Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 May 1885 — FRANCE’S GREAT POET DEAD [ARTICLE]

FRANCE’S GREAT POET DEAD

Victor Hugo, the Aged Litterateur. . Breathes His Last at Paris After a Painful Illness. He Declines Spiritual Consolation—A Sketch of the Great Poet’s Life* Work. Victor Hugo is dead. The word-painter who, as poet, dramatist, and novelist, electrified the world, passed away at his home in Paris at 1:30 o’clock on the afternoon of May 22, at the ripe age of 83 years and 3 months. There are all sorts of reports as to his last hours. One story is to the effect that he suffered hours of agony before the end came. This is no doubt magnified greatly in cerfaiu quarters from the fact that he refused spiritual cqnsolation at the close. Paris dispatches give the following particulars of the last hours of the immortal poet: Victor Hugo’s condition had grown so manifestly worse *that his death was regarded as certain to take place within a few hours. When this tact became known Cardinal Guihert, the Archbishop of Paris, sent specially to Hugo's residence, offering to visit him and administer spiritual aid amt the rites of the Catholic Church. M. Lockroy, the poet’s son-in-law, replied for M. Hugo, declining with thanks the Archbishop’s tender, saying for the dying man: “Victor Hugo is exi ecting death, hut he ooes not desire the services of a priest.’’ His last words were ‘ Adieu, Jeanne, adieu,” addressed to his favorite granddaughter. The s enes in Paris following the death of Victor Hugo remind the observer forcibly of the night of Dec. 31,1882, when Leon Gambetta had just died. The streets and cases are filled with groups discussing the sad event, and many persons are wearing t!>e little mourning badges w th a photographic portrait of the dead poet in the center, which are already for sale bv the thousand. In the Senate, M. Leroyer delivered a eulogy on M. Hugo. The speaker said that for the past sixty years Victor Hugo had been the admiration of France and of the world. He had now entered immortality. His glory belongs to no party, but to all men. Prime Minister Brisson delivered a eulogy in the Chamber of Deputies. He said the whole nation mourned the loss of Victor Hugo, and moved that the funeral of the poet be conducted at the state's expense. The motion was greeted with applause. It is proposed to inter the poet's remains in the Pantheon, and that the day of the funeral be declared a day of national mourning, on which all the Government offices, the schools, and the theaters shall be closed. The poet was sketched as he lay upon his death-bed by Bonnat, the painter, who will transfer to canvas the impression taken. The sculptor Dalon took a cast of his face Nadar took a photograph. Glaize made another sketch. When his death was announced there was a great rush of reporters to the house, and the servants were obliged to repel them. Lcckrov closed the front door,, leaving the table In the street for visiting cards. The body wai embalmed, and immense quantities of flowers were brought to the residence. Mme. Bernhardt, dressed completely in white, brought with her an immense crown of white roses. Deputations from the municipal government and from Parliament offered their condolence. It is repotted that M. Hugo bequeathed his manuscripts to France, and that he left it to the Republic to select a burial place for his remains, and to decide as to the form of his funeral. Half his lortune, 4,000,003 francs, was bequeathed by Hugo to his daughter Adele, who is in a lunatic asylum. It was Hugo’s wish that his heirs and executors should hereafter join in building a lunatic asylum. The clerical papers denounce Lockroy for withholding from Victor Hugo the message from cardinal Guibert offering to attend the death.

Biographical. The following brief sketch of this intellectual giant’s life-work will afford ' the reader some idea of the immense activity of his career of more than four-score years: Victor Marie Hugo was born at Besancon, Feb. 26, 18u2, his father being a colonel In the French army. From Besancon he was carried to Elba, to Faris, to Rome, and to Naples before he was 5 years old. In 1869 he returned to France and received a classical instruction at a religious house. The first volume of his “'Odes and Ballads" appeared in 1822, and his tales "Hans of Iceland" and “Bug J arg al" were written about this time. In 1826 he pub ished a second volume of “Odes and Ballads,” which exhibited a change in his, literary and political opinions, and in 1827 he composed h s dram 1 "Cromwell,” In 1829 he published his "Last Days .of a Condemned Criminal," the terrific interest of which secured an immense success. M. Hugo prepared a further attack on the stiff and unnatural style of Brench dramatic literature in his “Hemani,” first played at the Theatre Francais Feb. 26, . 1830, and which caused a scene of riotous confusion. The Academy went so far as to lay a cause of complaint against his attempted innovations at the toot of the throne. Charles X. sensibly replied that “as to matters of art he was no more than a private person." Shortly after the revolution of July, 1830, his “Marion de Lorrne,” which had been suppressed by the censorship under the restoration, was brought out with success. “Le Rol s’Amuse” was performed at the Theatre Francais in January, 1832. and the day after its production was interdicted by the Government. After publishing a number of dramatic pieces of various merit he was admitted into the Academy in 1841, and was created a peer of France by Louis Philippe. In 1849 fie was chosen President of the Peace Congress, of which he had been a leading member. In 1862 Victor Hugo went Into exile in Jersey, Guernsey, and elsewhere, and refused to avail himself of the general amnesty issued Aug. 15,1859. On the fall of the empire, however, he hastened back to his native country, entered heartily into the republican movement, and was returned to the National Assembly at Bordeaux, which he soon quitted in disgust, sending, on March 9, 1871, the following characteristic letter to the President, M. Grevy: “Three weeks ago the Assembly refused to hear Garibaldi; to-day it refuses to hear me. 1 resign my seat.” M. Hugo then went to Brussels, but the Belgian Government, alarmed by his violent writings and his avowed sympathy with the Communists, expelled him from the country. He then sought refuge in the seclusion of the little town of Vianden, in Luxemburg, where he composed “L’Annsee Terrible.” Returning to Paris in July, 1871, he pleaded earnestly for the lives of Ferre, Rossel, and the other Communists to no effect. At the next elections he was defeated by M. Vautrian. M. Victor Hugo has given an account of this period of his career in “Actes et Paroles,” published in 1872. He wrote much after he quitted France in 1852 His satire “Napoleon le Petit” appeared in Brussels in 1852; Les Chatiments,” at the same place, in 1853; and "Contemplations” at Paris, in 1853. His fame rests principally on his "Notre Dame de Paris,” which has been translated into most European languages, and is known in English under the title of the "Hunchback of Notre Dame,” a book the Roman Catholic clergy never forgave him for. His semi-historical and social romance, "Les Miserablcs,” translated into nine languages. was issued at Paris, Brussels, London, New lork, Madrid, Berlin, St. Petersburg, and Turin the same day, April 3, 1862. This was followed in 1864 by a rhapsodical work on Shakspeare, not likely to add to his reputation. His last novel, “L’Homme Qui Rit,” appeared in 1869. M. Victor Hugo was a prolific writer, the principal of his works btiug “Claude Gueux,” a tale; "Lucrezia Borgia,” “Marie Tudor,” “Ruy Blas.” “Les Burgraves,” and “Marion de Lorme,’ plays; and “Le Rhin, ” a bcok of travels. His most recent wor .8 are “La Legende des Siecles,” new series; “Histoire d’ un Crime,” being an account of the coup dietat of Louis Napoeon; “Le Fane,” a poem; “In Pitie Supreme,” a poem; “Religions et Religion,” a poem, which, beginning like “Les Chatiments,” in a tone of comedy and irony, reviews creeds and systems, passes from Catholicism to nihilism, and concludes by an affirmation of a theism without “catchechisms, kora ns, and grammais;” “Les quatre vents de I’Esprit,” 1881, poems; and “Torquemada,” a dramatic poem, 1882.