Adventure | Science Fiction | Ghost stories | Poetry | Children | History BookOpen Original Text sembled at Tours:
"LEON GAMBETTA.
L. FOURNICHON.
AD. CRÉMIEUX.
AL. GLAIS BIZOIN."]
To this letter are appended the following lines written in September
1871 by Monsieur Emanuel Arago, Member of the Provisional Government of
September 4:--
"En lisant cette lettre, j'éprouve très vivement la regret de
n'avoir pu, enfermé dans Paris, joindre ma signature a celles de
mes collègues de la délégation de Tours. M. Bradlaugh est, et sera
toujours dans la République, notre concitoyen.
"EMANUEL ARAGO."[143]
[Footnote 143:
Paris, I was unable to add my signature to those of my colleagues in
the Tours delegation. In the Republic Mr Bradlaugh is, and always will
be, our fellow-citizen.
"EMANUEL ARAGO."]
About the same time (October 1870) M. Tissot, the Chargé d' Affaires of
France in England, wrote him:--
"Je viens de lire, avec un extrème intérêt le compte rendu du
meeting de Newcastle. La cause de la France et de la paix ne pouvait
être remise entre de meilleures mains et plaidée par une voix plus
éloquente. Laissez moi vous exprimer une fois de plus, Monsieur, tous
mes sentiments de reconnaissance pour votre généreuse initiative, et y
joindre l'assurance de ma haute considération et de ma profonde estime.
CH. TISSOT."[144]
[Footnote 144:
"I have just read with extreme interest the report of the meeting
at Newcastle. The cause of France and of Peace could not be in
better hands, or pleaded by a more eloquent voice. Let me once more
express to you, sir, all my feelings of gratitude for your generous
initiative, and join to it the assurance of my high consideration and
profound esteem.
"CH. TISSOT."]
At a crowded meeting held at the Hall Of Science early in the
following year Mr Bradlaugh was still denouncing the war in unmeasured
terms. "There never was a war," said he, "more unjustifiable, more
wicked, more insane, than this which France, as misrepresented by her
Emperor, had declared against Germany." This the _Echo_ condemned as
"Whitechapel style," and loftily asserted that the English people
would decline to accept "Iconoclast" as the representative of France
and her sufferings. But after other immense gatherings at the Beaumont
Institute, the Eastern Hall, Poplar, and the St James's Hall, there was
a notable alteration in its tone. An extract from its report of the
St James's Hall meeting held five days later makes a rather amusing
contrast to its former unqualified condemnation. Said the _Echo_ on
this occasion of my father:--
"While Professor Beesly was opening the meeting, a tall man with a
remarkably pleasant face, a little spoilt by a self-sufficient look,
or, if we are really to describe it, a certain consciousness of power,
had entered the room and received a perfect ovation of applause. This
was Mr Bradlaugh, _alias_ 'Iconoclast,' for whom the audience kept
calling whenever the speaker for the time being grew tedious.... We
know more of Mr Bradlaugh than we wish. Last night, however, he hid
the cloven hoof. His speech might have been that, of Bishop Atterbury.
Not an irreverent expression, not an ill-judged word escaped him. Mr
Frederic Harrison speaks almost as badly as Mr Bradlaugh writes. Mr
Bradlaugh speaks almost as well as even Mr Harrison writes. There was
a sense of power about the man. His audience hung upon his lips; his
speech was a success and well delivered. He is a master of oratory,
and a master of action; his voice is powerful, rich, and almost
musical. And after he had swayed the meeting as he chose for nearly
half an hour, the huge crowd broke up, after several vain attempts to
start the Marseillaise."
Amongst those who stood on the St James's Hall platform that night
were George Odger, Lloyd Jones, George Howell, and Captain Maxse,
who, together with Professor Beesly and Frederic Harrison, joined
their voices to my father's to plead for the recognition of the French
Republican Government and against the dismemberment of France. This
series, of meetings was held in consequence of the announcement that
the European powers were to assemble in conference in London, and it
was anxiously desired to impress upon the English Government the duty
of making the question of peace between France and Prussia a matter
for the consideration of the Plenipotentiaries. It had been hoped and
expected that Jules Favre would come to London to take part in the
conference, and Mr Bradlaugh was invited to meet him at the Embassy. A
demonstration had been agreed upon to honour his arrival, and it was
characteristic of my father that he urged those of his friends who
prepared to take part in it not to make it a mere party demonstration;
he begged them to avoid, and to try to persuade others to avoid, the
use of flags calculated to insult Prussia or to cause bitterness of
feeling in the minds of Germans. A great assembly of earnest, orderly
men and women to greet the representative of Republican France would
have weight; "bands and banners," he said, "are needless." Jules
Favre, however, was unable to get to London; and in the absence of
any appointed French representative to the Conference, Lord Granville
conferred with Monsieur Charles Tissot both before and after the
meeting of the Plenipotentiaries. A letter which my father received
from Monsieur Tissot just at this time will once more show with what
warmth his efforts to serve Republican France were received by foremost
Frenchmen:--
"LONDRES, _4 Février 1871_.
"MON CHER MONSIEUR BRADLAUGH,--Aucune sottise, aucune
maladresse ne peuvent m'étonner de la part de Mr R.[145] Mais j'avoue
que j'ai senti vivement et que je ne lui pardonnerai jamais cette
à-laquelle vous faites allusion. Je me demande comme vous s'il n'est
pas devenu fou.
"Quant à moi, mon cher ami, je ne puis que constater ici, comme je
l'ai déjà fait, comme je le ferai en toute occasion, la dette que
nous avons contracté, envers vous. Vous nous avez donné votre temps,
votre activité, votre éloquence, votre âme, la meilleure partie de
vous-même en un mot. La France, que vous avez été seule à défendre, ne
l'oubliera jamais.
"Je n'ai aucune nouvelle de Bordeaux, ni de Paris outre celles que
vous avez pu lire dans les journaux. Nous allons voir ce quefera
l'Assemblée, ce qu'elle decidera--et nous agirons, s'il y a lieu en
conséquence.--Au revoir, cher et excellent ami. Je vous envoie toute
mon affection.
CH. TISSOT."[146]
[Footnote 145: M. Reitlinger, "le Secretaire particulier," of M. Jules
Favre, is, I believe, the person here referred to.]
[Footnote 146:
"London, 4th February 1871.
"MY DEAR MR BRADLAUGH,--No folly, no stupidity, on the part
of M. R. can astonish me. But I avow that I have felt keenly, and that
I will never forgive him this to which you make allusion. Like you, I
ask myself whether he has not gone mad.
"As to myself, my dear friend, I can but acknowledge here, as I have
done already, and as I shall do on every occasion, Previous Next |