New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-04-06
IN Attempt 70 i5etabiiitatc Jean
Jacques Rousseau.

donald svc. Two VOLS Pr. sls' go. " = "a
mans Sons
,-bs personality Of Jean Jacques Rousseau al
- has been one Of the most aggravatingly
...ss,isfaetory riddles Of history 1t is riddle
s...pse in one and the same man there seem
= have been two natures more disparate than
,bose Of Jellyll and Hyde. 1t is unsatisfactory
,o,spse those who believe him thoroughly de-
-sved cannot refrain from envying the very
-narnihcence Of his hypocrisy and the profound
,nauence he has exercised over French thought
And to those who look upon him as noble
.Dirs and illuminated martyr his personality
!. equally unsatisfactory because it must be
c,pellv discounted by his own confessions taken
At face value. The only man interested III
rousseau who IS not perturbed by the inter-
,ninable souabbles raised and revived over the
authors private character is the political phl-
l,sonber. who deals not in men. but in ideas.
Everybody else. If interested at all, must Won
ssr .yhat manner Of man that was about whom
= cloak OF mystery could have been so snugly
..-,v-n that the combined efforts OF century
AZ critics have not succeeded in tearing II Off
Rousseau, like many Others has presumably
suffered from the lack OF systematic study; but
more than others he is himself largely 10 blame
sor this. because he gave the world a book pur-
porting 10 lay bare all the inmost facts OF his
own life Ia reading his Confessions, most
students thrown of their guard by the very
sranbness Of his disclosures, have assumed that
che writer really knew all about the conditions
cn5 events influencing his actions. Hence the
almost universal acceptance not only Of Rous-
reau's etaternents about his acquaintance, but
MISC Of his confessions about his own misdeeds
y7ut NAV not a man sometimes be an incompe-
tent witness against himself? And is there not
ground for such a suspicion in Rousseaus case
when we recall his positive assertions Of the eX-
tstence Of a deep plot against him? This sus-
picion doubtless crossed Mrs. Macdonald's mind
when she started upon her studies OF the France
NJ Yoltaire and Rousseau. For in her book on
this subject the most startling chapter is de-
z,otes 10 a study Of She evidence in connection
With Rousseau's confession that he sent his FIVE
children 10 the Foundlings Home. On the face
OF it Rousseau's own statement in the Con
sessons" seems indisputable proof that he was
a monster Surely father ought 10 know what
he did with his own offspring And yet Mrs
Macdonald brings together a mass Of facts 10
show that Rousseau's wife, partly Of her own
free viii and partly at the instigation Of conspir-
ators soon 10 be mentioned, deceived the con-
ading philosopher into thinking that he had
children and herself suggested the disposal OF
the mythical infants One must read the rec
Ords themselves in order TO feel the logical force
Of Mrs Macdonald's arguments. Not the least
writes that he never saw any Of the children;
and. secondly, although the records Of the Paris
ian Foundlings' Home during that period are
remarkably exact and complete. there is abso-
lutely no trace OF any such children having
been brought there. as Rousseau-writing from
sWitzerland-says they were.
Once convinced Of the need OF a new inter
pretation Of the Confessions" in the light Of
original contemporary records. the ardent stu
dent OF Rousseau began what even the most adj
verse critic must admit IS the most comDrehen-
sive investigation OF the citizen Of Geneva" that
has yet appeared. The only other English study
which attempts to cover the same ground is
John Morley's Rousseau" a book. though
which aims al fluent presentation rather than
critical Investigation Mr.. Morley belonged 10
the old school Of biographers. who were innO-
Gently content 10 use earlier biographies without
recourse 10 their sources. French and German
studies show this weakness less consplcuously
yet al suffer from the lack Of certain highly
significant information which Mrs. Macdonald
has had the good fortune 10 unearth IN the
course ~ her twenty years Of research. While
Fummeging through the Partisan Archives and
the Arsenal Library, she stumbled upon manu-
script entitled 'Lettres de Madame de Mont
brilliant" commonly known 10 literary students
as the Memoirs" OF Rousseeu's benefactress
Madame d'Epinay These Memoirs" in the
form and content usually known. contain practi-
caily al Of the evidence that has ever been used
20 defsme Rousseau's character. But in the
newly discovered manuscript the fact appears
that all the tales derogatory to Rousseau have
been interpolated and, what is more, that the
original notes instructing the forgar how 10
phrase the stories stil lie intact on small slips
Of paper tucked IN between the pages. The
alterations arc in TIE known handwriting Of
Madame dEpinay, and the notes from which
she took her orders are in the even better known
handwritings Of Grimm and Diderot, The skep-
deal reader OF Mrs. aIacdonald's revelations is
confronted with nine Photographic facsmles
q pages from the original manuscript, its al
tered sections and Diderot's notes instructing
the forger
After such discoveries a new criticism OF Rous-
seRu's character became only a matter OF time
ana patience. The biographer had first OF all
70 discount al the statements made about the
citizen OF Geneva by the Encyclopedias and
theT feminine intimates. particularly those ut
Tered after the beginning Of Diderot's quarrel
Nlth Rousseau. The next task would be to place
more credence IN the verdicts OF the philoso-
pners loyal friends and IA his own confessions.
~ pursuing these two courses. and with the aid
o. a vast amount Of detailed information gath
slea from contemporary sources the new critic
q Rousseau has managed 10 unveil a sys-
ssnaneally conceived and executed plot against
uhe good name OF her hero. II her conclusions
can Withstand all possible objections Of histori-
ca Specialists. they must take rank among the
hoAoie discoveries In literary history. II is. Of
tolise' impossible for anybody expert or lay
man. 10 estimate the exact strength and weak
ness OF Mrs Macdonald's theory; nothing short
!" minute renvestigation OF ali relevant docu-
hsnis win suffice for that. But there can be no
tclCt 70 the revolutionary fOrc0 NJ eha maui