Joseph-Antoine HÉDOUIN DE PONS (1739-1817) man of letters. L - Lot 163

Lot 163
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Joseph-Antoine HÉDOUIN DE PONS (1739-1817) man of letters. L - Lot 163
Joseph-Antoine HÉDOUIN DE PONS (1739-1817) man of letters. L.A.S., Reims 20 nivôse II (January 9, 1794), to Camille Desmoulins; 2 pages in-4, address (small tear due to broken seal, affecting the 2nd signature on the lower angel of the 2nd leaf; ink stamp of Papiers Cam. Desmoulins). Beautiful letter to Camille Desmoulins, and violent denunciation of the Minister of War Bouchotte (who will keep this portfolio until April 20, 1794). The "Denunciation to the Committee of Public Safety" is signed "The Republican Hédoin born in 1739, 40 years old military, 1st vice-president of the Section Lepelletier in Reims", against "the manequin Bouchotte": "His nonsense, his ineptitude, his negligence are equivalent to the highest treason. [...] Far from desensitizing the generals, he populated the staff with muscadins and Blancs-becs like himself [...]. He makes the republic pay 700,000 effective men & a large quarter of them are incapable of military service. He has populated the armies with foolish generals as much as rascals and keeps everywhere, even in the foodstuffs, thieves, brigands, even nobles"... He continues his invectives against Hébert and Bouchotte in the accompanying letter: "The Diatribe on this peccata of Hébert is ad metam non loqui& I can work in the same way on his milord pot-au-feu (Bouchotte). One can say of this white man compared to the minister Choiseul - known as the Coachman of Europe, that the slim successor of Pasche (imbecilis nimis) can hardly be called his palefrénier". He asks Desmoulins how to open the eyes of the Committee of Public Safety which does not answer him "on this pigmée who believes himself Hercules? to this use I beg you to make use of the denunciation of the first page of this letter". About Lucile Desmoulins: "I congratulate you on your fortune [...] and even more so on your beautiful companion, you deserve better than a wren from Ithaca, and as a proud republican you have a Penelope who is better than the wife of Menelaus and Paris"... [Camille Desmoulins was arrested on March 30 and guillotined on April 5, his wife Lucile on April 13].
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