New-York tribune., 1909-02-28

letter addressed to Mazzini. to the effect that
his friends and associates, the brothers Ban
ciera, were about to make descent from Corfu
upon the coast of Calahria with the object Of
starting an insurrection against the Bourbon
Crown. Thanks to this warning, the police and
the troops of the King OF Naples were fully pre-
pared for tSs arrival Of the Bandiera brothers
and Of their revolutionary adherents, and capt
ured them on landing and promptly put them 70
death
To-day the names OF the brothers Bandiera are
honored throughout the length and breadth Of
the peninsula as martyrs to the cause Of Italian
unity. It is worthy OF note that old Prince
Clement Metternich, then Chancellor Of the
Austrian Empire. complained in writing of hav-
ing received no intimation in advance from the
English government about this Bandiera raid.
The tone Of his complaints, as contained In his
published correspondence. is OF nature to con-
firm the belief that while the English author
tiles had neglected TO apprise him OF the Ban
diera coup. on the ground that It concerned
purely the Neapoitan government, they never
theless kept him fully posted on everything re-
lating to the North italian and Hungarian plot
tings against Austrian rule-at any rate on
everything they happened to learn through the
examination of Magyar and Irredenta corre-
spondence passing through the English mails
Minister Rouvier openly declared in the Senate
that the Cabinet Noir which had been particu-
larry active during the administration OF his
predecessor Edgar Combes, no longer existed
He thus publicly and officially admitted that
there had been such thing as q Cabinet Noir
during the Premiership of Combes He was
good enough to add that letters are no longer
opened by the judge dinstruction That was
q superfuous remark for as q general rule let
l,vry crse afoc hIfn Z
have intimated above, by particularly expert
enced and highly trained corps Of experts in
that particular business. The Cabinet Eoir has
always thrived in France, under monarchical as
we'll under republican governments. 1t may
be said to have come into existence in the reign
of Louis XI. who in 1864 established the first
postal service. but who decreed that ali letters
were subject to the supervision Of the Grand
Master OF the Police in order that he might
sure himself that there nothing contained
therein contrary to the commands Of the SOW
ereign.
Cardinal Richelieu caused this edict to be re-
pealed, but. under the pretence of emancipatiDg
the mails from the control OF the police. estab-
lished far more effective but secret Black Cab
met bureau He used to take a delight in thus
making himself the master of the contents Of
letters passing through the mails, until ne came
across nissive addressed by Anne OF Austria
to of her relatives in Vienna, in which she
made such cruel fun of the prelates foibles that
it resulted in the first of those fits of apoplexy
to which he eventually succumbed. Louis XIV
maintained staff Of no fewer than tuoscore Off
cials. whose duty It was each night to open at
the general postof1ce in Paris letters attracting
their attention and to transcribe rapidly
possible all the scandal, the gossip, the revela-
lions and the interesting personalities which
they contained This was compiled into a sort
Of society journal, which brought TO him
every morning in bed, and its contents would
form the subject Of his conversation with his
confdants and courtiers while the petit leves"
was in progress.
He cared nothing for political secrets. but he
was perfectly delighted in being thus able to
originate gossip and TO launch scandal and may.
be regarded the father and founder OF So
ciety journalism. Louis XVIII was equally de-
voted to the Black Cabinet and was never so
happy when through Its means he could get
on TO the track Of come scandal affecting the
honor Of the Bonapartes. There are official
records to show that he spent no less than sI20-
600 during his brief reign for providing his Cabi-
net Noir with duplicate seals with which 10 re-
close letters that had been opened and thanks
TO the memoirs and "reminiscences OF some Of fhe
government officials whom he en7ploved in this
work one is able to appreciate the fact that
scarcely anything was allowed TO go through the
French mail in those days without being brought
to his knowledge.
The Cabinet Nor was in full activity through
out the reign OF Napoleon III, and that the over
thro" OF the empire in no way arrested It's oper-
ations is shown by the following amusing Incl
dent, which occurred about ten or fifteen wears
ago, and was ventilated at the time IN tha !
Chamber of Deputies. One OF the members .,
that body having left home without his nursa
borrowed 100 francs from fellow legislator
On reaching home that night he mailed a byler
note OF thanks along with 100-frano note "a |
his friend That is to say. he fancfed that ba |
had inclosed the money, but on the foIIory,nc, |
afternoon, while gathering his papers +oga+ber /
ne1ore starting for the Chamber he +ound +ba |
lVo-1ranc note which had in some way sIipned |
CUT OF ssht among the documents with which |