New-York tribune., 1906-08-05
SazN IN CONFIDENTIAL" NO ASSURANCE OF SECRECY 1Y

crets which can only be regarded as official
Indeed the attitude Of the present government
IN refraining from taking any action against
MIN In this connection has given rise TO the
belief that, as IN the case of Daniel Wilson, the
son-in-law OF ex-President Grevy, the authori-
ties are afraid to proceed against him lest he
should make still more embarrassing revela-
tions. Daniel Wilson, II may be remembered,
not only kept every letter which he received
while chairman Of the Budget Commission of the
National Legislature, but likewise availed him
self of his position son-in-law of the Chief
Magistrate, and Of his residence as such at the
Elysee Palace, TO secure from the Department
OF the Interior and from the Prefecture Of
Police copies OF the dossiers" of all the leading
public men in France When indicted on
charges Of fraud in connection with what is
known as the Legion of Honor scandal, he
managed TO escape all punishment, owing to
his threat OF publishing the letters and the
dossiers Of the men then at the head OF affairs
in France.
Some years ago the wisdom OF destroying all
the letters that one receives was brought home
with peculiar force by the publication OF book
on the Second Empire, bearing the name Of
IN de Lano' author, and containing guam
tity Of confidential letters and notes addressed to
the Marquis de Massa by Princess Pauline Met
ternich, the Countess Edmond de POurtales. the
Marquise de Galfet, the Baroness Alphonse de
Rothschild and other women The marquis. now
president of the ultra-smart Partisan club known
as the Epatant was the playwright, dramatist
and stage manager of that brilliant troupe OF
amateur actors and actresses that was wont to
occupy the stage in the private theatres Of the
imperial palaces Of Compiegne. st. Cloud and
Of the Tuileries The letters innocent enough
as far as they went related almost exclusively
to the roles which the fair correspondents OF the
marquis were to fill in this and that piece. But
they were characterized one and all, by a mode
Of expression as well by evidence of a train
Of thought which can be excused only the
ground that the refinement of the great ladies
in question was temporarily blunted by the pc
culiar atmosphere of the imperial court Soma
Of the letters, moreover. contained most uncom-
plimentary and unfriendly references to Ma
poleon III and especially TO Empress Eugenie
and altogether. their publication presented in
a somewhat annoying light to the public women
whom old age. bereavement and infrmity had
invested with a halo of sympathy and respect
bordering on veneration. The printing Of these
letters naturally had the effect of bringing down
a regular hornets nest I& on the shoulders Of
the Marquis de Massa IN the shape of bitter re-
proaches from those who had formerly inter
preted the various roles of his plays and who
demanded how it was possible to be guilty Of
such a shameful breach of confidence as to place
their correspondence at the olSpoSal OF tno most
scurrilous of all the many scurrilous writer's
concerning the court Of Napoleon III. NJ de
Massa at once replied that he was entirely inno-
cent in so far that he had never given away
to any one the letters in question He added
that they had disappeared from his chateau
in Touraine after the war Of 1870 In
the course of the the chateau had been
occupied by the Germans and subject to
considerable amount of pillage and devastation,
so much so that on the restoration Of peace the
marquis decided to get rid of the place. and sold
it. Whether the correspondence in question was
appropriated by the Germans or whether 1t was
forgotten at the time of the sale and was per-
mitted fan into the hands of the purchaser
the marquis declared it impossible to say. But
with the view of clearing himself in the eyes
Of his once fair friends Of any suspicion Of vol
untary participation in the printing OF the let
ters he brought suit against both the author
and the publishers of the book and succeeded in
stopping its SALE This was Of course, not suf-
hcient to appease the wrath of the women IN
question, who had just cause for complaint Of
the carelessness that the marquis had displayed
in reference to their correspondence. The latter