Paris Correspondence [pp. 593-600]

1849.] From our Paris Correspondent. 597
Benjamin Constant could not love? And what
sacrifice ought not surviving friendship to make
in order to rescue him from the calumny! Madame R6camier, therefore, heroically consents to
prove, not only that Constant did have a heart,
but that that heart was most devotedly all her
own. Now pass we on quickly, friend Thompson! Be as gentle as you can in judging the
motives of Mdme. R6camier. For myself, I feel
that if I tarry longer here, I shall be tempted to
say something severe upon Mdme. R. in particular and perhaps upon the sex in general;
whereas Mdme. R., as has been proved above,
and as all the world knows, was a most amiable
and excellent person. The fact is, that in this
religious intention of honoring the memory of
her dead friend and vindicating his heart, she
caused two copies to be made of Constant's letters. Determined to put the proof that Constant
loved her-I mean that he was a man of feeling-beyond the possibility of loss, she placed
the originals in a safe to be delivered to her
niece and heir upon her death: one of the copies
she kept in constant circulation among her intimate friends, (her very intimate friends only,)
but with special injunctions not to breathe their
contents to a living soul: the other she committed to a female literary friend, with instructions
relative to i& publication after her death in the
feuilleton of the Presse or the Debats. Mdme.
R6ecamier died, as I have said, in May last. The
public vindication of her friend Constant's heart
soon followed. On the 30th June appeared first
on the first column of the first page of the Presse,
the following advertisement: "Unpublished Letters of Benjamin Constant to Madame R6camier.
These Letters, which the Presse has just acquired
the right of publishing in its feuilleton, are seventy-three in number. They have been written
at four different epochs-from 1814 to 1815-during the Hundred Days —afterthe Hundred Daysand from 1816 to 1830. These Letters have been
communicated to us by Madame Louise Colet, to
whom they were given by Madame R6camier,
and who accompanies them with a preface and
conclusion written by herself." Madame Lenormand, the niece and adopted daughter of Madame R6camier, immediately protested against the
publication. A counter advertisement appeared
notifying the public that Madame R. could not
have authorised the selling of these Letters, and
that the Presse had inconsiderately promised a
publication which would not take place.
Nous verrons cela! said the Presse and incontinently the publication, which from the first it
had been intended to adjourn for a month or two,
commences in the feuilleton of the 3rd July. On
the 4th, a second number appears. At this point
(the introduction and some half dozen letters
having now appeared) the publication is arrested
by legal proceedings, commenced on the part of
the heirs. The commencement of the suit is
marked by some very pretty specimens of epistolary spite passing between the lady combattants; but these would not amuse your readers
so much as they do the Parisian public. The
brother of Benjamin Constant joins his protest,
with that of Madame Lenormand, against the
publication. The trial commenced before the
tribunal de premiere instance on the 25th ult. The
argument of M. Chaix-d'Est-Ange counsel for
the heirs, was a masterly effort, able, ingenious,
and terribly severe. According to him the publication of these letters was, on the part of Madame Colet, a flagrant violation of delicacy, honori
and common honesty. Madame Recamie:rcould
never have authorised it-her well known delicacy of feeling and nicety of honor, her modesty
that ever shrunk from the public gaze, even upon
the most legitimate occasions, her whole life, in
fine, compelled us indignantly to reject the idea
that she could be privy to their unheard of outrage. Madame Colet had occupied in relation
to Madame R6camier a very equivocal position.
She had, by dint of perseverance, obtruded herself upon Madame R., who admitted her, it is
true, into her salon in the character of reader,
but never honored her with an intimate and
confidential friendship. Madame R. had upon
one occasion, and after much hesitation, permitted Madame Colet to have possession, during a
few days, for the purpose of perusal of the Letters of Benjamin Constant Madame C. had
taken advantage of this permission to procure a
surreptitious copy-it was this copy, thus fraudulently obtained and concealed during the life of
Madame R., that had been sold to the Presse and
was now in process of publication-in fine, these
Letters had been "stolen," and the pretended
written donation, bearing the signature of Madame R., and exhibited by defendants in proof of
their right to publish and of the wishes of Madame R. herself, had been "forged" for the oc —
casion. The advocate concluded and the case
was adjourned over to that day week, when the
reply of the counsel of the Presse was to be heard.
In the mean time the argument of M. Chaixd'Est-Ange was published in full in all the principal journals, except the Presse. It produced a
powerful effect. Decidedly this was a bad case
for Madame C olet-as for Girardin of the Presse,
whatever might be the real truth of the case,
every body believed him capable of complicity
in an affair of this sort. Presumptions are always against him. Allons! said I to myself"Patience for a week! Audi alteram partem."
On the 1st instant, M. Langlais counsel for the
Presse and Madame C., pronounced his defence:
From our Paris Correspondent.
597