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    lffM. THE LEADHB. C 1 ^??*? Saturday, /"...

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    THE FRENCH REVOLUTION. Histoireide, la B...

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    Materialism In Germany. Der Jsfaterialum...

    teemdraw * between it and p hilosophy which enabled each topursxe ttsotc * and anthropological problems by reference to Scripture ; and actually asserts that Christianity must stand or fall by the answer given to the question of the Origin of Races .. A more complex and difficult problem than this of the origin , of the various races of man does not perhaps exist . Opinions are very much divided on it , and are likely to be so on a question thus removed from direct evidence . But whether the whole human family sprang from one oair . or from several separate centres , it has long been felt by the

    gravest philosophers that the introduction of Serrpture can only perplex the argument , and retard a settlement ; for , m the first place , there are those / even orthodox clergymen ) who question whether the language of Scripture Is so explicit as to exclude the opinion of various centres ; and in the second place , it ' Seripture is to be appealed to at all , the labours of ethnologists may « easeafconce , for no sooner do we admit the final decision of a question to lie beyond science , than science itself becomes superfluous . If , however , Scripture is thus used in anthropology , it must . also be so used in geology £ Okd astronomy , and all our men of science will become heretics . The mistake committed by Wagner has produced results such as might

    have been anticipated . Instead of Germany accepting the position , which Wagner really , but confusedly , holds—namely , uniting "the creed of a charcoal-burner and the philosophy of Bacon" ( i . e . Christianity a ? id Science)—the indignant philosophers have insisted on a choice being made Between , the two , and they exclaim " Either Christianity or Science ! " And ¦ even a man so . eminent as Yircht > w feels called upon to enter his protest against Wagner , saying that very few men of science will be found who can itus separate their religious and scientific individualities . " The majority will not be able to withstand the desire to bring their religious and scientific ^ jonvietions-ihto harmony , and when science and religion are thus opposed ,

    the choice cannot be doubtful . The error is fundamental . Theology belongs to a different order of conceptions , and cannot , therefore , legitimately be employed to control science . The attempt to do so always has failed , and always will fail . Men wedded to science will be thrown into antagonism with religion if their investigations are thus controlled . They will say with Vogt , Moleschott , Biichner , -and the rest- — " Science tells me nothing of a special soul-substance , it only tells me of nerves and their functions . " The mass of scientific men will say ihe same ; although many wiH further add , " If science tells you nothing of a thinking , principle or of immortality , it is because these lie beyond the ^ sphere , of science , and are within the sphere of religion .

    Lffm. The Leadhb. C 1 ^??*? Saturday, /"...

    lffM . THE LEADHB . C ^??*? Saturday , / "cWJ * -- *— ¦ : — .

    The French Revolution. Histoireide, La B...

    THE FRENCH REVOLUTION . Histoireide , la Baeohstinn lYcmqaise * Par . Louis Blanc . VoL VIII . Paris : Langlois-et Leclfircq . M . Liouis Bxanc approaches the climax of his story . The appeal to the people ha » been discussed , the king is dead r La Vendee is in arms , Pitt has ¦ declared the policy , and Burke the sentiments , of the reigning class in England , the stain has been detected on Dumouriez's sword , the Grironde is dissolved , wairwitbout and dissension within protract the agony of France . To traverse this period accurately , it was essential to collate many existing narratives * with the original archives of the Revolution arid the personal testimony of spectators . Not only had artists , and lyrists , and the professors of dramatic flattery conspired to draw before the decisive event of 1793 an embroidered veil of illusion—not only had pictures been hung in the

    gal-Icriesy and apostrophes declaimed in the theatres , even serious annalists had filled their frescoed space with imaginary groups , and had studiously deformed the Revolution . Mi Louis Blanc ,, proposing : to describe the acts , the passions , the crimes and . virtues , the wisdom and the madness of 1789 , was beset by perplexities . He had to jrive new . colours to an old . epic , to 'discredit familiar anecdotes , to deal boldly with names and reputations , to ¦ cite his contemporaries among the authors of fallacy , to be a student , a narrator ? and a . critic His success has justified his courage . M . de Lamartina , ifc : wa « once , saidy / wr ites a history in ¦ which . everyone was praised , and M . L < y « ria Blanc a . history in which , everyone , was blamed . Of neither is the ¦ observation literally true ; but it is indisputable that M . Louis Blanc has set ! himself ta th « task , of searching out the-causes and the errors of the Revolution , and of trying the accuracy of its historians . But his severity is as

