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of　France　as　a　nation；　it　was　the　utter　absence　of　this　feeling　of

duty；　as　well　as　of　truthfulness；　from　the　mind；　not　only　of　the

men；　but　of　the　leaders　of　the　French　people。　　The　unprejudiced

testimony　of　Baron　Stoffel；　French　military　attache　at　Berlin；

before　the　war；　is　conclusive　on　this　point。　　In　his　private

report　to　the　Emperor；　found　at　the　Tuileries；　which　was　written

in　August；　1869；　about　a　year　before　the　outbreak　of　the　war；

Baron　Stoffel　pointed　out　that　the　highly…educated　and　disciplined

German　people　were　pervaded　by　an　ardent　sense　of　duty；　and　did

not　think　it　beneath　them　to　reverence　sincerely　what　was　noble

and　lofty；　whereas；　in　all　respects；　France　presented　a　melancholy

contrast。　There　the　people；　having　sneered　at　everything；　had

lost　the　faculty　of　respecting　anything；　and　virtue；　family

life；　patriotism；　honour；　and　religion；　were　represented　to

a　frivolous　generation　as　only　fitting　subjects　for　ridicule。　（7）

Alas！　how　terribly　has　France　been　punished　for　her　sins

against　truth　and　duty！



Yet　the　time　was；　when　France　possessed　many　great　men　inspired　by

duty；　but　they　were　all　men　of　a　comparatively　remote　past。　The

race　of　Bayard；　Duguesclin；　Coligny；　Duquesne；　Turenne；　Colbert；

and　Sully；　seems　to　have　died　out　and　left　no　lineage。　　There　has

been　an　occasional　great　Frenchman　of　modern　times　who　has　raised

the　cry　of　Duty；　but　his　voice　has　been　as　that　of　one　crying　in

the　wilderness。　　De　Tocqueville　was　one　of　such；　but；　like　all　men

of　his　stamp；　he　was　proscribed；　imprisoned；　and　driven　from

public　life。　　Writing　on　one　occasion　to　his　friend　Kergorlay；

he　said：　〃Like　you；　I　become　more　and　more　alive　to　the

happiness　which　consists　in　the　fulfilment　of　Duty。　　I　believe

there　is　no　other　so　deep　and　so　real。　　There　is　only　one　great

object　in　the　world　which　deserves　our　efforts；　and　that　is

the　good　of　mankind。〃　（8）



Although　France　has　been　the　unquiet　spirit　among　the　nations　of

Europe　since　the　reign　of　Louis　XIV。；　there　have　from　time　to　time

been　honest　and　faithful　men　who　have　lifted　up　their　voices

against　the　turbulent　warlike　tendencies　of　the　people；　and　not

only　preached；　but　endeavoured　to　carry　into　practice；　a　gospel　of

peace。　　Of　these；　the　Abbe　de　St。…Pierre　was　one　of　the　most

courageous。　　He　had　even　the　boldness　to　denounce　the　wars　of

Louis　XIV。；　and　to　deny　that　monarch's　right　to　the　epithet　of

'Great；'　for　which　he　was　punished　by　expulsion　from　the　Academy。

The　Abbe　was　as　enthusiastic　an　agitator　for　a　system　of

international　peace　as　any　member　of　the　modern　Society　of

Friends。　　As　Joseph　Sturge　went　to　St。　Petersburg　to　convert　the

Emperor　of　Russia　to　his　views；　so　the　Abbe　went　to　Utrecht　to

convert　the　Conference　sitting　there；　to　his　project　for　a　Diet；

to　secure　perpetual　peace。　　Of　course　he　was　regarded　as　an

enthusiast；　Cardinal　Dubois　characterising　his　scheme　as　〃the

dream　of　an　honest　man。〃　　Yet　the　Abbe　had　found　his　dream　in　the

Gospel；　and　in　what　better　way　could　he　exemplify　the　spirit　of

the　Master　he　served　than　by　endeavouring　to　abate　the　horrors　and

abominations　of　war？　The　Conference　was　an　assemblage　of　men

representing　Christian　States：　and　the　Abbe　merely　called　upon

them　to　put　in　practice　the　doctrines　they　professed　to　believe。

It　was　of　no　use：　the　potentates　and　their　representatives　turned

to　him　a　deaf　ear。



The　Abbe　de　St。…Pierre　lived　several　hundred　years　too　soon。　　But

he　determined　that　his　idea　should　not　be　lost；　and　in　1713　he

published　his　'Project　of　Perpetual　Peace。'　　He　there　proposed　the

formation　of　a　European　Diet；　or　Senate；　to　be　composed　of

representatives　of　all　nations；　before　which　princes　should　be

bound；　before　resorting　to　arms；　to　state　their　grievances　and

require　redress。　　Writing　about　eighty　years　after　the　publication

of　this　project；　Volney　asked：　〃What　is　a　people？an　individual

of　the　society　at　large。　　What　a　war？a　duel　between　two

individual　people。　　In　what　manner　ought　a　society　to　act　when　two

of　its　members　fight？Interfere；　and　reconcile　or　repress　them。

In　the　days　of　the　Abbe　de　St。…Pierre；　this　was　treated　as　a

dream；　but；　happily　for　the　human　race；　it　begins　to　be　realised。〃

Alas　for　the　prediction　of　Volney！　　The　twenty…five　years　that

followed　the　date　at　which　this　passage　was　written；　were

distinguished　by　more　devastating　and　furious　wars　on　the　part　of

