Of the troops and the flight of h
governors:
In the La VcndAe rebellion itself. N
Mason distinguishes, as We have intimatec
two periods: the first military, the aecon,
social. The former was characterized h,
movements that bore some resemblance [
normal, strategical operations; tho latte
by attacks made by partisans which tende
to brigandago and led to the politics
| justification Of robbery and dissemination