The Salt Smugglers by Gérard de Nerval Read Free Book Online

that would allow my play to be performed. I had no choice but to make the rounds.
    The ministry contained a number of career officials who were good-humored enough to be amused by sending a non-serious writer such as myself on a wild goose chase. M. Véron, whose acquaintance I had made in a restaurant, said to me one day: « You’re going about things all wrong. I’ll give you a personal letter over my signature for the censor »; and he handed me a sheet of paper that said: « I recommend to your attention this young author who has worked for us as a contributor to the newspapers of our constitutional party of the opposition and who is requesting a visa from the censor », etc. M. Véron, — an associate of this newspaper where I indeed did publish a few articles dealing with the great philosophers of the 18th century, — will surely not hold it against me if I make public his kind and honorable gesture.
    From that day onward, all the doors were open for me: I was even informed of the reason that they wanted to delay my play and hence rob me of its profits for an entire winter season.
    They considered my play to be dangerous especially because its fourth act featured a scene deemed too realistic and too concretely historical in its coloring because it depicted a “charcoal burning” after the fashion of the Italian carbonari . They had hoped I would heap ridicule upon these young conspirators and remained critical of the fact that I had presented things from the impartial point of view that I had learned from my study of Shakespeare and Goethe, — however weak my imitation of them may have been in the end.
    My play, it should be pointed out, did not reach a favorable conclusion as to the advisability of political assassination, yet it demonstrated just how difficult it
might be for a man of feeling to support the reactionary politics of a small German court.
    M. de Montalivet was the minister back then. I was unable to get access to him. And yet it was he who was responsible for all the decisions, — as I was informed by the various bureaucrats at the ministry (all of whom, it should be noted, treated me in the most polite and benevolent terms).
    The rehearsals continued to be cancelled; — Bocage, who was engaged to perform in the provinces, quit the production, — which would have benefited tremendously from his talents and made a fortune for poor old Harel and me. The spring season, — not the best for theaters, — was creeping to a close. I mentioned my plight to a political journalist while visiting one of those newspaper offices where the line separating editorialists from feature writers is often forgotten in favor of simple comradeship based on years of acquaintance.
    Â« You’re wasting your time with all this. They’re not enforcing censorship for the moment.
    â€” I have good reason to believe the contrary.
    â€” Censorship may exist in theory, but not in practice. Do you understand?
    â€” Go on ...
    â€” Three years ago, the minister managed to get a provisional vote from the assembly that reestablished censorship, but this vote came with the stipulation that a definitive law on this matter be presented for ratification within two years.
    â€” And so?
    â€” And so ... It’s been three years now and nothing has been done. »
    Though I am not litigious in nature, I nonetheless felt that I should defend my interests, — if not my personal interests (writers rarely think of these), at least those of my literary offspring.
    I went to look up M. Lefèvre, the official (and certified ) defense attorney for the association of dramatic authors. M. Lefèvre very politely said to me: « You may be entirely right ... But our association is careful to avoid anything that might smack of politics. Besides, my personal views would force me to recuse myself from this case. You will certainly find other lawyers only too happy to take