France　than　had　ever　been　known　in　the　world　before。



The　Abbe　was　not；　however；　a　mere　dreamer。　　He　was　an　active

practical　philanthropist　and　anticipated　many　social　improvements

which　have　since　become　generally　adopted。　　He　was　the　original

founder　of　industrial　schools　for　poor　children；　where　they　not

only　received　a　good　education；　but　learned　some　useful　trade；　by

which　they　might　earn　an　honest　living　when　they　grew　up　to

manhood。　　He　advocated　the　revision　and　simplification　of　the

whole　code　of　lawsan　idea　afterwards　carried　out　by　the　First

Napoleon。　　He　wrote　against　duelling；　against　luxury；　against

gambling；　against　monasticism；　quoting　the　remark　of　Segrais；　that

〃the　mania　for　a　monastic　life　is　the　smallpox　of　the　mind。〃　　He

spent　his　whole　income　in　acts　of　charitynot　in　almsgiving；　but

in　helping　poor　children；　and　poor　men　and　women；　to　help

themselves。　　His　object　always　was　to　benefit　permanently　those

whom　he　assisted。　　He　continued　his　love　of　truth　and　his　freedom

of　speech　to　the　last。　At　the　age　of　eighty　he　said：　〃If　life　is　a

lottery　for　happiness；　my　lot　has　been　one　of　the　best。〃　　When　on

his　deathbed；　Voltaire　asked　him　how　he　felt；　to　which　he

answered；　〃As　about　to　make　a　journey　into　the　country。〃　　And　in

this　peaceful　frame　of　mind　he　died。　　But　so　outspoken　had　St。…

Pierre　been　against　corruption　in　high　places；　that　Maupertius；

his　Successor　at　the　Academy；　was　not　permitted　to　pronounce　his

ELOGE；　nor　was　it　until　thirty…two　years　after　his　death　that　this

honour　was　done　to　his　memory　by　D'Alembert。　　The　true　and

emphatic　epitaph　of　the　good；　truth…loving；　truth…speaking　Abbe

was　this〃HE　LOVED　MUCH！〃



Duty　is　closely　allied　to　truthfulness　of　character；　and　the

dutiful　man　is；　above　all　things；　truthful　in　his　words　as　in　his

actions。　　He　says　and　he　does　the　right　thing；　in　the　right　way；

and　at　the　right　time。



There　is　probably　no　saying　of　Lord　Chesterfield　that　commends

itself　more　strongly　to　the　approval　of　manly…minded　men；　than

that　it　is　truth　that　makes　the　success　of　the　gentleman。

Clarendon；　speaking　of　one　of　the　noblest　and　purest　gentlemen　of

his　age；　says　of　Falkland；　that　he　〃was　so　severe　an　adorer　of

truth　that　he　could　as　easily　have　given　himself　leave　to　steal

as　to　dissemble。〃



It　was　one　of　the　finest　things　that　Mrs。　Hutchinson　could　say　of

her　husband；　that　he　was　a　thoroughly　truthful　and　reliable　man：

〃He　never　professed　the　thing　he　intended　not；　nor　promised　what

he　believed　out　of　his　power；　nor　failed　in　the　performance　of

anything　that　was　in　his　power　to　fulfil。〃



Wellington　was　a　severe　admirer　of　truth。　　An　illustration　may　be

given。　　When　afflicted　by　deafness　he　consulted　a　celebrated

aurist；　who；　after　trying　all　remedies　in　vain；　determined；　as　a

last　resource；　to　inject　into　the　ear　a　strong　solution　of

caustic。　　It　caused　the　most　intense　pain；　but　the　patient　bore　it

with　his　usual　equanimity。　　The　family　physician　accidentally

calling　one　day；　found　the　Duke　with　flushed　cheeks　and　bloodshot

eyes；　and　when　he　rose　he　staggered　about　like　a　drunken　man。　　The

doctor　asked　to　be　permitted　to　look　at　his　ear；　and　then　he　found

that　a　furious　inflammation　was　going　on；　which；　if　not

immediately　checked；　must　shortly　reach　the　brain　and　kill　him。

Vigorous　remedies　were　at　once　applied；　and　the　inflammation　was

checked。　　But　the　hearing　of　that　ear　was　completely　destroyed。

When　the　aurist　heard　of　the　danger　his　patient　had　run；　through

the　violence　of　the　remedy　he　had　employed；　he　hastened　to　Apsley

House　to　express　his　grief　and　mortification；　but　the　Duke　merely

said：　〃Do　not　say　a　word　more　about　ityou　did　all　for　the

best。〃　　The　aurist　said　it　would　be　his　ruin　when　it　became　known

that　he　had　been　the　cause　of　so　much　suffering　and　danger　to　his

Grace。　　〃But　nobody　need　know　anything　about　it：　keep　your　own

counsel；　and；　depend　upon　it；　I　won't　say　a　word　to　any　one。〃

〃Then　your　Grace　will　allow　me　to　attend　you　as　usual；　which　will

show　the　public　that　you　have　not　withdrawn　your　confidence　from

me？〃　　〃No；〃　replied　the　Duke；　kindly　but　firmly；　〃I　can't　do　that；

for　that　would　be　a　lie。〃　　He　would　not　act　a　falsehood　any　more

than　he　would　speak　one。　（9）



Another　illustration　of　duty　and　truthfulness；　as　exhibited　in　the

fulfilment　of　a　promise；　may　be　added　from　the　life　of　Blucher。

When　he　was　hastening　with　his　army　over　bad　roads　to　the　help　of

Wellington；　on　the　18th　of　June；　1815；　he　encouraged　his　t