New-York tribune., 1908-11-21
CURB on A DUCHESS
Nine. dc ChduInes's Status Through
Birth of Her Child.


rsi- 20 his fathers honors. thus hnds himself
ron the very moment Of his advent into the
-rorId Due de Chaulnes and Ducs de Picauiny
F4ad the duchess remained childless widow she
would have been. 20 al intents and purposes. her
mistress She would have continued TO re-
tain her title OF Duchess &c Chauines long
.re remained unmarried. and would have been
rree 70 abandon France and the Trench citizen
ship which shs acquired by marriage, and to take
ne necessary steps 70 her American
rtonz1its-
through her becoming the mother Of q child OF
re late DUc de Chzulres she loses some this
freedom Her rights TO the child, matter what
re character OF the marriage contract or Of any
utu which her husband may have left-I under
stand he died inEestate-are IN q measure shared
ry members Of his family. Should the duchess,
instance wish carry OF her boy 70 America
and 70 bring him up altogether as an American
citizen. her husbands family would have the
tight 70 intervene II would according to French
fere Il members thereof objected TO her method
= bringing rp the child. IL she contracts
other marriage with some man whom, for one
-essor CT another they did not consider qualified
- share the and guardianship OF the child
TIE family would have a right to interfere II
zc-1e czluunay oS the future vere 10 question the
conduct Of the duchess. In word. any rnern-
her ot The family whose hostility she might in
ore way or another incur is entitled 70 summon
zhat IS known IS "consen de farnille' and 10
sub-1it arguments, charges and evidences - this
species oS family %@yehnnser1cht-
The council is composed OF the chiet adult mem
hers OF the 1arv, and its sessions are invariably
attended BY lawyer. the family notary. who
places TIE deliberations and the conclusions
reached II proper legal form These are there
-zpo- submitted b, the notary ana by two Of the
-asu15ers Of n. council 70 the tribunal. which,
z4thout any further trial. usually rath-s the d.
csiou- For the sudges naturally take il for
granted thst when al the adult members Of
family. who have at heart its best interests and the
ho-o- Ct tie think IL necessary to impose
-ss1riccous upon one Of their number and to de
rre him her Of rights that have been u1isused.
thei- action is in ainety-nins instances out Of
hundred well founded
--lether TIE judges are always right however, in
+5is assumption IS open to question Thus It nay
hs recalled that IN the Of the mother Of the
is-e Due de Chaulnes, BY birth Russian Princess
CsIitzin, she was deprived, after her husbands
death. OF the care Of her two young children.
whose custody Ees intrusted By the family coUn-
rl 70 their paterral grandmother, the austere old
Duchess de Cheyrrsnse, who had always hated her
%uscov1te dsughter-tn-law and violently
r-ejldtoed against her that she saw in every limo
cent 1Tivolity and coquetTy crime on the part Of
this remarkably pretty woman The Duchess de
C1sv7eUze power the time in the Faubourg
German. snd one the rulers Of all that part
- French society which IS known the vieille
rotlasse- Against her influence the young Rus
sian-born Duchess &c Chaunes-that is TO say
,oreigner-had no show whatsoever and the family
N-ce- Chevreu5e. the Judges immediately after
ward raJffying the decree Of the family council
Then the Duchess De Chaunes,- ignorant Of the
rec-Earities- Of French Law. in despair at being
deprived or her two little children Zone OF them the
iat@ Duo dc Chaunes and the other the present
--oung Duchess dues. attempted to pos
s=ssion q them by means Of abduction from old
Nina Dc ChevTeUse's Chateau de Sable. in the
Sa-the. sort OF medieval stronghold both
and her assistants were arrested, and while the
duchess herself let Of with warning by the
oo1rt those who had been associated with her in
rhe enterprise were sentenced 70 prison with hard
-11-. kidnzpDers TIE duchess subsequently
5fsd o. want and prtvzrion in one Of the most
r-yve-ty-stricken quarters Of Paris and By
reopls she has always been regarded : victim
-no-her-tn-IzIss 5ntole-z-t tyranny and
hatred and innocent cf most oH the charges
hroUght against hsr-charges OF which she had
never had any opportunity OF clearing herself BY
means q public rrlal but which. adopted by the
+sriIy council. dominated bv her rnother-in-lav.
taken b. the tribunals sufficient deprive
-z- OF The guardianship the care and the posses
-fon Ct her children
This Is only ore OF number OF similar instances
flz- could naention 70 show thar, although the
=-s-e1 Of .'conseil de fauile'' in the majority Of
s---snces exercises sslJta-y restraining inhu-
-7ce ct that ft IS often made the instrument OF
-u=I p-eiudice and un51stihable tyranny. especial
'- IN cases zhere the victim happens 70 Re ~
fcre5z- birth
some Of nv readers -iH naturally ask why no
family council has been called 70 deal with the
anna Gould-CesteTane-Se gar controversv- # n
Family council has been invoked thsre. II is be
-a-lse rhFe II r-ou9dr undoubtedly express its
approval Of the antecsdents Of the Prince de sa-
zsn IS uniting him for any share IN the guardian
srip Of te CasteTane boys II could possibly ap
q Boai de Castellane himself qualified to
q mentor. after the public showing which he
divorce tr1al and also in the many law
suits brought against him by his army Of credt-
fors. Moreover. Boni de CasteIlane. who is the
prosecutor IN the suit now pending II regard -
f7e future custody Of the children. is anxious
shove eTerything 10 place judicial stigma upon
-is cousin. ths Prince de Sazan. and thus by ruin
fag hin socially 70 satisfy Al ancient reud- Final
y there are enormous financial interests involved
n connection with the Could fortune this side
= Bcni de -CasteIsne would prefer have settled
~ : court Of law without nlanfesting through
>z-riy council any undue greed for the Anna
ETculd money
III hare written thus fully the matter, it IS
-.-ceuse have received within the last few days
-,fre -,rnbe- % letters from readers making in
.q,'res with regard 70 the status OF the widowed
Tl-cnesse De ChzuInes. noT that she has beconas
r1e mother cf 2 pOsthUrnoUs child Her position
oud have been Just the Z The child had been
: daughter The latter tn thai case would have
borne the name OF Mile de Juynes. and the
dukeaonle IF Cllaulres and Of Picquiny would have
reverted 70 ire present Due de Lynes, cousin eH
-2e Iz-e duke and head OF the family The late
duke believe left no property whatsoever, since
.re CLz-ezu Of Sable which he inherited from his
z-zrdrotner he Iyuchesse ds Chevreuse, was sold
-he benefit =. his creditors long before his
-rz--sge II >s-t the financial future OF the IN
-srr Duc de Chsulaes depends largely upon the
generosity cf his American grandfather. This IS
fortunate one way tor the young cuchsss, Tor
VII 20 Ear 70 prevent her being made the object
s~s- tyranny or the part ~ consel d. fanailie
4