    fenerous as it is impartial .- H » justifies the execution of Louis XVI ., but e does not deny those better qualities that' gave him a claim to the compassion of history . He confutes M . Michelet , but quotes him as a great -writer . He proves that many a , tale of atrocity , traditionally associated with the Revolution , is false ; yet because he denies invented crimes , he does not palliate crimes that ara proved by the record . A master of style , he claims uev rhetorical latitude , and moves rigidly within the lines , he has traced by -exact and elaborate , research . This is one of his principal merits . At the same time it is one < xf his principal claims to popularity . Thin is a time for iristorical' analysis . Historians who are merely pictorial , or eloquent , or entertaining , have no chance in the face of the ordeal that must follow their

    ehaftenge . ' Thus , th © remarkable charge ngainst Danton , that he contradicted Hindi nullified hid whole life bym strange declaration in . the assembly—*> n \ tmijjyu ' by which MM . Michelet and Lamartine profited to indulge at il ^ vw ^ wwmoralities ,. " ' is disposed of by M . Louis . Blanc , not by a fervent oonntmn gfc m' Vi « g , but by th » cold method of alibi , by a proof that Daunon , noto J > M > t—^ tt » iredU thvspeech referred to ,, and that thia was notorious to M * * innnlnajpiHUiMUi . In the same way the anecdote of De Sombreuil ' a dawghtewtdfrwifa * IAwh ^ o * the Abbe Edg « worfch aaying to . the king . ' * Son Of : Sti Loniav . mwd ' to hoa-renl ^ of the terrors a mid which the Abaembly Kn > n » unee ^ lbr'tb » ^ nMftu * ioiho £ Louis , are , submitted to the . test of corttemparary evMten c * anA « np « tfaMkfirora the precincta of hitJtory . Itm * ftom one paint Mnnmm , . augraoslew taah . To atrip men of their drawm * wna * tmm ++ ~ to 4 QmvBst ¦ nn » jiiutfo martyrdom , into a scone of struggling

    terror—a scene of clouds and darkness and menacing multitudes into an affair of orderly business—to reduce , instead of multiply ing-, anecdotes—a capacity is required far above that inventive faculty which decorates a serious recital with the ornaments of the stage , and turns that which is trag ically simple into a chimerical melodrama . Yet this has , in part , been M . Louis Blanc ' s undertaking . At the same time , however , he demonstrates that an historical narrative , to be picturesque , need not be meretricious—that its own anecdotes are more imposing than the incidents imagined for effect , or for flattery , or for libel , by writers whose books are all colour or caprice . No account of the French Revolution is more brilliant than that of M . Louis Blanc . Yet none is so moderate , or so judicial .

    His salient illustration in the new volume is connected with the execution of Louis XVI . ScaDvola with his hand in the flame , Russell at the scaffold , Joan of Arc at the stake , have suggested touches for the portrait of the French king encountering the death decreed by the nation . "W hat is the popular account—the loyal myth , which has been reiterated and . authorized by successive writers ? That the king , with impassive fortitude , with the mute dignity of a martyr , with angelic serenity , or else with heroic disdain , laid his head under the blade of the guillotine . Little reproach to him if he did not . Every brave man is not a Huss or a Sydney ; but , with one school of historians it is heterodox not to falsify , exaggerate , and confuse events as well as characters .

    M . Louis Blanc ' s description of the death of Louis XVI . occupies one of the most remarkable chapters in his book . It is new in style , new in matter . The calm conversations with Malesherbes , the questions on Livy and Tacitus , the serenity of the departure from the Temple , are not forgotten ; but we now first learn that Louis XVI . shouted on the scaffold , struggled with frantic horror with his executioners , was struck with a mad despair when he at last realized his position and gave up his inveterate belief that succour was at hand , that his face was crimson with fear and passion , that he was threatened with a pistol , that he was dragged down to the plank , and that only the stroke of the machine-sword silenced his " terrible cries . " The night

    before his execution , a rumour had spread through Paris , and had even reached his cell , that he was to be rescued ; and , from the scaffold , he obviously expected to recognize his deliverers . When , early in the dismal morning , two commissaries of the Commune , two ecclesiastics , and the chief of the police presented themselves in his chamber , lie was shaken by a momentary terror , and retreating into his closet , locked the door and knelt down before the Abbe Firmont . Firmont , himself , however , retained some hopes , with which he probably infected the spirit of the king . The procession was formed , the inner court was traversed , and Louis , after lingering near the tower in wbicb his wife , children , and sister were confined , approached the principal outlet from his prison : —

