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Nov. 10, 185^1 THg LEADER. 1075
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VICTOR HUGO AND THE CONl^ETABLE OF JERSE...
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CONTINENTAL, NOTES. General Canrobert ha...
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Our Civilization. A Thief's Rrorkt.—John...
constables , this was averted , but not before some injury was done to the house . The prisoners were proved to have been connected with these disturbances , and they were respectively fined 10 s . and 31 . et Toxrao Bi . ood" and its Freaks . —Charles John Vinall and Arthur John Vinall , two very young men , and brothers , surrendered to take their trial at the Middlesex Sessions , on a chargeof assaulting Mr . W . 3 . Wilde , the treasurer of the Haymarket Theatre . The elder of the two , on leaving the theatre a few nights ago , lit a cigar in the lobby . Mr . Wilde told him that he must not smoke there , - on which , the young gentleman puffed the smoke into his face . Mr . Wilde gently placed his hand on that in which the defendant held the cigar , and depressed it , and as he did so the cigar fell to the
ground . Charles Vinall then struck htm a violent blow on the temple , and Mr . Wilde laid hold of him , when Arthur Vinall , seeing his brother in that situation , laid hold of Mr . Wilde from behind , and held him , while the other pommelled him in front . He struck him abont the face and head , and , as he had a thick ring on one of his fingers , Mr . Wilde ' s face was cut , and the blood trickled down freely . An officer was soon brought , and he took Charles Vinall away , Mr . Wilde following to prefer the charge . On passing George ' s-court , on the way to the station , the elder brother , who was walking on the policeman ' s right , suddenly swung his right fist across the policeman ' s breast , and struck Mr . Wilde , who was walking on the left , so tremendous a blow on the nose between the eyes that , for the moment ,
be was completely stunned , and thought his face was smashed in . At the time he did this , Mr . Wilde was wiping the blood off his face with a handkerchief , which was completely saturated in blood ( it was produced in the state it was then in ) , ahd * the younger brother threw himself upon him in the same way as he had done at the theatre . The constable took the elder one to the station , and then returned to where Mr . Wilde was grappling with the other . Mr . Clark son , for the defence , admitted that the assault was unjustifiable , but suggested that there was some palliation in the natural heat of " Toung Blood , " . and in a want of discretion and conciliation on the part of Mr . Wilde . The younger brother was acquitted ; but the elder one found Guilty , and sentenced to imprisonment for six weeks .
Nov. 10, 185^1 Thg Leader. 1075
Nov . 10 , 185 ^ 1 THg LEADER . 1075
Victor Hugo And The Conl^Etable Of Jerse...
VICTOR HUGO AND THE CONl ^ ETABLE OF JERSEY . [ The Daily News publishes the subjoined "from authentic sources , " prefacing it by the following remark : — " On the 27 th of October intimation was given to M . Victor Hugo that he must quit Jersey : on the 26 th , the Correspondent of the Moniteur had already written that this notice had been given . " ] On Saturday , the 27 th of October , 1835 , at ten o ' clock in the morning , three persons presented themselves at the residence of Victor Hugo , Marine-terrace , St . Clement ' s , Jersey , and desired to speak with that gentleman and his two sons . " Whom have I the honour of addressing ? " asked Victor Hugo .
" I am the Connetable of St . Clement ' s , " replied the foremost of the three . " I am charged by his Excellency the Governor of Jersey to inform you that , in accordance with a decision of the Crown , you can no longer be permitted to reside in this island , but must leave it on or before the 2 nd of November next . This course has been adopted towards you in consequence of your signature appearing at the foot of the declaration placarded in the streets of St . Helier , and published in the journal JUHomme . " " Very well , sir . "
The Connetable of St . Clement ' s made a similar communication in the same terms to Messrs . Charles Hugo and Francjcois Hugo , from whom he received the same reply as from their father . Victor Hugo then asked the Connetable if he could leave with him a copy of the order of the British Government . On Mr . Leneveu replying in the negative , declaring that it was not' customary , Victor Hugo said to him , " I call you to witness that while we exiles sign and publish what we write , tho British Government conceala what it writes . ' '
After having fulfilled his mission , the Connetable and his two officers seated themselves . Victor Hugo then spoke aWfbllovvs : — " It is necessary , sir , that yon should understand the full bearing of the act you have just performed—with due courtesy , I admit—and with a politeness to wliich I am happy to testify . It is not you whom I hold responsible for this act ; I will not even ask you your opinion concerning it ; I am convinced that in your heart you are sorrowfully ind ignant at the task imposed upon you this day by the military authorities . " The throe magistrates made no reply , but remained Mated , with downcast looks .
