Year: 1873




Historical Parallels


The trial of the Tichborne case is to be
resumed in London to-day, but it is supposed
that further postponement may be needed to
await the arrival of some twenty witnesses
from this city. The readers of the HERALD
have not taken deep interest in this singular
case. Probably, unlike the English, and in
some respects like the French, we have not
the power to sustain a continuous excitement
running through period of years, which so
large part of the English people have
bestowed upon the history of the ancient
house of Tichborne and the adventures of
the extraordinary person who claims to be its
heir. What promised to be only romance
to be remembered in legal chronicles and
Historical novels founded on fact" now pre-
sents itself as one of the gravest political
questions that ever threatened the peace of
the British government.


1t is strange to see the importance given to
the simple question, whether an Australian
adventurer-by his own confession q scoun-
drel-has been guilty of perjury. Ten thou
sand men have been tried for that and other
offences, and undergo trial from day to day,
who are worthy of more respect and have
higher claims to the quality of gentleman
than this hero of millions of Englishmen,
who claims to be Sir Roger Tchborne We
have seen many cases in all countries of
morbid sympathy on the part of the people
for conspicuous criminal. In those good old
times of great and merry England when the
lished as the throne, and as many,
almost were executed yearly for trivial
crimes as in France during the
Reign of Terror, criminals were idealized
and had literature, and were celebrated in
operas and comedies and romances. They
lived like heroes and died surrounded by
sympathizing thousands. We all know the
morbid, foolish interest attaching to DR.. Dodd,
the fashionable preacher who was hanged for
forgery, and Dick Turpin, Jack Sheppard and
Claude Duval, and others who are better
known to-day by majority of English
speaking people than the kings who reigned
or the lords who sat in Parliament They
died a glorious death on Tyburn Hill. We
could understand any feeling of this kind on
the part Of the English people toward the
claimant of the Tichborne estates. 1t would
be a sentiment, quickly fading away, spring
ing from that fondness the badly educated
mind entertains for the grotesque or the hor-
rible or the adventurous.


But the Tichborne case is not sentiment
to be dismissed to the comedians and those
who write ballads. Beginning as an action of
law, it has grown to be question of grave
public policy, and in this respect reminds US
forcibly Of the famous diamond necklace
case" which had SO large share in bringing
about the French Revolution. The diamond
necklace case" was an instance Of swindling.
A cardinal desired to be restored to the favor
of the Queen, Marie Antoinette. He had
enormous wealth, and was willing to pay
largely for readmission to the sunlight Of
royal eyes He was willing to believe that if
he would purchase q certain diamond neck
lace valued at about half million of dollars
In our present money, and give it to
Marie Antoinette, his peace would be made,
and he might again float in the radiant glories
Of Versailles. Out of this anticipation and by
ordinary swindling tricks-such, for instance.
as lady in waiting forging the Queen name
to bill of sale and passing herself off as the
Queen in midnight interview granted to the
Cardinal in the groves of Versailles posses
sion was obtained of the necklace which was
carried to England and sold and the money
parcelled among the thieves Jewellers be-
lieved they had sold the necklace to the Queen,
and brought suit against her for its value 1t
was proved in the trial that the Queen had
never bought the jewels; that the whole bust
ness was an ordinary swindling trick Scan
oals arose, the good name of the Queen was
tarnished by suspicion, and suspicion to q
queen is almost worse than crime. From the
social emotions that arose from these scandals
came that public opinion which eliminated in
the Reign of Terror.


We do not believe that there was anything
in the diamond necklace scandal to bring
about revolution. Greater scandals had been
known before-in the time OF the Regency, for
instance We have seen them in our own day
in reference to the last of the Condos who
was supposed by many people to have been
hanged by Louis Philippe in order that his
money might pass to the Duke d Aumale. But
the condition Of society was such in France
that the diamond necklace case" acted as the
fire to the tagot. We can build fire on the
prairie, in spring time or fall. 1t will live its
life and die into ashes. Build the same fire
in midsummer under the pitiless burning
skies of our torrid days and the flame
will sweep like the waves of the
sea for miles and miles, carrying forests and
houses and living beasts and men and women
before it in desolating tide France was
ready for any fame, and when we speak, as
our historians always do, of the Revolution
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