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Show A Lost Opportunity. In the memoirs of tho Count do Fallout, Fal-lout, now publishing in Le Correspondent, Correspond-ent, the following passage, referring to tho coup d'etat of Napoleon III, occurs: "Among tho prisoners detained at Mont Valerien Dec. 2, 1G31, was one Anthony Chomet. Ho gavo to a lady visitor a number of letters to take to Paris, and said: 'Tell my family I am in no danger, but that I feel inconsolable to have held tho destiny of Franco in my hand and to have Jet it slip!' Nobody understood the phrase, hut tho fact was this: In the constituent assombly preceding tho election elec-tion of Louis Napoleon to the presidency, Chomet had introduced an amendment excluding tho members of families that had reigned in France from the olhce of president. Louis Napoleon ascended the rostrum nnd spokn against the amendment amend-ment so awkwardly, so incoherently, and with an accent so foreign and strange that ho was all tho time interrupted by tho noisy laughter and railleries, and finally compelled to desist ignominiously. Then Chomet arose and said: 'After the assembly has heard that haraugue, and all France will have read it to-morrow, there is no further need of my amendment. amend-ment. I withdraw it."' ITo ihat makes himself ridiculous makes himself impossible, impos-sible, is iho French saying, and Chomet was guided by it. But Louis Napoleon outlived the ridicule and becamo master of Franco, which would not have been possible if Chomet's amendment had be-como be-como law. Paris Letter. |