Victor Hugo continued—• ' I do not wish you to tell me your sentiments—your silence ppeaks ; there exists between the consciences of honest men a bridge of communication by means of which their thoughts meet and ¦ are interchanged without requiring tho service of the lips . It is nevertheless necessary , I repeat , that you
thoroughly and rightly appreciate the act to which you consider yourself bound to lend your assistance . Connetable of St . Clement ' s—you are a member of the States of this island . Yon have been elected by the free suffrages of your fellow-citizens . You are a representative of the people of Jersey . What would you say if the military governor were one night to send bis soldiers to arrest you in your bed , were to thrust you into prison , and to break in your hands the staff of authority with which you were invested , and if he were to treat you , the representative of the people , as the vilest of felons ? What would you say if he acted thus to each and every of your colleagues ? This is not all . Suppose that in the face of this violation of right , the judges of your Royal Court had met and delivered a verdict declaring the governor convicted of the crime of high treason , that upon this
he had sent a squadron of soldiers , who drove the judges from their bench in the midst of their solemn deliberations ; suppose further , that upon these proceedings the honest citizens of your island had assembled in the streets , had taken to arms , had made barricades , and had taken measures to resist might , on behalf of right , and that the governor had caused them to be mowed down with grape-shot by the garrison of yonder fort . I say further , suppose that during a whole day he had caused your wives , your children , your old men and inoffensive unarmed passers-by to be massacred , that he had burst open with cannon-balls the doors of your dwellings , that he had shattered with grape-shot the contents of your shops and warehouses , and pursued with bayonets even under their-very beds those of your inhabitants who had crept thither for shelter—if the Governor of Jersey had done all that , what would you say ?"
The Connetable _ of St . Clement ' s having listened to these words in profound silence and visible embarrassment , made no answer to the interpellation thus addressed to him . Victor Hugo repeated his question : — " What would you say , sir ? Reply . "I would say , " answered Mr . Leneveu , " that the governor was wrong . " " I beg your pardon , sir , let us understand the value of our words ; you meet me in the street and bow to me . I take no notice of you . You go home and say , ' Victor Hugo did not return my salute—he was wrong . ' So far , so good . A son murders his mother : would you content yourself with saying , 'he was wrong . ' No ; you would say he is a criminal . Well , then , I ask you , is not the man who murders liberty , who assassinates law and right , the man who strangles a whole peO 2 > le , is he not a parricide ? Does be not commit a crime ? Reply . " ........
" YeSj sir ; he commits a crime , said the Connetable . " I take note , M . le Connetable , of your answer , and I proceed . Violated in the exercise of your duty as representative of the people—driven from your seat , imprisoned , and then exiled , you takerefuge in a country which deems itself free , and boasts of it . There , your first act is to promulgate the history of the crime and publicly to placard the decree of your High Court of Justice which declares the governor convicted oi' high treason . Your first act is to proclaim to all who surround you , and to the whole world if possible , the monstrous iniquity of which your person , your family , your liberty , your rights , and your country have been the victims . In doing this , M . lc Connetable , would you not be in the exercise of your right ? I say more ; would you not be performing a duty ? ' '
The Connetable endeavoured to avoid replying to this new question , suggesting that he had not come to discuss the decision of the superior authorities , but only to signify it . Victor Hugo insisted— " We are making , now , sir , a pnge in history ; we are here , sir , three historians , my two sons and I , and one day this conversation will bo related . Reply , then , in protesting against the crime , would you not be in the exercise of your right in the accomplishment of your duty ?" Yes , sir . "
" What would you , then , think of the government which , on account of your having performed this sacred duty , would send you the order to leave the country by a magistrate who would stand towards you in the same position in which you to-day stand towards me ? What would you think of tho government which would drive you out , you exiles , which would expel you , representatives of the people , even in the exercise of your duty ? Would you not think thut that government had fallen to the lowest depth of . shame ? But on this point I will bo content with your silence . You arc here three honest men , and I know—without your tolling mo—tho reply your conscience gives . " One of the officers accompanying the Connctuble ventured a timid remark : " Monsieur Victor Hugo , there is something else in your declaration besides the crimes of the Emperor . "
" You are mistaken , sir , and to convince you , I will read it to you . " Victor Hugo then read tho declaration , pausing at the conclusion of each paragraph to auk the magistrates who listened to Uim , " Had we tho right to say that ?"
