A STUDY IN GRATITUDE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6795, 15 May 1900, Page 3

A STUDY IN GRATITUDE.

♦.-^ It must be admitted that the Press of Great Britain deserves much praise for the wanner in which ilt has main-

tained its dignified ton©, while ifas columns of the Continental newspapers hare bean filled with ignoble cancatures of the Queen. The" British Press might easily have adopted the tv quoque style of argument wditifo effect, and, going back into history, might, have pom/ted the finger of.scorn at many libertines and loose womeu who have been raised ein high in the courts of Europe. But it has refrained* from t doing anything of the kind, and has treated the cowardly insults to her Majesty with the comlbempt, they deserve. Some time ago, however, the Duke of Orleans, wishing to flatter the Anglophobia of the French people, wrote a letter of congratulation to an artist who had jusfc published one of the disgraceful caricatures, and the London " Daily Mail" has brought to light soma half-forgotten pag«3 of ihistory in connection with the Orleans family. During the minority of Louis XV. the Regency was in the hands of Philippe, Duke of Orleans. He paved the way for th« scandals of the reign of Louis, and, through his dissipation, helped to inspire Prance with a disgust of royalty. His son, the famous Duke of Orleans, is one of the most i-epul-sdve figures of the French Revolution. He was m love with Marie- Antoinette, but Jiis suit was rejected by that unfortunate princess. He then beoame her bitter enemy, and spread about h&c the most outrageous calumnies, especially at the time of the diamond necklace affair. At the Revolution, en order to do homage to the people, he repudiated! his own name, and styled himself Philippe-Egalite. This abject conduct did not save him, however, far he was sent to the scaffold.' His son, Louis-Philippe d'Orleans, also embraced republicanism., but was compelled to flee'from the guillotine. Obtaining an asylum in England, he eked ..out a livelihood by giving drawing flessons. He returned to France- at the time of the Restoration, oonspiired against Ms blood relations and Oils benefactors, and ascended the throne. When the Revolution of 1848 burafc forth, he was again sent into exile, and for a second time took refuge in England, where he was received by the Royal Family in a' kindly and courteous fashion. It was dn England that -the Oompte de Parisj the father of the present Duke of Orleans' was brought up, and in England the Princes of Orleans found a safe refuge for twentytwo years. Evidently, jrratdtude is not a, strong feature of the Orleans family.