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Black Republic of Letters

Note – Alphonse Karr

Alphonse Karr (1808-1890) was a French journalist and novelist. Learn more about Alphonse Karr.

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News & Rumours Cuban fears over US tariff - English navy reforms - Lavigerie wrote to the King of Holland - Haitian diplomat promoted - Paris sea port - German fears over US tariff - Political developments in Brazil - Paris metro plans - Fundraising for Guadeloupe fire victims - Ship arrives in New York - Anti-slavery is sincere - Bank head in Haiti - New student group in the works - Workers congress - New newspaper for the youth - School cohort - Director changes at the Revue Bleue - Pianist broke his leg - King of Holland is ill - Obituary for a French writer The Spanish in Havana sent a telegraph to Spain to draw the government's attention to the considerable losses that the American bill will cause to cigar makers, and to ask for a revision to the trade agreement between the two countries.

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The English parliament voted in favour of a credit of five million for the Admiralty to reconstitute the English fleet.

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Next week we will publish a letter that Cardinal Lavigerie just wrote to the King of Holland to ask him to participate in the Anti-Slavery Campaign.

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Mr. Alfred Box, the likeable and distinguished minister resident of Haiti in Paris, was just raised to the rank of minister plenipotentiary.

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The Prefect of the Seine has officially constituted the inquiry commission relating to the Paris sea port.

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Economic Reprisals
The rumour in Berlin is that the German government is planning to take reprisal measures against the United States, in the case that the cabinet in Washington refuses to grant Germany concessions on certain clauses in the McKinley Bill.

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In Brazil
1 October — It has been announced that the Brazilian Congress will discuss the Constitution, elect the President of the Republic, and vote for the budget, after which it will adjourn.

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The inquiry commission charged with examining the Paris metropolitan railroad presented by the Eiffel Establishments Company, had just concluded its adoption.

The proposed route follows the main boulevards and Rue de Rivoli, connecting the train stations of the large Companies.

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Messrs. Lalou, president, Arthur Meyer, and Chincholle, vice-presidents of the Press Events Committee for the victims in Fort-de-France, interviewed Mr. Constans, Minister of the Interior, regarding the creation of special permanent fund for victims of catastrophes.

Mr. Constans promised his support in presenting the proposal before the Chambers.

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The steamer La Bourgogne, of the General Transatlantic Company, arrived in New York on Sunday 21 September around 8 o'clock in the morning. The traditional concert in benefit of the Lifesaving Society was particularly brilliant. Our collaborators G.S. received an ovation from an audience made up mostly of Yankees.

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In a very judicious article, published under the signature of Mr. Alexis Meunier, the Indépendant d'Oise demonstrates how the anti-slavery question has never been a pretext, for most of the powers, for the conquest of Africa. We will return to this question.

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Mr. de Montferrand, secretary-general of the Banque Nationale d'Haïti, left on Saturday 4 October for Haiti (via New York).

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There is talk of a group that will bring together all the students belonging to different countries in the Americas being founded in Paris. A steering committee is in the process of collecting members. We will keep our readers up to date with this useful project.

On this matter, we send heartiest congratulations to the founders of the Espérance Group in Port-au-Prince. All efforts to develop ideas of cooperation and association must be encouraged in Haiti.

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A Workers' Congress took place on 2 October in Paris. It was decided that, in electoral matters, the workers' party must fully regain its freedom of action and forego all compromises with other parties.

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Founding of a New Newspaper
Le Jour, published on 1 October under the direction of Mr. Charles Laurent, the founder of Le Paris. According to its program, Le Jour will be an absolutely independent newspaper destined to encourage "the youth" and make them known.

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Extraordinary session of the baccalauréat ès lettré, on 24 December, for the volunteers and candidates called under the flags in 1890.

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Mr. Alfred Rambaud, the kind and eminent professor at the Sorbonne, is quitting the direction of La Revue Bleue, where he will remain as a collaborator. He is replaced by Mr. Henry Ferrari, who has been charged with the administration.

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It has been announced that Paderenski, the celebrated and fashionable pianist, has just broken his leg on the banks of Lake Geneva.

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According to the latest news from The Hague, the state of the King of Holland is prompting the greatest worries. It no longer seems possible that he can retake the reins of government. A regency seems necessary.

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Obituary
Alphonse Karr died on 30 September, at the age of eighty-two, in his Villa des Roses in San Raphaël. He died the victim of his own carelessness. He was in good health and recently went out in a rain storm, bareheaded, to tend to the flowers in his garden. He then went out on a boat and raised the fishing lines, the rain still pouring down on his athletic body. Returning home, drenched to the bones, he kept on his soaked clothes despite the advice of his family. He had confidence in his robust constitution. But two days later he was bedridden; it was declared a fluxion of the chest, which defeated the colossus.

Alphonse Karr is the author of Sous les Tilleuls, Genviève, Clotilde, Une heure trop tard, Le chemin le plus cruel, his best-known novels, and of Fa Dièze, Voyage cutout de mon jardin, which are charming fantasies. The biggest success of his literary life was the publication of Guêpes, a little paper that he personally directed, and where, for nearly 10 years, he wrote a little paragraph about every political or literary event that were bounding with wit in their brevity. He had achieved quite a reputation as a witty and sensible man. Among his thoughts and his words that have become famous, we cite the following:
The number of writers is already innumerable and will always increase, because it's the only profession, along with the art of governing, that anyone dares to do without having learned it.

I see well that man perfect everything around him; but I do not see him perfecting himself.

Once posterity has made its selection and sorting, those who have written nothing but excellent works will find themselves with more baggage than the most prolific.

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