" But you disapproveofthe expulsion of your friends ?" said Mr . Leneveu . " I disapprove of it in the highest degree , ' * rep l ied Victor Hugo ; " but had I not the right to avow it ? Does your liberty of the press not extend so far as to admit the criticism of an arbitrary act . of the authorities ?" " Certainly , certainly , " said the Conns ' table . " And it is on account of this declaration , that you . are here to intimate to me the order for my expulsion , ? On account of this declaration , which you acknowledge it was my duty to make , and the terms of which you admit do not exceed the limits of your local liberty , and which you in my place would have published as 1 have done ?" "It is on account of the letter of Felix Pyatt , " said one of the officers .
" I beg your pardon , " replied Victor Hugo , addressing himself to the Connetable , " have you not told me that I am to quit this island on account of ray signature appearing at the foot of this declaration ?" The Connetable drew from his pocket the governor ' s order , and said , " in truth , it is solely on account of the declaration , and for nothing else , that you are expelled . " " I take note of this , and call all here present to witness ; and now , M . le Connetable , you may withdraw . You will render to your superior , the Iaeutenant-Governor , an account of the execution of your mission , who will render his account to his superior the British Government , which in its turn will render its account to its superior , Monsieur Bonaparte 1 "
Continental, Notes. General Canrobert Ha...
CONTINENTAL , NOTES . General Canrobert has been despatched on a special mission to the Court of Sweden . It is understood that his obj ect is to endeavour to effect an alliance with the secondary Northern Powers . This mission , together with the presence in Paris of MM . Pforten and Beust , are considered to have had an intimidating « ffect in Russia , and it is noiv widely asserted that the Czar is willing to make peace on the Four Points , which , as a totality , were rejected in April . " It is also believed , " writes the Times ' Paris correspondent , " that the King of the Belgians has never for a moment relaxed in his efforts for peace , and that his co-operation on the present occasion has been efficacious i and rumour adds that the difficulty , if difficulty arise , will not be found on the part of the Emperor of the French . " A feeling is general , says the same writer , that we are " drifting " into peace . A letter from Paris , published in the Austrian Gazette , furnishes some further details on this subject ; but it must be recollected that all these assertions at present are based merely upon rumour . The letter-writer alluded to says : —" It appears that overtures or formal propositions of peace have been made on the part of Russia . While tho King of Prussia summons to Berlin , where they still remain , his Ministers to Paris and London , Count Colloredo , Austrian Envoy at the British Court , who recently arrived here ( Paris ) from Vienna , has had frequent interviews with Count Walewski . The latter had to day a conference of several hours with Baron de Bourqueney . It is
stated in well-informed circles that Russia is now disposed to purchase peace at very serious sacrifices . This announcement must have been forwarded to Vienna by the Prussian Cabinet , with an invitation to Austria to join in recommending the acceptance of these peace propositions to tho Western Powers . " Further on , in the same communication , we read : — " If I am correctly informed , M . de Bourqueney , who returns to Vienna in three or four days , will stop at Berlin , in order to discuss with the Prussian Minister of Foreign Affairs the tunour and boaring of the propositions submitted for consideration by Russia . 'ihiH conference will probably lead to n decisivo step being taken in the matter . So dc-licuto a mission could not bo confided to ono more competent , and the Emporor of tho French in sending that statesman to Berlin has given proof of his most sincere desire for peace . bo nincerothat inte
If tho Cabinet of Berlin equally , rview mny be attended with tlio most h / ippy results . Hitherto the Allies have displayed a very wise moderation , having , up to tho present moment , demanded no other miarantfterf of ponce than those based on tho treaty of tho 2 nd of December . Notwithstanding the full of Sobostopol , tho conditioiiH of the future negotiations have- not been changed , in order to afford RuHsiu an opportunity of concluding an honourable peace . " Tho , 1 ' aria correspondent of tho Morning ; Post denies tho credibility of these statements , and they have been officially contradicted by some of tho Aiwtriun papers . They arc worth « oma attention , however , as exhibiting tho Htnto ol' l > ° I »" * feeling On tho other band , it is uhhoi tod thai tho Allios do not confine themselves to the Four IViiiih , but demand that the Kuxlno shall bo made a commercial mix , till «« a nortw of which shall bo open to merchantmen . 11 »« J «""» auid that indemnity for tho cxpu . woa of Hie war will i > o
demanded . , , .. „_ Tho Austrian government has boon tflk . nf , ' nt « ^ consideration tho question f ^^^ ^ X of tho Dunubiun prino P « < " > " ™ J ( y , I ( W ]) OHttrlato ^^ . ^^^^ ^ StS ^ im ^ on tic treaty of Stirbcy ; tho right to «<> wine Kuaaia , in ssssriA . vsztzr-i ^ . ' - « - ¦« •*
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 10, 1855, page 7, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_10111855/page/7/
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