    At the entrance of the great court , a green carriage was waiting , with two gendarmes holding open the door . Louis entered ; his confessor took a seat by his side , the ' soldiers mounted in front . The signal is given , and the cortege moves on . It was a . mournful scene . From the prison to the place of death was ranged a double line of pikes or guns , borne by men who , in their immovable silence , seemed like armed statues . The weather was cold and misty . A leaden stillness , only once broken at the gates of the Temple by a cry of "Mercy ! mercy ! " uttered by the trembling voices of some women , reigned along the entire line of march . Here and there a few shops were half open ; everywhere the shutters were closed . For the footpassenger there were no means of issue ; nor was a single carriage in those streets , except that one which rolled on amid universal silence , bearing the miserable man , then called Louis the Last .

    While he still hoped—and , reading the service for the dying , meditated wistfully on life—while his confessor counted the minutes , and watched iu anguish for some sign of the promised plot , Leduc was petitioning the Convention for permission to bury in his family tomb at Sens the body of the condemned king . He was better informed than the confessor , lie had no expectation of a rescue . At the place of execution not more than twentyfive frienda of the fallen throne had assembled : — At ten minutes past ten they reached the foot of the scaffold . It had been erected in front of the Palaao of the Tuileriea , in the square called after Louis XV ., and near the spot where stood the statue of tho most impure of kings—a king who died

    tranquilly in his bed . The condemned man was three minutes descending from the carnage , Upon quitting the Temple he had refused the redingote which Cldry had offered him , and now appeared in a brown coat , white waistcoat , grey breeches , mid white stockings . His hair was not disordered , nor was any change perceptible iu his countenance . Tho Abbe" Firmont was dressed in black . A largo open space had been kept round the scaffold , — with cannon ranged on all sides , —while beyond , as far as the eye could reach , stood an unarmed multitude . The executioner had opened the door of the couch , and doscending , Louis fixed his eyes upon the soldiers who surrounded him , and with a terrible voice cried , " Silence ! " TJic drums-ceased to beat , but at a signal from thoir officer , tho drummers again wont on . " What treason is this ? " ho shouted . " I am lost ! 1 am lost !"—For it was evident

    that up to this moment ho had been clinging to hope . The executioners now approached to take off a part of his clothes ; ho repulsed thorn fiercely , and himself removed the collar from his neck . But nil tho blood in his body seemed to bo turned into fire when they sought to tie his hands . " Tie my hands ! " he shrieked . . A struggle was inevitable : it came . It ia indisputable , says Mercicr , that Louis fought with his executioners . The Abbd Edgeworth stood by , perplexed , horrified , speechless . At last , as his master seemed to look inquiringly at him , he said ,. " Sir , in this additional outrage I only see a last trait of the resemblance between your majesty ana tho God who will give you your reward . " At these words , tho indignation ol tho man gave way to tho humility of tho Christian , and Louin said to the executioners , " I will drain tho cup to tho dregs . " Thoy tied his hunda , they cut off his hair , and

    then , leaning on the arm of bis confessor , he began , with a slow trend and sinking demeanour , to mount the steps , then very steep , of tho guillotine . Upon tho last stop , however , ho seemed suddunly to rouse , and walked rapidly ucro . sn to the other side of tho BcafiPold ; when , by a sign commanding silonco , ho exclaimed , " I die innocent of tho crimes imputed to , mo . " His face was now vory rod , and , according to tho narrative of his confessor , his voice was so loud that it could bo hoard throug h tho streets an far as the Font-Tournant . Somo other expressions were distinctly hoard , " I pardon tho authors of my death , and I pray Heaven that tho blood you are about to fthed may never be visited upon France . " Ho was about to continue , when his voice > vi »« drowned by tho renewed rolling of the drums , at n signal which , it is ulnnned , wan given by the ' comedian Dugayon , in anticipation of' tho orders of Santerre . " Silence ! be silent ! " cried Louia . XYI ., losing all sol £ » aontrol , and uUunping violently with hi « f °°

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 16, 1856, page 18, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_16081856/page/18/